Yes, today was spent finally reading my copy of Arturo Pérez-Reverte's Pirates of the Levant, volume six in the English translations of his Alatriste series ... every bit as powerful as the previous volumes, with a wealth of insights into seventeenth-century Spanish history, society, politics, attitudes, and philosophies. This time the setting is the Mediterranean, the Spanish presence in North Africa, alliance with Italy, and the ongoing conflict against the Islamic Empire, fought in open galleys on both sides. If you're not familiar with the landmarks, ports, and islands of the southern and eastern Mediterranean in that era, it's worthwhile having a map or atlas handy to follow the action (I was good on the north African locations thanks to previous reading about the Barbary corsairs but needed to check a couple of positions on the Turkish coast).
For those who haven't read the Alatriste tales yet, the volumes are:
1. Captain Alatriste
2. Purity of Blood
3. The Sun Over Breda
4. The King's Gold
5. The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet
6. Pirates of the Levant
P.S. Just checked Pérez-Reverte's official website and it looks like the translations are caught up to the original Spanish editions ... there are only six Alatriste books listed there! (I was figuring/hoping at least one more, but there isn't. Yet)