Excellent book regarding the war of 1812 in New Orleans. Lafitte's crew assisted Thomas Jefferson in the war, then later once it was over, the then Governor arrested as many as possible to hang them as pirates!! Excellent History book!!

I have been a fan of Zacks since reading his Pirate Hunter, and this book has reinforced my patronage. I am a firm believer in the fact that you really need to read history from several sources and viewpoints to get a reasonable picture of the reality. Zacks has underlined that philosophy by telling the story of the Philadelphia and resulting events, and he has done it with energy in a very readable narrative.

Zacks has provided a reasonably chronological story of the events surrounding the capture of one of the fledgling United States Navy's vessels. However, while the book is billed as being about Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines and the Secret Mission of 1805, it is more appropriately a biography of William Eaton. The author provides background on the main protagonist, his actions during and after the crisis. Details of other individuals and their actions are almost always told in relations to their effect on Eaton and his mission.

The text is sprinkled with a few images and maps to give reference to the individuals and locations mentioned. The author has also included a Cast of Characters, extensive endnotes, bibliography and index of the contents. Overall, I found the book to be an informative and entertaining read. It contrasts well with Wheelan's Jefferson's War: America's First War on Terror 1801-1805, providing additional detail and an alternate viewpoint.
P-)

The war on terrorism did not start with 9/11, but was at least 200 years old as Richard Zacks brilliantly proves with "The Pirate Coast." If one is expecting Johnny Depp and lots of laughs, check out this detailed example of patient historical research and follow the real-life adventures of William Eaton, as he tries to free real damsels from the grasp of petty tyrants along the Barbary Coast. Note, also, how presidents can play devious games as they keep one eye on public opinion, as they pursue goals that ultimately prove unattainable. Sound familiar?

Zacks is a master at spinning very well written tales about things which actually happened. The entire construction of this book spans not only the central theme, Eaton's amazing accomplishment in the Libyan Desert, but also places the event squarely in the middle of all the significant history that surrounds it. As a result, Zacks reports not only what actually happened, but what drove the event in the first place, why it was significant and how its impact determined the course of subsequent events.

This is the story of America's first foreign war. But it is much more than that. It is the story of Thomas Jefferson's betrayal of a subordinate who accomplished his mission in grand style, of Tobias Lear's (one of George Washington's assistants)lack of character, of James Madison's subservience and of the U.S. Mediterranean naval squadron's failure. Most historians credit the Navy for America's success along the Barbary Coast but in fact they were amateurish, losing the Philadelphia and, through captured seamen,substantively increasing the number of American slaves in Tripoli.

Everything that was accomplished, i.e., the ultimate end of the North African slave trade,was accomplished because of Eaton's and seven United States Marines' over land campaign from Alexandria, Egypt to Derne, Libya. In capturing Derne, William Eaton and the Marines forced Libyan leaders to the negations that ultimately ended piracy all along the North coast of Africa. That Eaton was not rewarded for his efforts and dies penniless, alone and forgotten is an American tragedy. Surely his accomplishment ranks with Lewis and Clark's.

Zacks is a master at spinning very well written tales about things which actually happened. The entire construction of this book spans not only the central theme, Eaton's amazing accomplishment in the Libyan Desert, but also places the event squarely in the middle of all the significant history that surrounds it. As a result, Zacks reports not only what actually happened, but what drove the event in the first place, why it was significant and how its impact determined the course of subsequent events.

This is the story of America's first foreign war. But it is much more than that. It is the story of Thomas Jefferson's betrayal of a subordinate who accomplished his mission in grand style, of Tobias Lear's (one of George Washington's assistants) lack of character, of James Madison's subservience and of the U.S. Mediterranean naval squadron's failure. Most historians credit the Navy for America's success along the Barbary Coast but in fact they were amateurish, losing the Philadelphia and substantively increasing the number of American slaves in Tripoli.

Everything that was accomplished, i.e., the ultimate end of the North African slave trade was accomplished because of Eaton's and seven United States Marines' over land campaign from Alexandria, Egypt to Derne, Libya. In capturing Derne, William Eaton and the Marines forced Libyan leaders to the negations that ultimately ended piracy all alone the North coast of Africa. That Eaton was not rewarded for his efforts and dies penniless, alone and forgotten is an American tragedy. Surely his accomplishment ranks with Lewis and Clark's.

