Before you go...
Check Out
The Bestselling Books of All Time
See the List

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

The Forgotten War That Changed American History

The Forgotten War That Changed American History

The Forgotten War That Changed American History

The Forgotten War That Changed American History

The Forgotten War That Changed American History

The Forgotten War That Changed American History

By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
Read by Brian Kilmeade

By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
Read by Brian Kilmeade

By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
Read by Brian Kilmeade

By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
Read by Brian Kilmeade

Best Seller
Paperback $17.00

Oct 18, 2016 | ISBN 9780143129431

Mass Market Paperback $9.99

Oct 24, 2017 | ISBN 9780143131830 *This format is not eligible to earn points towards the Reader Rewards program

Hardcover $27.95

Nov 03, 2015 | ISBN 9781591848066

Ebook $9.99

Nov 03, 2015 | ISBN 9780698197411

CD $19.99

Nov 28, 2017 | 300 Minutes

Audiobook Download $15.00

Nov 03, 2015 | 292 Minutes

All Formats
+
    Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
    Paperback
    Oct 18, 2016 | ISBN 9780143129431
    See All Formats (5) +

    Paperback (2)
    –

    • Paperback $17.00

      Oct 18, 2016 | ISBN 9780143129431

    • Mass Market Paperback $9.99

      Oct 24, 2017 | ISBN 9780143131830

      *This format is not eligible to earn points towards the Reader Rewards program

    Hardcover
    +

    • Hardcover $27.95

      Nov 03, 2015 | ISBN 9781591848066

    Ebook
    +

    • Ebook $9.99

      Nov 03, 2015 | ISBN 9780698197411

    Audio (2)
    +

    Buy the Audiobook Download:

    About Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

    When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America was deeply in debt, with its economy and dignity under attack. Pirates from North Africa’s Barbary Coast routinely captured American merchant ships and held the sailors as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute payments far beyond what the new country could afford.

    For fifteen years, America had tried to work with the four Muslim powers (Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco) driving the piracy, but negotiation proved impossible. Realizing it was time to stand up to the intimidation, Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy and Marines to blockade Tripoli—launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America’s journey toward future superpower status.

    Few today remember these men and other heroes who inspired the Marine Corps hymn: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, we fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates recaptures this forgotten war that changed American history with a real-life drama of intrigue, bravery, and battle on the high seas.

    About Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

    The mass market edition of the New York Times Bestseller. This is the little-known story of how a newly independent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when America’s third president decided to stand up to intimidation.
     
    When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa routinely captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute far beyond what the new country could afford.
     
    Jefferson found it impossible to negotiate with the leaders of the Barbary states, who believed their religion justified the plunder and enslavement of non-Muslims. These rogue states would show no mercy, so President Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy’s new warships and a detachment of Marines to blockade Tripoli–launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America’s journey toward future superpower status.
     
    As they did in George Washington’s Secret Six, Kilmeade and Yaeger have transformed a nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Among the many suspenseful episodes:

    · Lieutenant Andrew Sterett’s ferocious cannon battle on the high seas against the treacherous pirate ship Tripoli.
    · Lieutenant Stephen Decatur’s daring night raid of an enemy harbor, with the aim of destroying an American ship that had fallen into the pirates’ hands.
    · General William Eaton’s 500-mile march from Egypt to the port of Derne, where the Marines launched a surprise attack and an American flag was raised in victory on foreign soil for the first time.

    About Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

    “Another blockbuster! Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates reads like an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning thriller. You will love this book and also wonder why so few people know this story. No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.” —Brad Thor

    This is the little-known story of how a newly indepen­dent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when America’s third president decided to stand up to intimidation.
     
    When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America faced a crisis. The new nation was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa’s Barbary coast routinely captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute payments far beyond what the new coun­try could afford.
     
    Over the previous fifteen years, as a diplomat and then as secretary of state, Jefferson had tried to work with the Barbary states (Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco). Unfortunately, he found it impossible to negotiate with people who believed their religion jus­tified the plunder and enslavement of non-Muslims. These rogue states would show no mercy—at least not while easy money could be made by extorting the Western powers. So President Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy’s new warships and a detachment of Marines to blockade Tripoli—launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America’s journey toward future superpower status.
     
    As they did in their previous bestseller, George Washington’s Secret Six, Kilmeade and Yaeger have transformed a nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Among the many sus­penseful episodes:
     
    ·Lieutenant Andrew Sterett’s ferocious cannon battle on the high seas against the treacherous pirate ship Tripoli.
     
    ·Lieutenant Stephen Decatur’s daring night raid of an enemy harbor, with the aim of destroying an American ship that had fallen into the pirates’ hands.

    ·General William Eaton’s unprecedented five-hundred-mile land march from Egypt to the port of Derne, where the Marines launched a surprise attack and an American flag was raised in victory on foreign soil for the first time.
     
    Few today remember these men and other heroes who inspired the Marine Corps hymn: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, we fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates recaptures this forgot­ten war that changed American history with a real-life drama of intrigue, bravery, and battle on the high seas.

