From the beginning of the 16th century, the Mediterranean Sea became the scene of fierce battles between numerous squadrons of European states and North African pirates, who received the support of the Ottoman Empire. For three centuries, pirates kept merchants and villagers in the Mediterranean at bay. Sudden raids on coastal villages had one goal - to capture prisoners for ransom. Not a single person could sleep peacefully without fear of waking up in Moorish captivity. Hundreds of thousands of Europeans suffered the brunt of Moorish captivity. Only a few survived their long stay on pirate galleys and Algerian quarries. Some fled, in danger of being executed if caught, others were ransomed by religious orders. It took the British, Spanish, French, Italians and the Knights of Malta three centuries to finally eliminate pirate nests on the North African coast and destroy the harmful practice of converting Christians to slaves. This work is addressed to a wide range of readers interested in the history of piracy and navigation in general.