I Just finished a book titled "The Pirate Coast" by Robert Zacks. A very interesting historical account of how a handful of Marines along with General William Eaton embarked on America's first overseas covert op. They traipsed across the Sahara in an endeavor to free American soldiers that were captured and enslaved by Barbary pirates- Moslems. It's an interesting chronicle of how Moslems enslaved Christians, Americans & Europeans dating as far back as the 1700's.

Even back then we were the only nation with the cajones to stand up to these despicable pirates. It was during a time when many nations were intimidated into paying "tribute' to these Moslem nations in order not to be enslaved/ or unlawfully seized from the waters.

It was during these troubling times when a US Navy vessel(USS Philadelphia) ran aground in the harbor of Tripoli-(now Libya) and was captured along with over 270 American soldiers. The Bey or Pasha of Tripoli - Yusef Karamanli was a ruthless thug that murdered his brother, de-throned his father, & exiled his next older brother, Hamet, while keeping Hamet's wife & children hostage in the castle; as an incentive for him not to return and stake claim to his rightful throne. Yusef enjoyed the notoriety of the first foreign ruler ever to declare war on the U.S.A.

I think you would enjoy it.

From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli....

Courage, adventure, and political intrigue. Accurate historical account of early American foreign policy toward Muslim states. Many parallels to issues facing America today.

And "avoid a land war in asia" should be modified to include North Africa. medaling in the affairs of foreign governments has led us to no good outcomes for a very long time. Mr. Zacks makes is abundantly clear that the grounding of the ship Philadelphia was a minor problem compared with its premature abandonment. And that the secret mission of Pres. Thomas Jefferson and his agent Mr. Eaton led us to far more grief than if we had just arrived with the fleet and demanded an end of this open sea piracy.

A great read for all of those who love politics as theater and are interested in sea stories. Reads like a Patric O'Brien novel but has the full truth in it.

'Small Fonts'

My biggest issue w/ this book is that the font used is kinda tiny, about 8 or 9 pt. size. I noticed this when I started having headaches after reading it, which I didn't used to get when reading other books.

Comparing it to other Trade Paperback Books, the others normally use 10 pt., rather than the 8-9 pt. size used on this one.

Apparently, this is a rather long book, since even w/ the small font size, it is already almost 500 pages long. If they had used the normal 10 pt. font size, the book would've ballooned to 600-700 pages, adding to the costs & perhaps made the book unattractive.

The book could've likely used more careful editing, trimming it down to around 500 pages using the usual 10 pt. font size.

I sort of regretted buying this book, its kinda expensive, & am not sure if I will ever be able to finish it.

Richard Zacks' "Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805" is an engrossing tale of one of the first US overseas "covert" missions. While also telling the story of the First Barbary War, Zack concentrates on the energetic and ambitious William Eaton, whose audacious plan was to march over 500 miles across the North African desert to attack Tripoli (one of the Barbary States) from land.

Eaton's successful attack on the town of Derna was a key element in the peace made to conclude the war. However, upon his return to the United States, Eaton fell into political conflict with President Thomas Jefferson and was never compensated for much of his personal expenses from the expedition - and he eventually died a broken alcoholic.

"Pirate Coast" is not a full telling of the First Barbary War, but Zacks gives enough background that the reader can follow the big picture while also focusing on Eaton's courageous and daring mission. Zacks also brings the many historical characters to life, showing how their personalities impacted the war, the mission, and the aftermath. This is an excellent book for anyone interesting in US history, military history, or who wants to learn more about this forgotten war.

Think you know American History? Richard Zacks will put you in a place, 200 years back, that you never knew existed.

Simply put, I couldn't believe this was a true story, but it is.

Cultural clashes with Islam, slavery and politicians' egos the size of our 13 colonies. GREAT reading. One of best books of this genre' I've ever devoured.

The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805 by Richard Zacks is the story of the first American covert operation in a foreign country. This conflict inspired the words of the marine hymn "on the shores of Tripoli" commemorating the first raising of an American flag on foreign soil.

