Just as Thomas Jefferson was taking office as third president of the United States of America, a battle was raging across the Atlantic Ocean that would test the young country. Government-backed pirates were patrolling the waters off the Barbary Coast, attacking merchant ships from the US, Britain, and other European countries. Not only were they plundering the cargo and taking the vessels as prizes for their heads of state, they were trafficking the crew and selling them across Africa and the Mediterranean. Alternatively, the heads of state were holding American sailors hostage, demanding ransom and tribute be paid for their release. But negotiating with pirates and their heads of states is never as straightforward as it seems. The resulting four year Barbary War is the stuff of Hollywood action films and international thrillers.
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The forgotten war that changed American history is Brian Kilmeade and Don Yeager’s recounting of those four years. This book walks through those events not just in an educational way, but in an entertaining way that keeps readers interested throughout. This is a book about diplomatic relationships and the bravery of the US sailors who brought an end to the war.
I give Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates 5 out of 5 stars. I don’t remember learning about the Barbary Wars in school and found this book very informative with details about the people and places that brought history alive. I also found this a very interesting read when you consider the work the Americans did to overthrow local heads of states. US sponsored coups in the Middle East and Mediterranean rarely have the long-term effects hoped for. With mentions of Benghazi, Libya, and Egypt, this book connects to recent events in an interesting way. I was impressed with the authors’ work to share the motivations behind not only the US actions, but those of each key player and the foreign governments as well.
I would suggest this book for history lovers and those interested specifically in the history of the Mediterranean region. This would also be a great book for readers interested in naval history and nautical law. Even for those readers who don’t love history as much as me, this book is full of thriller and excitement that will draw in readers who love military action novels such as the Jack Ryan series. Given the inclusion of acts of war and terrorism, along with death and dismemberment, I would suggest this be directed to more mature audiences over 13.
I chose Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates as my TBR stack read for April. I picked this up at a library fundraiser a year ago and have been waiting for the right time to read it. I’m in the middle of reading about our third president and his contemporaries. I love reading about little known history and this fit all the bills. I hope you love it as much as me!
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