    About Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

    “Another blockbuster! Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates reads like an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning thriller. You will love this book and also wonder why so few people know this story. No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.” —Brad Thor

    This is the little-known story of how a newly indepen­dent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when America’s third president decided to stand up to intimidation.
     
    When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America faced a crisis. The new nation was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa’s Barbary coast routinely captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute payments far beyond what the new coun­try could afford.
     
    Over the previous fifteen years, as a diplomat and then as secretary of state, Jefferson had tried to work with the Barbary states (Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco). Unfortunately, he found it impossible to negotiate with people who believed their religion jus­tified the plunder and enslavement of non-Muslims. These rogue states would show no mercy—at least not while easy money could be made by extorting the Western powers. So President Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy’s new warships and a detachment of Marines to blockade Tripoli—launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America’s journey toward future superpower status.
     
    As they did in their previous bestseller, George Washington’s Secret Six, Kilmeade and Yaeger have transformed a nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Among the many sus­penseful episodes:
     
    ·Lieutenant Andrew Sterett’s ferocious cannon battle on the high seas against the treacherous pirate ship Tripoli.
     
    ·Lieutenant Stephen Decatur’s daring night raid of an enemy harbor, with the aim of destroying an American ship that had fallen into the pirates’ hands.

    ·General William Eaton’s unprecedented five-hundred-mile land march from Egypt to the port of Derne, where the Marines launched a surprise attack and an American flag was raised in victory on foreign soil for the first time.
     
    Few today remember these men and other heroes who inspired the Marine Corps hymn: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, we fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates recaptures this forgot­ten war that changed American history with a real-life drama of intrigue, bravery, and battle on the high seas.

    About Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

    “Another blockbuster! Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates reads like an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning thriller. You will love this book and also wonder why so few people know this story. No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.” —Brad Thor

    This is the little-known story of how a newly indepen­dent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when America’s third president decided to stand up to intimidation.
     
    When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America faced a crisis. The new nation was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa’s Barbary coast routinely captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute payments far beyond what the new coun­try could afford.
     
    Over the previous fifteen years, as a diplomat and then as secretary of state, Jefferson had tried to work with the Barbary states (Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco). Unfortunately, he found it impossible to negotiate with people who believed their religion jus­tified the plunder and enslavement of non-Muslims. These rogue states would show no mercy—at least not while easy money could be made by extorting the Western powers. So President Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy’s new warships and a detachment of Marines to blockade Tripoli—launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America’s journey toward future superpower status.
     
    As they did in their previous bestseller, George Washington’s Secret Six, Kilmeade and Yaeger have transformed a nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Among the many sus­penseful episodes:
     
    ·Lieutenant Andrew Sterett’s ferocious cannon battle on the high seas against the treacherous pirate ship Tripoli.
     
    ·Lieutenant Stephen Decatur’s daring night raid of an enemy harbor, with the aim of destroying an American ship that had fallen into the pirates’ hands.

    ·General William Eaton’s unprecedented five-hundred-mile land march from Egypt to the port of Derne, where the Marines launched a surprise attack and an American flag was raised in victory on foreign soil for the first time.
     
    Few today remember these men and other heroes who inspired the Marine Corps hymn: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, we fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates recaptures this forgot­ten war that changed American history with a real-life drama of intrigue, bravery, and battle on the high seas.

    About Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

    “Another blockbuster! Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates reads like an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning thriller. You will love this book and also wonder why so few people know this story. No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.” —Brad Thor

    This is the little-known story of how a newly indepen­dent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when America’s third president decided to stand up to intimidation.
     
    When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America faced a crisis. The new nation was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa’s Barbary coast routinely captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute payments far beyond what the new coun­try could afford.
     
    Over the previous fifteen years, as a diplomat and then as secretary of state, Jefferson had tried to work with the Barbary states (Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco). Unfortunately, he found it impossible to negotiate with people who believed their religion jus­tified the plunder and enslavement of non-Muslims. These rogue states would show no mercy—at least not while easy money could be made by extorting the Western powers. So President Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy’s new warships and a detachment of Marines to blockade Tripoli—launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America’s journey toward future superpower status.
     
    As they did in their previous bestseller, George Washington’s Secret Six, Kilmeade and Yaeger have transformed a nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Among the many sus­penseful episodes:
     
    ·Lieutenant Andrew Sterett’s ferocious cannon battle on the high seas against the treacherous pirate ship Tripoli.
     
    ·Lieutenant Stephen Decatur’s daring night raid of an enemy harbor, with the aim of destroying an American ship that had fallen into the pirates’ hands.

    ·General William Eaton’s unprecedented five-hundred-mile land march from Egypt to the port of Derne, where the Marines launched a surprise attack and an American flag was raised in victory on foreign soil for the first time.
     
    Few today remember these men and other heroes who inspired the Marine Corps hymn: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, we fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates recaptures this forgot­ten war that changed American history with a real-life drama of intrigue, bravery, and battle on the high seas.