For centuries the principalities of the Barbary Coast of North Africa had sailed on the Mediterranean as pirates, taking merchant ships and selling captured seamen as slaves. Eventually, to safely sail theses trade routes, a system of tributes was established and annually paid by European nations.

When Thomas Jefferson came to the presidency he abhorred the practice and refused to pay tribute to these pirates. Then in 1803 the USS Philadelphia ran aground at Tripoli. 300 sailors and marines were captured and taken as slaves to be ransomed or sold. Jefferson sent a naval squadron to Tripoli to intimidate the Bashaw of Tripoli into releasing his captives. In addition, he sent his agent William Eaton to Alexandria with secret orders to incite a rebellion against the Bashaw. And finally, to negotiate their release, he sent diplomat Tobias Lear, Who supported peace at any cost and encouraged Jefferson to secretly pay the tributes and ransom.

Eaton was a patriot to the core. Plagued by debt and an impulsive nature he sailed under Jefferson's secret orders to Alexandria. Once there he was to raise an army, overthrow the Bashaw and replace him with an exiled prince. With 8 US marines Eaton raised a ragtag army of Muslims, Christians, and mercenaries. He then gave himself the title of General and set march for Tripoli. Before reaching their goal Jefferson was persuaded to stop funding the expedition, Eaton refused to betray his men and used his own money and negotiated loans to equip and feed his army. Battling the desert, each other, and betrayal they marched across the North African desert.

Reading this book will give you a new perspective on our problems with the Arab countries of the Middle East. It's also an eye opening tale of the political betrayal of those who make the greatest sacrifices for their country.

In the words of William Eaton, "My name shall be written in blood on the walls of Tripoli before I will consent to pay one cent for ransom or tribute". This is a fascinating book about a man we should have learned about in high school. Unfortunately too often the real heroes are replaced by self serving political opportunist. This book is well worth your time.

Many unknown facts about pirating and the first marines. A must have for any history buff.

This book was my first exposure to the Barbary Pirates and that era of American foreign policy. It is a terrifically interesting period of American history. America,the young nation dealing with foreign policy issues in North Africa where local Muslim powers are capturing ships and demanding ransom. The Bashaw of Tripoli and his history with the politics of that region in the early 1800s is rendered more relevant given current events.
It is a truly human read with the strengths and weaknesses of those portrayed exposed. This is not sugar coated American history, be advised.

A fast moving and exciting read. Great history well presented, it keeps the pages turning.

I have listened to many books while on the road, both fiction and non. This book is hands down the best I have heard. Half way through, I ordered a couple of hard copies for family members. Zachs offers a compelling tale, and supplements his stories with historical descriptions from a wide range of other sources. Very informative, extremely entertaining. Very well read as well

This work seems closer to historical fiction than historical fact. Zach's adds his own conjecture on the feelings and motivations of the people he portrays in this work. He also tries to draw anachronistic parallels with today's world. The book is certainly well written and exciting, and those historical details included are accurate, but in order to make the book more exciting he sacrifices objectivity. Read Lambert's The Barbary Wars for a short history with a wealth of surrounding detail, or Tucker's Dawn Like Thunder for a military history. Leave this one on the shelf.

Wow. What a story! A great read, littered with great historical figures and information without being dry. The people were really brought to life. Incredibly well researched book with numerous excerpts from letters and diaries that brought insight into the character's motivations and feelings at the time of the conflict. Amazing! Especially relavent in this time of conflict between the Christian and Moslem world to read a story like this about similar conflicts from our country's infancy. When you finish this story you will be left wondering what is wrong with our educational system to allow a character like William Eaton to be largley unknown today. Truly one of the most amazing characters in our history and an amazing man and patriot.

Excellent. The "Pirate Coast" clearly reveals the meaning of "A million dollars for defense, but not a cent for tribute."

