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

Richard Zacks

3.85 · Rating details · 2,109 ratings · 218 reviews

A real-life thriller -- the true story of the unheralded American who brought the Barbary Pirates to their knees.

In an attempt to stop the legendary Barbary Pirates of North Africa from hijacking American ships, William Eaton set out on a secret mission to overthrow the government of Tripoli. The operation was sanctioned by President Thomas Jefferson, who at the last mome ...more

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Paperback, 454 pages

Published June 1st 2006 by Hachette Books (first published June 1st 2005)

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Nov 06, 2009 Jason Koivu rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, war, non-fiction

What a relatively unknown and quite fascinating real-life adventure!

An ambitious U.S. general/diplomat turns guerilla warlord and takes a troop of the newly-minted U.S. Marines with Arab mercenaries into North Africa to wage a private war with the local tribal rulers in an effort to rescue captured American sailors in a very Lawrence of Arabia way.

The U.S. government's spy-game secretive backing and simultaneous denying of this mission is intriguing to see in its CIA-esque infancy. The cover-up What a relatively unknown and quite fascinating real-life adventure!

An ambitious U.S. general/diplomat turns guerilla warlord and takes a troop of the newly-minted U.S. Marines with Arab mercenaries into North Africa to wage a private war with the local tribal rulers in an effort to rescue captured American sailors in a very Lawrence of Arabia way.

The U.S. government's spy-game secretive backing and simultaneous denying of this mission is intriguing to see in its CIA-esque infancy. The cover-ups and casting adrift of the ambiguously valiant hero, William Eaton, doing what he thought was morally right is like something out of Hollywood. But it happened, and Richard Zacks does well to squeeze what he can out of a minor and little-known footnote in the greater book of U.S. history.

For more clarification on this mission, here is a section lifted from a Wiki page...

"The Marines' most famous action of this period occurred in the First Barbary War (1801–1805) against the Barbary pirates, when General William Eaton, the Naval Special Agent and appointed commander-in-chief of the multi-national expedition, and First Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon led a group of eight Marines and 300 Arab and European mercenaries in an attempt to capture Tripoli and free the crew of the captured USS Philadelphia. Though they only made it as far as Derne, Tripoli has been immortalized in the Marines' Hymn. The deposed Pasha, Prince Hamet Karamanli was so impressed with the Marines that he presented a Mameluke sword to O'Bannon inscribed in memory of the The Battle of Derne, a tradition continued today by the swords worn by Marine officers."

Richard Zacks may not be Simon Winchester or Nathaniel Philbrick, but he does a decent job in the "new historian" genre, bringing the people and places in his book back to life with great descriptives that put you into the scene and setting. I even felt like I knew Eaton as a person. His motivations came through quite clear and that human connection is important, even for readers of non-fiction. ...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Sarah (Presto agitato) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: the-u-states, history, call-of-the-sea, pirates, founders-and-losters

“From the Halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea.”
--The Marines’ Hymn

The Pirate Coast tackles the story of the fledgling United States’ first foreign war, a conflict with the country formerly known as Tripoli (now Libya). By the early days of the United States, the Barbary pirates had a long history of making a nice living from piracy. Operating out of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers, they were the scourge of the Mediterranean, capturin “From the Halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea.”
--The Marines’ Hymn

The Pirate Coast tackles the story of the fledgling United States’ first foreign war, a conflict with the country formerly known as Tripoli (now Libya). By the early days of the United States, the Barbary pirates had a long history of making a nice living from piracy. Operating out of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers, they were the scourge of the Mediterranean, capturing ships, stealing their cargo, and holding the passengers for ransom or selling them as slaves. The Barbary states were able to bring in a steady income as tribute from from other countries. Refusal to pay the tribute would put foreign vessels at risk of falling prey to the pirates.

William Bainbridge paying tribute to the Dey of Algiers (Source: Wikipedia)

President Jefferson refused to pay the tribute, and Tripoli declared war on the United States. In October 1803, an American ship under the leadership of Captain William Bainbridge was blockading Tripoli when it was captured. More than 300 Americans were made slaves. For almost two years, they lived under harsh conditions, with physical abuse, small quantities of poor food, and difficult work. Yussef Karamanli, the Dey (ruler) of Tripoli, hoped that such treatment would result in complaints back to the U.S., hopefully driving up the ransom. His scheming had an impact - Americans back at home, perhaps somewhat hypocritically, were horrified at the idea of white Christian Americans serving as slaves to Muslim oppressors.

