Mike Curtis's Reviews > The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines & the Secret Mission of 1805

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.