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    About Brian Kilmeade

    Brian Kilmeade is the co-author of George Washington’s Secret Six, a New York Times bestseller for more than five months…. More about Brian Kilmeade

    About Don Yaeger

    Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, and author of more than two dozen books, including nine New York… More about Don Yaeger

    About Brian Kilmeade

    Brian Kilmeade is the co-author of George Washington’s Secret Six, a New York Times bestseller for more than five months…. More about Brian Kilmeade

    About Don Yaeger

    Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, and author of more than two dozen books, including nine New York… More about Don Yaeger

    About Brian Kilmeade

    Brian Kilmeade is the co-author of George Washington’s Secret Six, a New York Times bestseller for more than five months…. More about Brian Kilmeade

    About Don Yaeger

    Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, and author of more than two dozen books, including nine New York… More about Don Yaeger

    About Brian Kilmeade

    Brian Kilmeade is the co-author of George Washington’s Secret Six, a New York Times bestseller for more than five months…. More about Brian Kilmeade

    About Don Yaeger

    Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, and author of more than two dozen books, including nine New York… More about Don Yaeger

    About Brian Kilmeade

    Brian Kilmeade is the co-author of George Washington’s Secret Six, a New York Times bestseller for more than five months…. More about Brian Kilmeade

    About Don Yaeger

    Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, and author of more than two dozen books, including nine New York… More about Don Yaeger

    About Brian Kilmeade

    Brian Kilmeade is the co-author of George Washington’s Secret Six, a New York Times bestseller for more than five months…. More about Brian Kilmeade

    About Don Yaeger

    Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, and author of more than two dozen books, including nine New York… More about Don Yaeger

    Product Details

    Category: 19th Century U.S. History | Military History | Political Figure Biographies & Memoirs

    Paperback | $17.00
    Published by Sentinel
    Oct 18, 2016 | 272 Pages | 5-1/2 x 8-7/16 | ISBN 9780143129431

    Category: 19th Century U.S. History | Military History | Political Figure Biographies & Memoirs

    Mass Market Paperback | $9.99
    Published by Sentinel
    Oct 24, 2017 | 304 Pages | 4-3/16 x 7-1/2 | ISBN 9780143131830

    Category: 19th Century U.S. History | Military History | Political Figure Biographies & Memoirs

    Hardcover | $27.95
    Published by Sentinel
    Nov 03, 2015 | 256 Pages | 6 x 9 | ISBN 9781591848066

    Category: 19th Century U.S. History | Military History | Political Figure Biographies & Memoirs

    Ebook | $9.99
    Published by Sentinel
    Nov 03, 2015 | 256 Pages | ISBN 9780698197411

    Category: 19th Century U.S. History | Military History | Political Figure Biographies & Memoirs | Audiobooks

    CD | $19.99
    Published by Penguin Audio
    Nov 28, 2017 | 300 Minutes | ISBN 9780525495857

    Category: 19th Century U.S. History | Military History | Political Figure Biographies & Memoirs | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $15.00
    Published by Penguin Audio
    Nov 03, 2015 | 292 Minutes | ISBN 9780698411890

    People Who Read Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates Also Read

    ‹ ›
    The Battle of Arnhem
    In the Hurricane's Eye
    The Flying Tigers
    Without Precedent
    Friends Divided
    A Darker Sea
    Grant
    The Templars
    Contempt
    Resistance Is Futile!
    Sea Power
    Written Out of History
    Red Platoon
    The Mathews Men
    Playing to the Edge
    The Lost Airman
    War of Two
    Hunter Killer
    America's Bank
    Billion-Dollar Ball
    The Silence of War
    Tong Wars
    Flyover Nation
    The Descent of Man
    Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt
    Democracy in America and Two Essays on America
    Mesopotamia
    Utopia
    The Symposium
    Confessions of an English Opium-Eater and Other Writings
    My Bondage and My Freedom
    How Hitler Could Have Won World War II
    Mary Stuart
    A Monarchy Transformed
    The Habsburgs
    The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt
    Russia under the Old Regime
    The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Greece
    The Diary of Lady Murasaki
    The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome
    The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings
    Daughters of Isis
    The Essays
    Grundrisse
    Ancient Iraq

    Inspired by Your Browsing History

    Praise

    “Thomas Jefferson. Pirates. And national security. This is how you make history exciting. I dare you to put this book down.”
    —BRAD MELTZER, bestselling author of The President’s Shadow
     
    “Reads like a fast-paced thriller but is actually a thoughtful account of America’s first foray into what has become a complex part of the world.”
    —GENERAL STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL (Ret.), author of Team of Teams
     
    “This is a well-told tale, and there are lessons aplenty about both diplomacy and warfare—with useful application to the challenges the United States faces in our own time.”
    —PROFESSOR LARRY J. SABATO, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics; author of The Kennedy Half-Century

    “A fascinating story of extraordinary courage and resolve, and a brilliant reminder of an early chapter of our country’s remarkable history.”
    —DONALD RUMSFELD

    Back to Top

    Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network

    Brightly

    Raise kids who love to read
    TASTE img

    TASTE

    An online magazine for today’s home cook

    LitFlash

    The eBooks you want at the lowest prices

    Read it Forward

    Read it first. Pass it on!