Enter William Eaton, army officer and former consul to Tunis. Irascible but principled, Eaton led his Marines on a difficult mission to bring the Yussef’s ousted brother, Hamet, across the desert to Tripoli with the objective of inciting civil war and replacing the recalcitrant and demanding Yussef with the more cooperative, though regrettably weaker, Hamet.

William Eaton (Source: Wikipedia)

Eaton made a good showing, capturing the city of Derne and placing the U.S. in an excellent position to negotiate a favorable treaty. Unfortunately, poor communications and weak diplomacy undermined what could have been an impressive military victory. Despite American pronouncements on entering the war, the United States eventually ended up paying to ransom the slaves and even agreed to objectionable tributes, a condition that would last until the Second Barbary War in 1815. Even more disgraceful in Eaton’s eyes, the U.S. did not manage to negotiate freedom for Hamet’s wife and children (who had been the brother Yussef’s hostages for years), and left Hamet in an extremely uncomfortable situation after his failed coup. Eaton never forgave Tobias Lear, who negotiated the treaty, or Thomas Jefferson for betraying promises to Hamet and tarnishing the American reputation in that region.

Overall, it was an inauspicious start for U.S. foreign affairs. Despite Jefferson’s inaugural vow to avoid “entangling alliances” with other nations, it proved easier said than done. Fomenting civil war in another country turned out to be trickier than anticipated. The discussion afterwards as to what the U.S. had and had not actually agreed to, while the participants worked on spinning a more favorable version of the story and political opponents seized the opportunity to take advantage of it, did none of them any credit. It's funny what a hard lesson that is to learn. ...more

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Mar 29, 2021 The Colonial rated it it was amazing

With already one phenomenal book under his belt following piracy near American waters, Richard Zacks has brilliantly scored again—this time covering the United States policy towards the Barbary Pirates and the powers that be on the African coast. There is not a moment of boredom or drudgery to be found, as the reader follows the daunting adventures of William Eaton and his crew as they race the clock to free American captives on the USS Philadelphia from the grip of the sitting Pasha and nation With already one phenomenal book under his belt following piracy near American waters, Richard Zacks has brilliantly scored again—this time covering the United States policy towards the Barbary Pirates and the powers that be on the African coast. There is not a moment of boredom or drudgery to be found, as the reader follows the daunting adventures of William Eaton and his crew as they race the clock to free American captives on the USS Philadelphia from the grip of the sitting Pasha and nation of Tripoli. They embark on their journey from Washington City, and from there Zacks takes his audience through the trials and tribulations that led to the capture of the USS Philadelphia—all the while highlighting exciting events like Stephen Decatur’s daring raid.

The book features a cast of men who would eventually become both famous as well as infamous including the likes of Commodore Preble, William Bainbridge, David Porter, Presley O’Bannon, and Tobias Lear. Upon rooting for one of Eaton’s approaching victories, the reader will not necessarily find themselves comfortable—as events can take a turn for the worst in so sudden a fashion—and without any clear purpose from the directions and actions of those higher in authority. Zacks shows the hesitance and reluctance of Thomas Jefferson as President— traits that would come to dog him and repeat all throughout his failed Second Term—and humorously shows the ineptitude, greed, and egotistical ambition of his appointed consul to the Barbary powers, Tobias Lear:

Lear was also quite impressed with Bashaw Yussef Karamanli. (His note to Fanny has an awed schoolgirl tone.) The American diplomat showed no outrage at this ruler who had enslaved Americans. “He paid me many compliments and expressed himself on the peace with much manliness,” Lear wrote. “He is a man of very good presence, manly & dignified and has not in his appearance so much of the tyrant as he has been represented to be.”

Full of twists, epic raids, and explosive land and sea battles, the reader cannot help but compare William Eaton to the likes of Lawrence of Arabia— recognizing his fine moral compass and extreme devotion to his Tripolian allies’ cause for justice. Zacks’ engaging writing style and his talent for drafting from thoroughly researched notes comfortably captures the audience’s attention from the very first pages and onward. The Pirate Coast appropriately leaves the reader wanting to follow up on the numerous minor players discovered throughout the history of the Barbary Wars—where a helpful Cast of Characters, illustrations, and maps are found inside as well.

