The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines and the Secret Mission of 1805

"The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805," by Richard Zacks, is an enthralling work of history. It's full of bold and colorful characters, fascinating places, and perilous situations. Zacks takes us back to the early 19th century. The nation of Tripoli (modern-day Libya), which terrorizes the Mediterranean, declares war on the United States and eventually captures a U.S. naval... Read Full Review

After America became a nation it was only a few years before another country declared war on it. In 1801 Tripoli declared war on the United States. The pirates of the Barbary coast (including the Tripoli area) made a regular practice of capturing the ships of any nation plying the waters of the Mediterranean and declaring war made it easier to justify. When a Navy ship was captured and all on board taken for slaves Thomas... Read Full Review

Some people like suspense novels, some people like action adventure stories, and some people are real history buffs. This book will satisfy all three crowds. To find accurate history written in such an engaging, page-turning manner is a rare delight. The United States became a nation at a time when the Barbary States (Tripoli, Tunis and Algiers) were enjoying a piracy trade they had been running for three centuries. This... Read Full Review

Long before our current war with Islamic extremists our young nation engaged in the War with the Barbary Pirates. It had almost become a footnote for history for many until the likes of journalists like Christopher Hitchens brought its events back into the spotlight. Now Richard Zack's "The Pirate Coast" brings the events of the war of Barbary Pirates into sharper focus. During the Presidency of Thomas Jefferson our... Read Full Review