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180 reviews for:
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History
Don Yaeger, Brian Kilmeade
3.26 AVERAGE
180 reviews for:
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History
Don Yaeger, Brian Kilmeade
3.26 AVERAGE
I think we all read this because of the Hamilton Musical. While this was a great read, that is not fair to any book.
Not a lot of cited facts. Especially when Kilmeade felt the desire to editorialize on history. Inconsistent analysis and moralizing with a horribly preachy tone.
Couldn't finish it, especially when I compared it to another book read on the topic "The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines & the Secret Mission of 1805" which is much better. I'd say check that out before you go into this.
informative
medium-paced
I liked it as much as it was about something that I hadn't read about before, so everything I learned about was new. It did seem as if it were written for the more casual reader so it wasn't as in depth or, dare I say, intelligent as most history books that I've read. It was interesting, don't get me wrong, and has piqued my interest in the subject so much so that I will probably look for a more detailed book regarding the Barbary Wars and the US Navy, but it wasn't an overwhelmingly great book that I would be satisfied in giving more than three stars.
**I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.**
**I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.**
It’s a very interesting story though it’s very easy to tell this was written post 9/11 and with the war in Iraq fresh in mind. Also a textbook definition of “history is written by the victors”.
adventurous
informative
🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences
1. US economic ship trade is interrupted by Tripoli pirates attacking and taking prisoners.
2. Thomas Jefferson and the US establish the US Navy to fight the Tripoli Pirates off the coast of North Africa.
3. The US Navy through a combination of naval might, land forces, and diplomacy establish a peace with the Tripoli countries.
🎨 Impressions
This was the first history novel I have every read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The book does a good job of laying the background for the US during that time. The country was still in its infancy and there was a quite a bit of deliberation as to what to do with the Tripoli Pirates.
The book has heroes, villains, and unfortunate mishaps. It did a great job telling the history while keeping the reader engaged in the narrative of it all.
☘️ How the Book Changed Me
Hard to say how I was “changed”, overall, it has me more interested in reading history and a greater appreciation for the social and political nuances that people faced even in those times. It was interesting to see that things like image, publicity, and pride maintained such a central place in leadership back then, even as it still does today.
✍️ My Top 3 Quotes
“I hope I shall never again be sent to Algiers with tribute unless I am authorized to deliver it from the mouth of our cannon.” —Captain William Bainbridge, USS George Washington
“When the Americans boarded the enemy’s vessel, they saw a scene of terrible carnage. Thirty men had been killed, another thirty wounded. Bodies lay in pools of blood, as rivulets of red poured through the ship’s hatches. An amazed Sterett found that, in comparison with the slaughter aboard the Tripoli, the Americans had sustained no casualties, with no one either killed or injured. He ordered his surgeon to minister to the enemy wounded, as the Tripolitan surgeon was among the dead.”
“The bashaw was as humiliated as the Americans were proud. “So strong was the sensations of shame and indignation excited [at Tripoli],” reported the National Intelligencer on November 18, 1801, that Bashaw Yusuf “ordered the wounded captain to be mounted on a Jack Ass and paraded through’ the streets as an object of public scorn.”14 Wearing a necklace of sheep entrails, the admiral was bastinadoed—beaten with five hundred strokes of a switch delivered to the soles of his feet.”
📒 Summary + Notes
1. Americans Abroad
· I can’t imagine leaving one of my daughters in another country for my new job. I know the health concerns of sea travel, but I think I would’ve risked it anyway
2. Secretary Jefferson
· It is admirable the Jefferson felt conviction (rightly so) that it would take military action to stop the pirates. His foresight is a driving force that themes in the entire book.
3. The Humiliation of the USS George Washington
· Captain Bainbridge has a bad reputation, and it was expounded on heavily in this book.
· When he allowed the natives to guide his ship into the harbor (which effectively trapped them as hostages), this was a huge error that cost the US resources and reputation
4. Jefferson Takes Charge
· Very cool to see the US Navy be established
5. A Flagpole Falls
6. The First Flotilla
7. Skirmish at Sea
· Dale holding Murat Rais captive in the port while his other ships set up the blockade and engaged the enemy is one of the coolest things in the book.