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Nov 04, 2007 jankreidler rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: history buffs, anyone interested in a ripping yarn

What a hoot! William Eaton was a bulldog who got on the wrong side of T Jeff or we'd be singing songs and visiting monuments about him....history is fickle. Although this is non-fiction, I laughed out loud at this guy's audacity and gumption! His fatal flaw was believing in honor above all else...not too politic! The senario mirrors today's world politics eerily, including a regime change in the Middle East! ...more

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Jul 14, 2008 Josh rated it liked it

Shelves: nonfiction

There are two things that should be said about this book to start. First, it is horribly mistitled. The publishers were clearly trying to cash in on the success of Zacks's other book Pirate Hunter. This book has very little to do with pirates and mostly deals with the United States as a fledgling nation and its foreign relations. Second, this book is must-read history and far better than Pirate Hunter.

The book focuses on the First Barbary War--the United States' first war (excepting the undeclar ...more

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Mar 16, 2009 Jason , etc. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

My expectations for unabridged audio books are that they keep me engaged as I drive through the midwest. Those of you who have ever driven through the midwest will understand that doing so can be a bit tedious to say the least, so the prospect of having a dude or dude-ette read me a ripping good yarn goes a long way toward maintaining sanity behind the wheel. I lean toward historical non-fiction because it's always been my cup of tea, though I'm equally happy with John Grisham/Stephen King/J.K R ...more

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May 11, 2008 A.J. Smith rated it it was amazing

An absolutely wonderful read by Richard Zacks (author of The Pirate Hunter, another great read). Zacks tells the story of Captain William Eaton and the first authorized black operation of the United States government in 1805 against the Bashir of Tripoli and the Barbary pirates. Once again Zacks never ceases to impress me with his research, insight, and storytelling ability. This book is a must read for anyone in the USMC, as it sheds light on the early history of the Corps. A great read from st ...more

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Jan 10, 2008 Shan rated it liked it

Well, it took over a year to read this book. It started very slowly, but about half way the pace picked up and I found it to be a satisfying read. Be warned, you need to be a history lover to really enjoy the detail and nuance of this book.

The book centers on William Eaton, a former Army Captain that leads a covert operation to topple the government of the Barbary Pirates. Along the way you get a good glance at how the government of the day, headed by President Jefferson, operated in both the do ...more

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Jun 12, 2007 Mrelia rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

"The Pirate Coast" chronicles America's first attempt at regime change. Results, as always, were mixed. Despite the obscurity of this mission, readers will find many of the circumstances and events to be quite familiar. Let's just say that history does tend to repeat itself.

Mr. Zacks style is, as always, engaging and readable. He makes no obvious effort at comedy, yet the absurdity of several situations are nearly laugh-out-loud.

For me, the most interesting lesson in this book is on the importan ...more

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Aug 13, 2014 Gary rated it really liked it

One of the tragic aspects of any forgotten war is that in being forgotten the lessons of that conflict are inevitably lost. That loss represents a serious failure of civilization, for there is truth in the now cliche words of George Santayana: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." The United States has repeated the errors of the First Barbary War many times in the centuries since. Indeed, it would not be outrageous to suggest that this early conflict set the tone for A One of the tragic aspects of any forgotten war is that in being forgotten the lessons of that conflict are inevitably lost. That loss represents a serious failure of civilization, for there is truth in the now cliche words of George Santayana: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." The United States has repeated the errors of the First Barbary War many times in the centuries since. Indeed, it would not be outrageous to suggest that this early conflict set the tone for American activities abroad that would continue until the present day, and that the failures of the past have been repeated again and again right up until we turn on our nightly news.

Those who have paid attention to modern history will see many parallels between events in living memory and this, the first "foreign war" of the United States. Elements that echo the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam; the support and then abandonment of various "freedom fighters" in Afghanistan, the changeability of irregular, native troops; the calls for war to protect commerce blended with the ideals of freedom all ring familiar to the modern reader of American history. The events of the First Barbary War are also familiar in terms of the characters and motivations of the participants as well: patriotic soldiers bent on self-sacrifice and hardship--all in naive anticipation of just treatment by a grateful nation; perfidious diplomats who undermine the noble aims of idealistic warriors--but whose self-serving motives are often in the long run more lasting and profound, the aloof and detached chief executive whose feigned interest or disinterest masks little more than a desire for deniability when things go wrong, and an opportunity to take credit for others' successes. Mr. Zacks draws all these elements in to tell a story that is at once exciting in its particulars but depressingly repetitive in its scope and history.