Richard Zacks presents an incredibly well researched history of one of the United States first foreign entanglements, the first time the US flag was planted on foreign soil and our first war with Islam. He tracks down sources from other countries that add surprising and interesting insight to the events of 1805 in Tripoli. He weaves the story almost as well as his previous book, The Pirate Hunter. Unfortunately, the last several chapters feel a bit forced and don't hum with the power of the rest of the book. It's possible the subject matter, Eaton's long fall into alcoholism & obscurity, aren't as interesting to Zacks as the rest of Eaton's story. Maybe it was my own aversion to watching the great man that Zacks had so ably described burn down all his opportunities. Maybe a bit of both. Regardless, the last few chapters were a slog. The rest of the book is a glorious read and it provides a fascinating insight to some of the great characters, known & unknown, of US history. With all of Zacks additional sources we also get a fascinating view into the mind of the Muslim world of 1805. I heartily recommend the book, but don't be surprised by the slow end.

The Pirate Coast is an account of the United States' first covert attempt at regime change. Zacks masterfully recounts the heroic effort made by the self-appointed General William Eaton to track down Ahmet Pasha and drag him to victory at Derne. This is where the bottom falls out. American support for the campaign is withdrawn when the U.S. Consul General to the region gives away the farm in his negotiations with Ahmet's usurping brother, Yussef.

The tragedy is that we never learned from this mistake. How many times since have we left our allies high and dry? The Bay of Pigs? Vietnam? The first Gulf War? Do we really want to cut-and-run from Iraq? This very readable book will make you stop and think before you answer that question.

Navy ships ply the waters off North Africa, deck guns trained on an insurgent stronghold where more than 300 U.S. sailors are being held captive. While diplomats negotiate for their release, the President has authorized a covert operation using a handful of Marines whose mission is to restore the terrorist leader's more amiable brother to power - by force.
Sound like the plot for a contemporary international thriller? Think again because this true story occurred 200 years ago and has plenty of seafaring action.
"The Pirate Coast - Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines and the Secret Mission of 1805" by Richard Zacks (Hyperion Books, New York, 2005), is an offbeat historian's well-researched and heavily-detailed account of a little-discussed military operation that had long-reaching impact on America's policy for dealing with state-sponsored terrorism.
Zacks breathes life into the characters such as President Thomas Jefferson, fiddle-playing U.S. Marine Presley O'Bannon, waffling diplomat Tobias Lear and, most importantly, staunch military commander William Eaton, the brave and uncompromising officer who ran the secret ops and opposed paying ransom to the terrorist network known as the Barbary Pirates.
The story unfolds as 29-year-old William Bainbridge, youngest captain in the fledgling U.S. Navy, runs aground one of America's premier warships, the 36-gun frigate USS Philadelphia, on an uncharted reef just off Tripoli (modern day Libya), where Barbary Pirates are waiting to take possession.
For America, the incident is a litmus test of sorts, the first real challenge to its role in the world as a democratic nation free of nobility and class distinctions. Although triumphant in its revolt against British Colonial rule, America is exhausted by years of warfare. Besides, its fledgling Navy has never faced pirates demanding tribute for permission to sail unscathed through the region.
Britain, France, Spain, Denmark and other European nations routinely pay tribute to the Barbary Pirates in gold, jewels, currency and political favors, in trade for peaceful passage in the Mediterranean and along the coast of North Africa.
For Jefferson, such arrangements could be construed as a cost of doing business, but for men like Eaton, they are acts of terrorism and affronts to civilization not to be tolerated. For Eaton, paying ransom for captives is simply out of the question. His view is simple -- you don't negotiate with terrorists. Rather, you insert a squad of Marines, hire local mercenaries in support, and take charge.
Historical documents show that seven Marines under Eaton's command fought valiantly and for the first time on foreign soil, giving rise to the verse in the Marine Hymn about "the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli."
The sea battles near Tripoli, like the torching of the USS Philadelphia by Stephen Decatur and other American sailors, to keep her from falling into the hands of pirates, are told in detail. Thankfully, Zacks' writing style never bogs down with research references. This is a book you can simply sit down and read.
The narrative moves quickly and images abound, such as when Decatur's brother, James, leads a raid on a pirate vessel in Tripoli harbor, forcing it to surrender, only to be treacherously shot during the battle. An enraged Stephen Decatur then takes 10 men and attacks an enemy gunboat crewed by 24 scimitar-wielding defenders. While fighting hand-to-hand against the vessel's gargantuan captain, an enemy sailor sneaks up behind Decatur and raises his sliver-moon blade in an imminent death stroke. According to lore, sailor Reuben James intercepts the blow with his head, sacrificing his life to save Stephen Decatur.
"The Pirate Coast" provides a glimpse of life aboard Navy ships in 1805 and shows how battle logistics often depended upon favorable winds or a vital hand-delivered document that may have been in transit for weeks. Imagine the USS Constitution, the same black-hulled ship now docked in Boston Harbor, tacking across strange waters to a land of Bedouin camps, exotic markets, endless desert and Moslem culture, to a place where alcohol is shunned and daily prayer revered, where sheiks with private harems rule over a slave trade that values white Christian women for pleasure and any strong back for work.
Filled with parallels to today's dilemmas over hostage taking, ransom demands, acts of state-sponsored terrorism and how to deal with them, this book belongs in every sailor's library. -- Reviewed by David Liscio

