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The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines & the Secret Mission of 1805
by
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
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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Showing 31-60
Start your review of The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines & the Secret Mission of 1805
Jul 24, 2011
Brian Eshleman
added it
I expected to get The West Wing c. 1800 but was reminded how little central control the President could exercise over anything, and especially foreign affairs -- in an era of relatively slow communication. Jefferson used this to his advantage as he sent off a mission-centered operative with little risk to his own political capital. His stubborn informal instrument was the central character, a patriot at times heroic and at times sad. Those looking for the good old days of clear victories will ne
...more
The Pirate Coast is a masterfully-written novel. It is historical fiction at its best! Richard Zacks frames U.S. Ambassador Eaton as a principled man who dares to put his beliefs in front President Jefferson's strategic goals. The details in this book are presented so well that it is difficult for the reader to spot the fiction that is necessary to present the facts in a thrilling read. Even thought the setting is in the year 1800, The Pirate Coast is relevant in today's America. I recommend thi
...more
Duplicity by our national politicians seems to be a disease whose sources go all the way back to Jefferson. Sending William Eaton off to make war on the Barbary pirates was quickly modified after he got under way, but by then it was a bit late - ah well. Having never given it a great deal of thought previously, I was bemused by the Marines getting their start as, "shores of Tripoli" notwithstanding, basically, the Shore Patrol for a navy that was still quite willing to dish out floggings as puni
...more
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Mar 28, 2018
Two Readers in Love
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
history,
owned,
added-during-migration,
inherited,
military,
audio,
sailing,
inheritedfromuh,
loaned-out
Swashbuckling!
A biography of William Eaton and lambasting of Tobias Lear this does well both showing the lead up and lingering effects of the Barbary War.
Sailors and beach bums consider themselves cousins to pirates, in spirit at least if not, in some cases I know, actuality. That's why books about pirates and pirating—both the old timey type and the modern day, are found in practically every room at Pineapple Hill.
I'm not going to test your patience with a review of Pirates for Dummies. If you've read my other reviews and if you finish reading this one, you'll know I test you plenty enough already. No, this review is a three-for-one: pirates mat ...more
I'm not going to test your patience with a review of Pirates for Dummies. If you've read my other reviews and if you finish reading this one, you'll know I test you plenty enough already. No, this review is a three-for-one: pirates mat ...more
Jul 29, 2018
Ryan
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
history fans; military history fans
Shelves:
favorites
This is a fantastic book that reads like fiction, turning pages feverishly to find out how the story ends. I have read another book on this topic, but this book has proved superior in every way. Among other things, the author spares no detail in describing the horrors of the Barbary pirates and their brutal treatment of American, nay, Christian prisoners-of-wars who would soon become slaves. His vivid writing has a way of transporting the reader back to the early 19th Century way of life and man
...more
Millions for defense! Not one cent for tribute (except for all the tribute).
Zack's "Pirate Coast" provides a fairly thorough of the American war with the Barbary Pirates in the early 19th century and the Marine expedition to rescue American sailors enslaved by the Shah of Tripoli.
The story here is a thoroughly interesting one. A young nation has established its independence but is still trying to establish its self sufficiency and international credibility. The Barbary Pirates would continue to ...more
Zack's "Pirate Coast" provides a fairly thorough of the American war with the Barbary Pirates in the early 19th century and the Marine expedition to rescue American sailors enslaved by the Shah of Tripoli.
The story here is a thoroughly interesting one. A young nation has established its independence but is still trying to establish its self sufficiency and international credibility. The Barbary Pirates would continue to ...more
I picked up this book because I've been on a pirate kick and The Pirate Coast - seeming to offer a story of piracy from the perspective of those wronged by pirates rather than focused on (and possibly supportive of) the pirates themselves - looked like it would be a good book. Sadly, this impression was completely wrong. Though very thorough, the text is dry as the desert sand that comprises the setting of most of the events accounted herein. Despite the implied story of military brilliance, the
...more
While you can read this book to get an "American" perspective on the time period, it really is only that. The book is full of Orientalist tropes and biases, but isn't even really accurate in most of these. There are just silly things like don't even make sense, like the author saying that beduoins asked the American soldiers to convert by saying "la ilaha illa Allah Muhammad ibn Allah", which translates into "There is no God but God and Muhammad is the son of God", which is not anything any Musl
...more
This book is fascinating. It's an account of a raid on Derne, Tripoli, when the Bashaw (Pasha) was enslaving American sailors, and William Eaton, the brave and tetchy soldier who led the expedition across the desert.
It probably would strike some as suffering from the Penguin Problem ("This book told me more about penguins than I wanted to know"),, but if, like me, you like that sort of thing, it's fine.
My big take from this is how much the dilemmas of the era (early 19th C) resemble those of t ...more
It probably would strike some as suffering from the Penguin Problem ("This book told me more about penguins than I wanted to know"),, but if, like me, you like that sort of thing, it's fine.