Within that focus, Zacks does an excellent job of telling a broad, inclusive history with details ranging from the experience of the lowest private to the actions of President Thomas Jefferson. However, even with that range of attention, William Eaton (the American patriot and soldier who led the ground forces that captured Derne--the first American foreign victory) is the undeniable hero of this history; his character and actions touch upon every aspect of the book. In fact, this book would be better served with a title that reflected that content. Though Thomas Jefferson and the United States Marines do figure prominently in the book, it really should be called William Eaton: The Adventures of America's First Covert Commander or something to that effect. Such a title would have been more accurate to the actual contents of the book.

The only other critique I'll offer up for this book is that Mr. Zack's vocabulary, though current, is sometimes jarring on the sensibilities of the reader, and really does little to convey the facts other than to replace the terminology of the time with more modern, but equally obfuscatory language of the present day. Using modern (and somewhat Orwellian) terms such as "regime change" or "covert op" to describe a foreign led rebellion backed by the United States is sometimes awkward to read when juxtaposed with the quotes of the participants who use terms like "noble effort" and "the honour of our nation" in a comparable way. Though the facts are presented clearly and distinctly by Mr. Zack, the lesson of history and any possible hope not to repeat them, rests on the ability of historians to call things out for what they are, not revitalize them using upgraded terms.

Leaving that up to the reader in this case does undermine some of the significance of this work, but not so drastically as to ruin it by any means. The remainder of the prose, quotes and narrative both, are composed with reliable and readable language. Mr. Zacks can tell a story well, with both brevity where it is called for, and detail where it is needed. He presents the voices of his principles neatly and weaves their quotes into his own prose with considerable skill so that we get both his interpretations (almost universally fair in my estimation) along with the voices of those he describing.

I can enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone interested in American foreign policy, the history of our conflicts abroad or simply a biography of a forgotten hero of the Republic. ...more

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Oct 24, 2008 Judy rated it really liked it

The story of how, in an effort to stop the Barbary Pirates from hijacking American ships along the coast of North Africa and imprisoning U.S. sailors, William Eaton was sanctioned by President Thomas Jefferson in 1805 to lead a secret mission to Africa to free U.S. hostages being held in Tripoli. Denied official support, because of the covert nature of the mission, Eaton recruited a small band of men including European mercenaries, Arab cavalry, and Bedouin fights to join his core group of men ( ...more

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Jan 17, 2011 David rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ebook, nonfiction

This was a fascinating book about the first "regime change" attempt by the U.S. gov't in the early 1800s by Thomas Jefferson's administration. Plagued by Barbary pirates, we attempted to replace the Tripoli shah with his older exiled brother. William Eaton, former rev. war vet, sales to Egypt, finds the brother, marches across 500 miles of Libyan desert, takes Durnya, and then is hung out to dry by Tobias Lear and T.J.

Interesting notes from my recent readings!

Lear shows up in Geo. Washington's ...more

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Jun 05, 2014 Tom Long rated it liked it

I purposely did not refresh my knowledge of this incident in history. I wanted to first see it through the author's eyes. Had I done even a modicum of research, I might have declined to invest so heavily in a tale of Eaton. Although history did not quite work out in the way I had hoped (no fault of the author of course), the writing was well-paced and descriptive. I feel that I was fed a knowledge of North African culture and history, well beyond anything picked up in school, by means of an engr ...more

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Jul 25, 2014 David rated it it was amazing

This took a bit of patience getting into, but the story took off. I was always a bit confused trying to follow who was who exactly among the various captains and commanders who dealt with Eaton. Still, the Eaton character is why this book is important. I believe after reading the story that this man was likely as close to a 19th century version of TE Lawrence in his WWI experience as you might find. Maybe the only one in US history. This might be a stretch, but the similarities are certainly the ...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Fredrick Danysh rated it really liked it

Shelves: us-marines, political, history

A good account of the first war with the Barbary pirates. It explores the actions of the Americans involved in leadership roles. It also details the struggles of William Eaton who commanded eight US Marines and a mercenary force of the kingdom of Tripoli in 1805. The character of Eaton and the politicans involved are discussed and explains why the US and Tripoli went to war again after the War of 1812.