· This was such a great introduction to the marines as well as lieutenant Steratt; they are so bad ass here. Sustaining no casualties.
8. Patience Wears Thin
9. The Doldrums of Summer
· Captain Morris bringing his wife and kids on the voyage and essentially taking a long vacation is so pathetic. No wonder none of his men respected him.
10. The Omens of October
11. The Philadelphia Disaster
· Although not as much his fault, Bainbridge losing this second ship cements his incompetence in my mind.
· Thinking it runs aground, abandoning it, getting captured, and then the enemy getting it unstuck and having it at their disposal is a massive embarrassment.
12. By the Cover of Darkness
· He was only modestly introduced in different parts of the book, but this is really Stephen Decatur’s moment of glory. Sneaking aboard and setting the Philadelphia on fire is simply incredible. They did a good job showing his exploits because of his prominence later in the War of 1812
13. The Battle of Tripoli
· This is my most memorable part of the chapter. A great battle here excellently told, I will think of Stephen Decatur’s exploits when I remember this book and the tragedy of his brother James.
14. Opening a New Front
15. Win in the Desert or Die in the Desert
· The capturing of Derne is also an awesome moment in this book. The trifold attack from the front, sea, and the back shows Eaton’s tactics and bravery.
16. Endgame
· Hard to end a book this way but I think about the deception of Lear who was only looking out for his own political gain. Which ended up costing the US money that the Bashaw would’ve have freely given up.
17. Fair Winds and Following Seas
18. Afterword
This was a story that I didn't know about (I guess that's why the title says that its "The Forgotten War"). Do you know who the first enemy of the U.S. was following its independence? The British is probably the first group that one would think of, even extending that to The War of 1812.
But it was the Muslims of North Africa throughout the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th. I had heard of the Barbary Coast, but never thought about exactly where it was (modern day Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya). And in the Marine hymn, "the shores of Tripoli"? I thought that was about WWII in North Africa.
So that was eye-opening. Another interesting tidbit -- after settling things down in the middle of the first decade of the 1800s with the Muslims, the British used the Muslim pirates as an additional foe against the U.S. in The War of 1812.
A solid read, recommended if you like American History. Kilmeade did the narrating -- he was fine, a little excitable at times. Might be a smoother read from a book.
But it was the Muslims of North Africa throughout the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th. I had heard of the Barbary Coast, but never thought about exactly where it was (modern day Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya). And in the Marine hymn, "the shores of Tripoli"? I thought that was about WWII in North Africa.
So that was eye-opening. Another interesting tidbit -- after settling things down in the middle of the first decade of the 1800s with the Muslims, the British used the Muslim pirates as an additional foe against the U.S. in The War of 1812.
A solid read, recommended if you like American History. Kilmeade did the narrating -- he was fine, a little excitable at times. Might be a smoother read from a book.
I read this for a book challenge in which one of the prompts is "read by a stranger in public." People basically just read on screens now, so it has taken me six months to spot a stranger reading an identifiable book in public. A guy was reading this in the airport. While the book itself was fine--interesting coverage of a largely-forgotten episode in early American history, told with a minimum of commentary and an abundance of reliance on primary sources--I was uneasy with comments in both the introduction and the epilogue about this historical event having anything at all to do with current events. Specifically, the "American vs. rogue Muslim nations" trope--gag me with a spoon. And then in the acknowledgements, he admires Roger Ailes, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, et al, for their insightful use of history in understanding America today. I came to log this title into goodreads, and found he's a Fox & Friends host. So....this: it's a decent book--well-paced and written in an interesting enough way. I had no beef with the content of the historical account. I do feel gross, though, about putting my money unknowingly into the pocket of someone who espouses things I find repugnant when there are so many other books out there to read.
This book was ok. I would probably rate it closer to 2.5/5 stars but it just wasn't that exciting overall. This is further accompanied by the author's very clear opinion that military force is the best way to set an example. It's not that I disagree with that at a certain point but the repeated zeal for it was somewhat annoying and diminished the story itself. I would still suggest to those interested in history and it was still fascinating in that it isn't a war that is talked about very much.