Like many nations that had merchant vessels sailing in the Mediterranean, the fledgling United States, had some of it's ships seized by the Barbary Pirates. In actuality, they were three (Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli) arab fiefdoms on the north african coast who had been enslaving europeans and raising havoc for hundreds of years. When the USS Philadelphia was run aground off the coast of Tripoli, the 302 sailors were taken as prisoners and used as slaves. The Bashaw (Pasha) Yussef, demanded $1,500,000 for their return, which was more than the US Navy budget for the year.

William Eaton, an erstwhile adventurer (and hard drinking near-do-well) goes off to africa (with the conivance of Jefferson and Madison) to find the Yussef's brother (Ahmet) and put him on the throne of Tripoli. It's the first attempt by the US government to overthrow a 'legitimate' government. The story of 'General' Eaton, his eight marines, navy lieutenant and navy midshipman finding Ahmet in civil war torn Egypt and then putting together an army and attacking the second largest port in Tripoli is amazing and adds new meaning to the words 'swashbuckling'.

After taking the city of Dunne, Eaton then goes on to hold it against a superior force sent by Yussef. In fact quite a few of Yussef's people come over to the side of Ahmet. At the same time, Tobias Lear is sent to negotiate a treaty with Yussef. Since Lear ends up giving Yussef almost everything he wants (instead of tribute, he gives him gifts and bribes which end up much more costly) while selling out Ahmet. It's not until 1816 when Stephen Decateur bombards and threatens all three Barbary States into submission that the US stops sending their yearly 'gifts'.

Lear who gives up all that Pasha Yussef wanted is later rewarded by the Jefferson and Madison governments. Pasha Ahmet is abandoned in Sicily and has to wait four years before his family is released (although the Treaty said immediately, Lear had made a secret codicil agreeing to the delay) and dies a pauper. Eaton, who is at first lauded as a hero, overstays his welcome and late dies a drunkard's debt-ridden death.

A fantastic tale of adventure and intrigue which has the added bonus of being true. It's often hard to know whether the charm of the events themselves or the writer's style carries a history book. In this case, neither is lacking. The book is a page-turner due to Zacks' deft handling of all of the intricacies of the details of the plot. It's historic value in understanding the beginnings of US involvement in the Muslim world make it an ideal read. My only quibble with the book is that for a book that has Thomas Jefferson's name in the title, he is barely covered in the text.

One formula for a fine novel is (a) a flawed hero, (b) an heroic quest, (c) an unambiguous villain, (d) an appearance by the famous, (e) a successful outcome and (f) a tragic end. To find these elements in a book of history is all-too-rare. Mr. Zacks is to be commended for his impressive narration of William Eaton and his 1805 mission to Tripoli.

The book has every element of a great story, including secret messages, secret treaties, the rescue of enslaved Americans, and the ransoming of a young girl solely for the sake of honor, a constant theme with Mr. Eaton. Rhetorical flourishes abound. The governor of Derne's reply to Eaton's surrender demand is a particular classic: "My head or yours - -Mustifa." Thomas Jefferson's role in this tale is not a favorable one and adds yet more challenges to his hagiographers.