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May 29, 2019 David rated it it was amazing

I have read several books before this one about the topic of the Barbary Pirates and the US intervention to squash their practice of raiding towns, capturing ships, and taking prisoners for ransom or eventually as slaves. Contrary to some recent claims about the contributions of Muslims to early American history, these contributions seem to be primarily plundering American trading vessels and taking Christians as slaves, not so different from today! This did prompt America to build up strong nav I have read several books before this one about the topic of the Barbary Pirates and the US intervention to squash their practice of raiding towns, capturing ships, and taking prisoners for ransom or eventually as slaves. Contrary to some recent claims about the contributions of Muslims to early American history, these contributions seem to be primarily plundering American trading vessels and taking Christians as slaves, not so different from today! This did prompt America to build up strong naval and marine (...to the shores of Tripoli) forces to deal with this threat to civilization. What was different with this author's take on it was that it left me with a bad impression of how it was handled by Thomas Jefferson and his administration. America, like many of the European powers, had been paying tribute and bribes for these pirates to leave our ships alone. But the cost kept escalating. Jefferson, prior to becoming president, had always spoken out against paying the Muslim pirates. As president he ordered the building of a naval fleet to take on this challenge and put a stop to the piracy stating America would no longer pay extortion. The story generally goes that he sent the fleet to blockade the Barbary ports and challenge any pirate ships they found, capturing or sinking them. At the same time an overland force of marines, the true leader of Tripoli looking to reclaim his country, and local tribes marched on Tripoli ending the piracy and the US paying them.

But, not so fast there! According to this author the blockage was working although it lasted for several years. And the overland march was successful but stopped short of Tripoli because Jefferson had authorized peace negotiations that accomplished the release of Americans being held. The agreement was reach in part because the pirate leader saw the inevitable outcome and decided to do what was necessary to stay in power. The US ended up paying money to them and agreed to pay annual sums less than they had in the past but that's not the story most of us were familiar with. Meanwhile, the American General William Eaton who led the overland expedition was furious at how this worked out. He felt the US had used and then discarded the true ruler of Tripoli and turned many supporters into critics as their lives were left at risk for having joined a revolt. Eaton also fell on financial hard times as a result of what he did for his country and the bargain that had been struck was loaded with weasel words just because Jefferson wanted a treaty instead of finishing the war the right way.

There is way more here than I could possibly summarize but it does present a detailed account of what it took to put together a military expedition when the government wants to be stingy and supports a dodgy character to negotiate and then be recognized as a hero. Great read for history buffs interested in the rest of the story. ...more

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Mar 11, 2015 Pat Cummings rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed

From the halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli,
We will fight our country's battles
On the land and on the sea...
—U.S. Marine Corps Hymn

Richard Zack's thrilling novel, The Pirate Coast , provides insight into the reason for the second line of this chorus, "to the shores of Tripoli."

In 1785, the Moslem regent of Tripoly, Yussef Karamanli, declared war on an infant nation, the United States of America, sending out Barbary pirate vessels to harass, sink or capture American shipping. Th ...more

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Jan 28, 2018 Stephanie G rated it liked it

First off, I really love learning about America in its early years. I think it is fascinating that this idea of representative republicanism manifested itself into what we live and breathe today. I think learning about early history can give us some perspective about the things we think are a big deal which really might not be. Piracy was a real issue. Paying tributes to those pirate nations was a real thing. Slavery was real. Sailors being taken into slavery was real. We were just figuring out ...more

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May 12, 2019 Shanna rated it really liked it

Actual Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Review:
This was a really well done book, and I highly enjoyed it. Why? I LOVE pirates, and this was one heck of a pirates’ tale. I would have given this a full 5 out of 5 stars, except for one little fluke I mentioned in one of my updates. Pages 91 and 103 were both titled “Chapter 7: Yussef,” while there was only one insert for Chapter 7 in the Table of Contents. Other than that, it was a really well done book and I recommend it as a read.

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Mar 16, 2014 Henry Demond rated it really liked it

If you gave my podcast a listen a-ways back, I mentioned something about a recent book about Pirates (Ladies: that’s Pirates, not Pilates) that I thought was going to be really cool, but it was such a rattling combination of dry academia, Poast-Modernizm bias and mis-appropriated details that I had to put the book down. I won’t reveal the name (or publisher) so as to not create unwarranted consternation among industry chums.

