J.S.'s Reviews > Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines & the Secret Mission of 1805

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 Eaton, a diplomat with a checkered history, to overthrow the Bashaw of Tripoli and free the Americans. And while Eaton nearly succeeded against enormous odds, his quest was cut just short of a tremendous victory by the dishonest (and incompetent) Tobias Lear, who was also sent by Jefferson to broker peace.

Although not as enjoyable as Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy by Ian Toll (in my opinion), Richard Zacks does a good job of telling the story of the Barbary Wars. Zacks provides extensive information on the individuals involved, such as Eaton, Lear, Hamet, and others, but the story drags with excessive day-by-day detail of Eaton's 500 mile march across the desert. He also covers the political maneuvering and duplicity of Jefferson following Eaton's mission in great detail. I may have enjoyed it more if I hadn't recently read Toll's book.