The subject is important, if only as a review of our first sustained confrontation with an Islamic adversary. The story of Eaton and the Marines' forced departure from Derne brings to mind the photographs of the 1975 flight from Saigon and serves as a cautionary tale for those who would have us abandon our commitments in Iraq. Our allies in Derne, who had sacrificed so much, were misled into preparing for an attack at the very time that Eaton and his protesting Marines were required to abandon them. The betrayal was worthy of the epithets which Mr. Eaton used so repeatedly and appropriately (if not effectively) in his dealings with the diplomat who negotiated away his great victory.

An important story that is well told and one that is well worth the reader's time.

While I personally enjoyed this book very much, I can understand that some might not. It should be remembered (especially with all the "pirate hype" going on these days) that this is a book about actual historical events. Which means that it's not all swashbucklers, peg legs and buried treasure.
Where I found this story particularly interesting was in how it draws some parallels to today's diplomacy efforts. There is a divided nature in this country that seems to believe that paying homage and tributes is the way to go (a la Tobias Lear) and others who seem to think not a dime should be paid in tribute or respect and all enemies should be blown out of the water (a la William Eaton). It portrays the not often seen political nature of Jefferson. And it reveals the stark reality of colonial politics.
Finally--not to give away too much--be ready for a less than cinematic ending to the whole story. It's not what one who's not familiar with the story of the Barbary pirates would expect.

I know the author went to a lot of work on this piece, researching etc., but I just couldn't get into it. It read like a grammar school text book -- yes, lots of info, but boring. I see many delighted readers of this book, so I'll have to presume it's just me.

This book has it all. From the author's uncanny ability to get the real history of all the major characters involved. I thought I was purchasing a book about pirates and marines. Instead I got a history lesson in Early American politics and their attempt to be a world power. Buy this book, and you will not be able to put it down.

A wonderful book about a part of U.S. history I knew nothing about (other than the "Tripoli" reference in the Marine hymn). A well written account of an interesting series of incidents. And Zacks writes with humor and--if you can use this word with writing--charisma. Too many historians are great researchers but boring writers. Zacks fires on all cylinders. A fine book. William Eaton is an example of how great men can have great flaws.

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 draw parallels to US foreign interventions since ... well, since this one, the first honest-to-gosh military conflict and covert ops on foreign soil that the US ever pursued.

In response to ongoing piracy, enslavement, and ransom/tribute demands that the Barbary Coast -- the NW African coast from modern Libya to Algeria -- had plagued European and American shipping for decades, a former diplomat and army colonel, William Eaton, wangles a commission from Thomas Jefferson to try and displace the reigning pashah of Tripoli, Yussef, with his deposed and exiled brother, Hamet. The actual trigger for this action is the capture and enslavement of 300 men of a US warship that absurdly runs aground in Tripoli harbor and is captured.

The ensuing military campaign is, on one level, trivial. Eaton, with a handful of US Marines, a hundred foreign mercenaries gleaned from Egypt, Hamet's entourage, and as many Arab and Bedouin troops as he could manage to bribe from day to day, actually managed to take the Tripolitan port city of Durna from a vastly larger force and hold it for a month. It was the first time the US flag had been raised on foreign soil (outside of North America), and the campaign still echoes in the Marine Corps' hymn, "... to the shores of Tripoli ..."

Outside of that, the story takes on aspects of tragedy and farce. Half the US navy in the Mediterranean -- a tiny fleet to begin with -- wants little to do with the firebrand Eaton, himself a Shakespearean mix of bravery, bombast, and bull-headedness. Certainly the diplomats and consuls in the area disdain the whole idea of a military intervention, and undercut Eaton at every turn, ultimately throwing away his victory with a peace treaty that nearly gave away the store, and certainly betrays all those who had been egged on into action by the US.

And afterwards, an embittered and debt-ridden Eaton returns home to a hero's welcome, but as he undiplomatically expresses his dissatisfaction with the episode's resolution, President Thomas Jefferson decides he's an enemy who must be crushed, and effectively does so, driving the celebrated hero to an untimely self-destruction.