But I will say that the owner of Blackland Prairie Books and Collectible If you gave my podcast a listen a-ways back, I mentioned something about a recent book about Pirates (Ladies: that’s Pirates, not Pilates) that I thought was going to be really cool, but it was such a rattling combination of dry academia, Poast-Modernizm bias and mis-appropriated details that I had to put the book down. I won’t reveal the name (or publisher) so as to not create unwarranted consternation among industry chums.

But I will say that the owner of Blackland Prairie Books and Collectibles, within the same week, handed me a copy of a reduced-price volume by Richard Zacks entitled The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines and the Secret Mission of 1805 (doesn’t it just make you want to say “Arrrrgh!”?).

Actually, I think the title is a little mis-leading. There aren’t any Traditional Lily-Livered Walking Scurvy Machines in the European “Shiver Me Timbers” style at all. The few occurrences of Pirates are actually Tripolitan (i.e., from the Kingdom of Tripoli) and they’re mostly—if not somewhat—Moslem. The Marines aren’t really Marines as we know them now, and Thomas Jefferson makes cameo appearances in the very beginning and very end of the book. The subtitle is not completely off-base, though: the book is essentially about The Secret Mission (perhaps a title like Operation Minaret or Eaton Sand would have been more marketable).

TITLE ASIDE, this book, unlike the first Pirate book I alluded to in Paragraph 1, is a total page-turner—which is saying a lot when we’re essentially talking about the Post-Louisiana Purchase Ho-Hum Days of the Jefferson Administration. But Zacks, with even-keel, keeps a(n) historical perspective yet weaves a fine storyline centered around William Eaton, the Marine/General/Covert Ops Dude fluctuating between his own personal mission, the “mission” from Jefferson and a hastily-organized American Naval Military Operation.

The goal is ultimately to release 50+ American sailors held in captive slavery by a Tripoli monarch named Yussef. The secondary goal is to establish favorable relations with Yussef’s less-oppressive-yet-less-intestinal brother, Hamet, so that Yussef can get his oppressive hiney overthrown. Foreign Policy was something really new in 1805, so the United States was still in the process of shaping it. Subsequently, with vast gaps between ships and ports and civilizations, a lot of foreign policy was performed “on the fly,” often in the midst of a battle or a march to a rendezvous.

One would think that the trip to Tripoli would be a tough row to hoe. It was. But Eaton, the Conquering Hero, faces, at times, more formidable nemeses than Yussef himself. There’s a dirty sub-plot based on a treaty by a man named Lear that will make your teeth turn cold.

While I linger luxuriously over the history in this book, I also understand that I can’t give too much away. But I will say that the chapters that take place in Washington City (a.k.a., D.C.) will make you blush because IT WAS THEN VERY MUCH LIKE IT IS TODAY. Congress then, like today, spent its money on silly things like diplomatic trinkets while foreign interests with US sympathies languored in Chinese finger traps with no funding at all.

If you’ve ever wondered why the Marine Hymn makes mention of “the shores of Tripoli,” why Libya is such a Cluster-[expletive] of a Nation, or why the militarily-indolent Jefferson went Big Stick on the Barbary Coasters, this book answers those questions in 380 easy pages.

If it’s still Pirates you’re looking for, Hallowe’en is just around the corner. I’m sure if you live in the right neighborhood, several of the Shiver-Me-Timbers variety will come to your door seeking tribute. ...more

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Aug 05, 2015 Mike Curtis rated it really liked it

This tells the true story of U.S. covert operations to overthrow the government of what is now present day Libya. The first time. No, no, the very first time back in 1805. To set the stage, the coast of North Africa at the time was ruled by various Barbary pirates, who true to their name openly raided merchant ships and seaside towns for plunder and slaves. Countries had to pay tribute in order to avoid having their ships attacked. This, of course, did not sit well with the newly formed United S
This tells the true story of U.S. covert operations to overthrow the government of what is now present day Libya. The first time. No, no, the very first time back in 1805. To set the stage, the coast of North Africa at the time was ruled by various Barbary pirates, who true to their name openly raided merchant ships and seaside towns for plunder and slaves. Countries had to pay tribute in order to avoid having their ships attacked. This, of course, did not sit well with the newly formed United States of America.