My big take from this is how much the dilemmas of the era (early 19th C) resemble those of t ...more
Parts of this narrative entertained, and some of the character sketches were endearing, but on the whole it was rambling and a bit too ambitious. The accounts of the burning of the Philadelphia and the storming of Derne captivated; the story of Eaton's pursuit of Hamet in Egypt was difficult to follow and seemed like a missed opportunity, while the tale of the trip across the desert rambled. The post-treaty recriminations went on about forty pages too long. A book to skim, not to carefully diges
...more
I find I'm rather a fan of William Eaton... despite (or perhaps because of!) his bombast, his confident code of moral conduct, his refusal to accept defeat. And, later, his frustrated misanthropy, his stewing rancor, and his drinking problem.
I listened to this book at the same time I am reading Chernow's Alexander Hamilton biography, which gave The Pirate Coast interesting context. Jefferson, in particular, doesn't come out looking very good in either tome. And in both books I realize how fracti ...more
I listened to this book at the same time I am reading Chernow's Alexander Hamilton biography, which gave The Pirate Coast interesting context. Jefferson, in particular, doesn't come out looking very good in either tome. And in both books I realize how fracti ...more
Perhaps the sum total of my knowledge of the events recorded by Richard Zacks was the line about “the United States is not a christian nation” that is associated with the US dealings with the Barbary pirates at the beginning if the 19th century. But it turns out that the events were a fascinating view into the lives, actions and events that unfolded there and which became immortalized in the words of the Marines anthem “From the hslls of montezuma to the shores of Tripoli...”. A very interesting
...more
Dec 16, 2019
Robert Scott
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
z-other-authors,
2019-complete
++This is primarily the story of William Eaton, whom I had never heard of before. He was a New England Federalist, ex army, absentee father, US consul to Tunis, an enemy of Basha Yussef Karamanli of Tripoli, Thomas Jefferson, Tobias Lear and a true patriot & advocate for Hamet Karamanli and American honor ending up broke, a dedicated drunkard and dying young and bitter.++
Oct 27, 2011
***Dave Hill
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
American history buffs, naval history buffs, Marine Corp supporters
Shelves:
non-fiction,
audiobook
(Original review of 27 Feb 2006 - http://hill-kleerup.org/blog/2006/02/...)
State-sponsored terrorists! Kidnappers! Extortion! Human rights violations! Wishy-washy US and European response! US covert military intervention to enact a regime change! Meddling by self-aggrandizing diplomats! Peace treaties that solve nothing! Betrayed allies! Disgruntled war heroes! Vengeful, dissent-crushing presidents!
If the above sounds like one of those “ripped from the headlines” tales, well, one could certainly ...more
State-sponsored terrorists! Kidnappers! Extortion! Human rights violations! Wishy-washy US and European response! US covert military intervention to enact a regime change! Meddling by self-aggrandizing diplomats! Peace treaties that solve nothing! Betrayed allies! Disgruntled war heroes! Vengeful, dissent-crushing presidents!
If the above sounds like one of those “ripped from the headlines” tales, well, one could certainly ...more
Audiobook version suffers from bad edits and a poor narrator. Bad to the point of distraction. Uneven writing (uses of slang mixed with colonial English) and tangential details that get off track from the story. Abandoned ship 1/3 of the way in.
Subject Appeal: 4/5.
Research Depth: 3/5.
Research Breadth: 3/5.
Narrative Flow: 3/5.
Verdict: 3/5. Like its leading man, The Pirate Coast comes so close to clinching greatness, but falls a bit short in the momentum department.
Research Depth: 3/5.
Research Breadth: 3/5.
Narrative Flow: 3/5.
Verdict: 3/5. Like its leading man, The Pirate Coast comes so close to clinching greatness, but falls a bit short in the momentum department.
Fascinating account of remarkable men
This book illuminates a little-known fact that the mighty European powers and the United States paid ransom to pirates for 300 years. It was due largely to an incredible man named William Eaton that this ceased. This is a great read.
This book illuminates a little-known fact that the mighty European powers and the United States paid ransom to pirates for 300 years. It was due largely to an incredible man named William Eaton that this ceased. This is a great read.
Great topic and a war or should I say covert op that I knew nothing about, but Zacks does little to make it as interesting as I'm sure it was and is. Gave up on it with about 100 pages left.
...more
A rollicking good adventure about special forces and regime change hundred of years before the two were coined.
Fascinating but dry. A lot of details. Probably could have been shorter. I enjoyed Zacks' Captain Kidd book more than this. The political stuff after the rescue is the best part.
...more
Quite the tale about something it doesn't appear most Americans know too much about. William Eaton was quite pigheaded but the author's frankness about this forlorn character is refreshing.
...more
If you're an American history buff you'll love this engaging and thorough look at a dusty small, but fascinating corner of our story.
...more
Excellent historical read. A real adventure story.
Sometimes actual history surprises us. This is one of those books. The real story behind some of the wildest times in early America and on the seas.
Ever wonder why the US Marines sing about the shores of Tripoli?
Interesting look at the early United States and it's relations with the Barbary Coast Pirates and the political influences of the time.
...more
Super fun, fast read for a history book. Reads like an adventure novel. Had this on my bookshelf for a long time (thanks Dad) and really happy I finally took it off the shelf.
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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
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