The tale is a great one, full of detail and recounting from primary records of the time -- diaries and letters from diplomats, naval officers and ratings, soldiers on the trail with Eaton, and Eaton himself. While real life rarely has the taut timing of fiction, Zacks does a good job of playing the different threads of the story together, and bringing the various players to life. While the campaign against the Barbary Pirates -- which would be resolved far more satisfactorily a decade later -- is now more of a footnote in history compared to what else was going on during Jefferson's administration, at the time it was the stuff of headlines, as the barbarous Musselman slavers dragged good Chistian men and women -- some of them Americans, by God! -- into Dantesque hells of slavery and degredation. Zacks captures the tenor of the time, and, most importantly, a sense of William Eaton, a man whose love of liberty and the principles he saw America founded on (plus, to be fair, whose jingoism, bigotry, and self-righteousness) led him to one disastrous adventure after another, ultimately to be defeated by both a surprisingly political President and his own inner demons.

While the subtitle on the book is "Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805," the focus is mostly on the latter (itself an ill-kept secret) and on William Eaton. Jefferson comes off much more as a political schemer, an ivory tower philosopher who learns far too well the ways of power and manipulation. The Marines -- a tiny portion of the US force, though important -- were not the renowned fighting troopsthey are today, but were usually lower-paid ship-board or dock guards, and they'd hardly show up in the title were it not for the "shores of Tripoli" connection.

No, this is Eaton's tale, and the story of the events around him that shaped his mission and its tragic aftermath. And it's a tale about how some things never change, about how regime change and covert ops in foreign countries (as often bungled or uselessly thrown away as not) have been themes in foreign policy for years.

Raymond Todd does a serviceable job with the narration, though the sound editing could use some work; while the recording is clear enough, some of the paragraphs, especially between narrative threads, get run together, and at times there are rather jarring transitions that almost certainly read more clearly on the page.

Anyone with an interest in early US history, especially its military/diplomatic aspects, would be well-served to read this book.

As a recorded book, The Pirate Coast is excellent. The reading is crisp and intelligent. It is a wonderful companion for the hours you will spend listening to the account of early U.S. military intervention in the Muslim world. This is not the first retelling of this relatively obscure incident. Other works have covered all, or parts of the campaign in very commendable style. This book, however, goes into intricate detail about the exploits of the U.S. Consul William Eaton, and his subsequent feud with the Jefferson Administration over their failure to live up to their promises to him. It should serve as a cautionary tale to those who expect any Administration to "stay the course" when the political winds change. The sorry fate of Eaton makes a rather depressing conclusion to an otherwise exciting true story of the ealiest adventures of the American Marines and American "activist" diplomats.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in American History. Although non fiction, I found this book very interesting and could not put it down.

I vaguely recalled the U.S. war with the Barbary Coast nations when I read the Pictoral History of the U.S. page by page as a young student. I was glad that that little bit of exposure had led me to pick up The Pirate Coast. I agree with the other reviews that the account given in The Pirate Coast was gripping - and that William Eaton is a real American Hero. In fact, he is the "Jack Bauer" of 1806! His life and deads are an inspiration to us all. It was sad to read of his slow decline. Somehow, though, I think he would have been happy with how he portrayed in this book.

This book details a 19th century Middle Eastern historical event and in so doing raises issues not so dissimilar to those concerning America and the Middle East today.

After continuous intermittent torment from the Barbary pirates in the early 1800's, an American ship runs aground and all 300 crewman are captured in Tripoli. One prong of the effort to free them is a secret military raid that is eerily similar to Carter's doomed 1979 effort to free the Iranian hostages. For this Jefferson employs Thomas Eaton, a determined and bull-headed but uncompromisingly ethical former diplomat and soldier. With a borrowed force of only 8 U.S. Marines, Eaton single-handedly finds a prospective prince, rounds up 1,400 mercenaries, and marches them some 500 miles through the desert, where they succeed in capturing a neighboring town. On the eve of achieving their military goal, they are undermined by Jefferson and a conniving diplomat; but even the peaceful freeing of the captives is only achievable due to Eaton's threat of force, for which he never gets credit. The ending for Eaton is not happy, but the stubborn personality characteritics that lead to his downfall are the same ones that make him the only person who could have succeeded in the operation.

The book is simultaneously readable, detailed, historic, and well-researched. There is an eyebrow-raising jab at an uncooperative source in the Acknowledgments that makes one wonder about the author's composure, and the title is not very informative -- "The Pirate Coast" describes very little about this book, which is really about one man's amazing determination and struggle. But I suppose the title succeeds in attracting readers (like me) interested in pirate lore.