In 1803, the USS Philadelphia ran aground in Tripoli harbor (a good argument could be made that the captain surrendered much too quickly and easily) and 300 sailors and marines were taken captive by the Bashaw of Tripoli who held them for ransom. In response, Thomas Jefferson increased naval operations against the Barbary pirates and also authorized an army captain, William Eaton, to contact the Bashaw's brother who was also the former deposed ruler of Tripoli. The goal was to raise an army against the Bashaw and lead a surprise land attack to supplement the US naval operations.

Eaton was able to find the Bashaw's brother in Egypt and marched a makeshift army of mostly Arab fighters across the Sahara desert to capture the city of Derne (suck it T.E. Lawrence). At this point, the Bashaw of Tripoli agreed to negotiate and release the captured US sailors. While on the surface this sounds like a victory, the treaty was not without its problems. For example, the US still had to agreed to pay for the release of the the sailors, the Bashaw's brother was essentially abandoned, and the treaty did not prevent Tripoli from continuing to engage in piracy. Critics said that the treaty was far too generous considering the Bashaw's weakened position. Additionally, critics pointed out that because the Barbary pirates were allowed to continue their activity, the treaty was only delaying the inevitable military action. I wish I could think of a contemporary situation that could be used as a possible example, but nothing comes to mind.

This book is meticulously researched and tells a good story although it slightly runs out of steam at the end. The biggest significant drawback is that it doesn't really take a position on what to make of William Eaton. He was dedicated, stubborn, hard-headed, obstinate and foul tempered. It is tempting to criticize him as being too eager to go to war, but in his defense he may have actually been justified. The slave trade ran by the Barbary pirates was very real and sickened him (he was from a Northern state) and the Bashaw of Tripoli had already formally declared war against the United States. He was also intensely patriotic. Even though he became a bitter political enemy of Jefferson, he was the first to warn Jefferson of Aaron Burr's plot to start a revolution. All things considered, a worthwhile read on a little recognized part of US history. ...more

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Jul 16, 2014 Steve Cran rated it it was amazing

In the late 1700’s and early 1800’s European shipping and that of the nation called the USA were being harassed by pirates in the Mediterranean Seas. There bases of operation were located in the Northern Coast of Africa nominally under the control of the Ottoman Empire. Tripoli, Tunis and Algeria were the main pirate ports. In the late 1700’s the Pirates attacked the island of Sardinia and made everyone who they captured into slave. Of course in the Ottoman Empire if you were a Muslim would auto
In the late 1700’s and early 1800’s European shipping and that of the nation called the USA were being harassed by pirates in the Mediterranean Seas. There bases of operation were located in the Northern Coast of Africa nominally under the control of the Ottoman Empire. Tripoli, Tunis and Algeria were the main pirate ports. In the late 1700’s the Pirates attacked the island of Sardinia and made everyone who they captured into slave. Of course in the Ottoman Empire if you were a Muslim would automatically be redeemed. One of the people captured was a young girl called Anna Porcine. Her fate would have been marrying some minor sultan unless she could be ransomed. No one came to her aid and her father a small time diplomat did not have the fund. One brave American soul stepped up to the plate and got a loan for 5,000 dollars. The young girl was redeemed but he was in dept. The Turk that he bought her from would later jack the dept up to 40 thousand dollars. Eaton would later return to the states as a minor disgrace.

Years later in the 1790’s the pirates would continue their merciless plunder and the US under president Jefferson had decided it appropriate to take military action. So the Navy was sent. One ship in particular engaged the Tripoli navy only to end up getting beached upon a reef outside of Tripoli. 300 Navy men were captured and 7 officers. The Navy men were put into, fed meager rations and worked like slave. The officers were taken to Pasha Yuseff’s apartment and were fed with fine foods and drink. Their captivity would last four years.

The man who volunteered for the job of rescuing the imprisoned Americans was William Eaton. Along with 7 other Marines his job was to find Pasha Hemet Bey the rightful ruler and with an army of irregulars he would lead a ground assault against Tripoli and put Hemet in power. Hemet would not condone piracy and would not make the Americans or anyone else pay tribute.

William Eaton had quite an adventure. The United States government was less then truthful. Various officer would tie up the delivery of needed fund . The irregulars would often balk and try to skim for higher wages then what was originally bargained for. The irregulars consisted of Muslims and Middle Eastern Christians an these two groups did not get along. The US pursued a diplomatic tact and a military one. The two would sort of cancel each other out.

