First published 2016
In 1801, newly elected President Thomas Jefferson faces a nation drowning in debt and humiliation. Barbary pirates from North Africa's coast seize American merchant vessels at will, dragging sailors into slavery and demanding tribute payments that threaten to bankrupt the young republic. For fifteen years, America has tried working with the four Muslim powers behind the piracy: Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco. Diplomacy fails completely. Jefferson realizes the time for negotiation has passed. He makes a fateful decision to abandon diplomatic solutions and deploy military force. The president dispatches the U.S. Navy and Marines to blockade Tripoli, igniting the Barbary Wars. This forgotten conflict would forge America's path toward becoming a global superpower and inspire the famous Marine Corps hymn referencing the "Shores of Tripoli." Kilmeade brings this overlooked chapter of American history to life through the real experiences of the brave men who fought to free their countrymen and restore national honor.
Genres: history, 20th-century, american, military-history, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction
Setting: North Africa, Tripoli
Period: 1801
272 pages · Paperback · Sentinel