Inciteful primary sources expose political issues that leave your mouth hanging open in surprise. Heroic and tragic exploits of Type-A American personalities hell bent on achieving a mission beyond the wishes of their leader (the US President).

Readers will be forced to choose sides between the morality of pusuing a cause vs. the economics of policy and international diplomacy. Over a hundred years later Smedley Butler, another highly accomplished but bitter warrior, would state "War is a racket." History repeats . . .

The plot line for this terribly detailed history is a great one. It has all the elements: pirates, hostages, ransom demands, treks across dangerous lands, marines coming to the rescue, covert government sanctioned actions, politics, personal rivalries and more! The fact that it is all true and is such a little known part of our history makes it even better.

Mr. Zacks tells the story of the Barbary pirates and how one man named Eaton made it his personal quest to bring the bey down who was holding hundreds of American hostages for ransom. Along the way, we are taken to Jefferson's Washington, to Eqypt (extremely interesting place in the early early 19th century), a near killing march across the desert towards Tripoli during which Eaton continually has to cajole, bribe and threaten his Arab allies, after which Eaton has a huge military triumph and then back to Washington. During this trek of Eaton's his rivals are undermining his not-so-covert covert operation. A treaty is struck by his biggest personal rival that essentially gives away the store needlessly.

Upon his return to America, Eaton is at first trumpeted as the first American war hero since the Revolution. He decides, however, to take Jefferson to task for the treaty struck with Tripoli. Mr. Zacks then chronicles Eaton's demise just as the elements of the awful treaty negotiated by his rival comes to light - which should resurrect Eaton, but does not. Along the way, Eaton also gets into the Aaron Burr fray. It is amazing this character is so little known.

As Mr. Zachs explains, history's twists and turns eventually bury Eaton and the treaty in the back pages and this interesting chapter is forgotten.

This story could have been written to be as exciting as a novel. The story line is that good. Unfortunately, Mr. Zachs is in love with details. He includes so many that it becomes difficult to discern the forest from the trees. He also has the annoying habit of giving a sentence or two of narrative followed by a long quote from a letter or document that merely parrots the narrative sentences.

This would be a sure fire five star book had it been pared down. Unfortunately, it reads more like a scholarly text than the exciting history it could have been.

All in all, it is well worth the work to learn a very interesting part of our history that amazingly also sheds quite a bit of light on our present day.

"The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805," by Richard Zacks, is an enthralling work of history. It's full of bold and colorful characters, fascinating places, and perilous situations. Zacks takes us back to the early 19th century. The nation of Tripoli (modern-day Libya), which terrorizes the Mediterranean, declares war on the United States and eventually captures a U.S. naval vessel and its crew. Zacks tells the story of the military and political effort to free the captives. It's an epic tale that involves both land warfare in North Africa and naval warfare in the Mediterranean, as well as political intrigue in the city of Washington and diplomatic maneuvering in Malta and Tripoli. Although Jefferson gets mentioned in the book's subtitle, the real hero of the book is William Eaton, who leads "America's first covert military op overseas." He's a truly larger-than-life character.

Zacks draws on a rich variety of sources from which to tell the story of Eaton's remarkable mission, and he incorporates substantial quotes from these sources in the narrative. By doing this he allows the voices of Eaton and his contemporaries to be heard. Interestingly, Zacks also points out to the reader the places where there are gaps in the historical record. In the book's acknowledgements section, Zacks describes in detail how he got access to the documents he used in writing the book. The book also includes a "Cast of Characters" guide, extensive endnotes, a thorough bibliography, and an index.

Zacks' prose is witty, lively, and engaging. As he tells the story he includes many fascinating details--the use of lime juice for secret writing, the copious amounts of alcohol consumed by the builders of the U.S.S. _Philadelphia_, the fury of a North African sandstorm, etc. Especially fascinating is his description of how Eaton created a multiethnic, multinational task force of both Christian and Muslim troops as part of his daring mission. Zacks creates vivid portraits not just of Eaton, but of many other remarkable individuals. This work of richly documented history is both tragic and thrilling. For an interesting companion text, I recommend "Inside Delta Force," by Eric L. Haney.