Eaton became a hero for a while and Jefferson was temporarily noted for being soft. Eaton would later be bitter at the American weakness and end up turning into an alcoholic. But seriously read the book it has juicy details.
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Mar 25, 2014 Burt rated it really liked it

What an eye opener. As a retired officer of Marines, I can truly say that I was completely surprised by the apparent inaccuracy of the legend and lore that exists today of U.S. Marine Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon with regard to his acquisition of the "Mamaluke" sword. I'll say no more on that as it would be a spoiler for other Marines who will yet read this book. The fact of that matter does not detract in the least from the outstanding and courageous performance and behavior of the U.S. Marines ...more

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Dec 08, 2015 Brian rated it really liked it

Shelves: american-history-early-republic

Richard Zacks delivers a great rendition of the events that led up to the Babary Pirates defeat by the American navy in 1805 by focusing on the 1803 mission fo William Eaton. Eaton who was a hard drinking solider of the revolution that spent time as a diplomat in the Barbary states following the war led a group of marines (then a very underpaid and underappreciated service) to try and rescue US Navy sailors from the clutches of Barbary Pirates. Part spy story, part diplomatic negotiation this bo ...more

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Jul 09, 2014 J.S. rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history-america, american-revolution

In the late 1790s and early 1800s merchant ships in the Mediterranean were harassed mercilessly by the Barbary corsairs (pirates). Based in the nations on the northern coast of Africa, they extorted huge amounts of tribute payments from European nations, and sought to do the same with the fledgling United States of America. After losing the USS Philadelphia and over 200 officers and sailors as slaves to Tripoli, Jefferson decided to stand up to the pirates and end their tyranny. He sent William ...more

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Jan 09, 2014 Paul rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, history, nonfiction

The first thing to say about this book is that the title is extremely misleading. This has little or nothing to do with pirates (the only thing close to pirates in the book is some state-sponsored privateer types out of Tripoli), Thomas Jefferson barely plays a role and the marines described are from a pre-modern version of the USMC that is nothing like the one we'd expect today. It's like writing a book about the Lewis and Clark expedition and calling it, "Cajun Country: Thomas Jefferson, Louis ...more

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Jun 29, 2014 Matt rated it liked it

This was a decent read. Overall was a pretty interesting story on foreign affairs for the fledgeling American empire.

This story gives a pretty good play by play on how The US handled a hostage situation during the dawn of the 1800s. It also gives a feel for the Arab culture which clearly still exisits today.

What is also interesting to me was the ability of men and leaders to wash their past and go through a rebirth if given a chance.

If you like stories of the early 1800s and how they got thro ...more

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Sep 29, 2014 Ethan rated it really liked it

The Pirate Coast is an excellent book to expand your knowledge of both the waning years of the Barbary Coast and the young United States. Unfortunately, it is not as good a source of history for the young Marine Corps, something the book seems to tout in its description and in its detail and emphasis on the few Marines in who marched across the desert into Tripoli.

That said, this is an excellent book. It reads well and is a story pieced together from the numerous amounts of facts which Richard Z ...more

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Jan 13, 2009 Joe rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: presidents, presidents-jefferson

Richard Zack's writing style succeeds in vividly portraying the story of a stubbornly persistent American patriot called William Eaton. Zack brings us along while William Eaton forges ahead through a road-blocked filled adventure to save the fate of Captain Bainbridge and his crew of the USS Philadelphia who were forced as prisoners-of-war into slave labor by Barbary pirates within the walls of Tripoli. Eaton's bull-headed, never-take-no-for-an-answer attitude drives him and his army through a d ...more

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Dec 16, 2015 Jason Born rated it it was amazing

Excellent read. Provides a terrific insight into the First Barbary War - filled with so many firsts for the U.S. Our first foreign war. The first war declared on the U.S. The first time a U.S. flag was hoisted over foreign soil. The first covert military operation by the U.S. Our first war against what today would be called Islamist terrorism.

Many tragic heroes. Many villains. I have deep sympathy for the firebrand General Eaton and all the demons he failed to slaughter after his time in the des ...more

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About Richard Zacks

Richard Zacks

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Richard Zacks (1955-?) was born in Savannah, Georgia but grew up in New York City. He was a Classical Greek major at the University of Michigan and studied Arabic in Cairo, Italian in Perugia, and French in the vineyards of France.. After completing Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, he wrote a syndicated column for four years carried by the NY Daily News, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News ...more