• Jefferson's War

  • America's First War on Terror, 1801-1805
  • By: Joseph Wheelan
  • Narrated by: Patrick Cullen
  • Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (522 ratings)

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Jefferson's War

By: Joseph Wheelan
Narrated by: Patrick Cullen
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Publisher's summary

Two centuries ago, without congressional or public debate, a president who is thought of today as peaceable, Thomas Jefferson, launched America's first war on foreign soil, a war against terror. The enemy was Muslim; the war was waged unconventionally, with commandos, native troops, and encrypted intelligence, and launched from foreign bases.

For nearly 200 years, the Barbary pirates had haunted the Mediterranean, enslaving tens of thousands of Europeans and extorting millions of dollars from their countries in a mercenary holy war against Christendom. Sailing in sleek corsairs built for speed and plunder, the Barbary pirates attacked European and American merchant shipping with impunity, triumphing as much by terror as force of arms.

The author traces the events leading to Jefferson's belief that peace with the Barbary States and respect from Europe could be achieved only through the "medium of war".

©2003 Joseph Wheelan (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Jefferson's War

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

reader's war

Although, this was a good story, and is certainly an overlooked event in the history of the U.S. Especially the birth of the U.S. Navy. The telling is devoid of emotional impact. Often the audiobook feels like a bland recitation of the facts. As the other reviewer points out the author uses the subject of Arab terrorism as a way to bring relevancy to the story, but then fall short in the actual telling. I would reccomend Charlie's War as a better book for History buffs.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

well researched but mildly islamophobic.

generally has good information, but you'll cringe many times over the course of the book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Solid history marred by attempted post 9/11 hook.

A rich, detailed history of the Barbary Wars that tries too hard to link itself to America's post 9/11 war against Islamic extremism.

Wheelan's 2004 history of the Barbary Wars ("from the shores of Tripoli....") is, on its own, a perfectly enjoyable history of America's first war in foreign waters and foreign soil. Brimming with colorful details about the Barbary states and the havoc they wreaked on European and American shipping.

The book does a wonderful job detailing the lengths those states took to try to mollify the various Shahs, Deys, and Beys with tribute, peace treaties that were inevitably broken when the Barbary states wanted more tribute, and just general obsequiousness by Europe and America until the relatively weak America finally decided to push back.

What stands out here that is sometimes lost in modern retellings of the Barbary Wars is the sheer distance between American ships in the area and home station. This was not a situation where orders could be transmitted in real time so Captains had lengthy periods of time to interpret their orders and mission before the next set of instructions came (if it came at all...the book has a great anecdote of an American postal clerk who just didn't send hundreds of pieces of mail for months).

The book's main failure (and a relatively minor one) is in it's subtitle -- Wheelan tries in the intro to equate the Barbary pirates to Al Qaeda and it just doesn't hold. The Barbary corsairs were motivated by greed, not ideology and while their Islamic faith influenced how they treated non-Muslim prisoners, their pursuit of jihad via piracy was far more basically a desire for wealth. Wheelan's ham-fisted attempts to draw a linkage just doesn't fly. Admittedly this only occurs briefly in the introduction and after that we get a straightforward history of the development of the American Navy and the war against the pirates.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wow

Where does Jefferson's War rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 20 History Book

What did you like best about this story?

We have been a world power long before the advent of the modern era.

Which character – as performed by Patrick Cullen – was your favorite?

Jefferson

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Don't go to movies, read books"

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Bored Stiff

This probably could be more interesting, however, the reader was lousy and the book became monotonous.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great telling of history.

Loved the voice of the narator. Great retelling of history. Loved it. Would gladdly listen to any othet works by the writer.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

DON'T LET THE TITLE FOOL YOU!

The title and cover of this book are a little deceptive. Even though Jefferson was president at the time, he is not the key player in this book. The pirates are! They steal the show - and everything else that isn't nailed down. The book tells the story in graphic detail of how the Muslim Barbary pirates held the world hostage for years, pillaging, raping, killing at will, any who crossed their paths, especially Christians. Jefferson did wage a war-of-sorts on these pirates. A holy war, using every sneaky trick in the book and many that weren't in any book, to end the reign of terror inflicted by these savage seafarers. One more example of murder and death in the name of God/Allah. This was a good read, though a bit tedious in places. I would still read it again.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great History Lesson

This book clarified some of my misconceptions about the Barbary Wars. The first is the history of the Barbary Coast. I had only a vague idea why the Barbary pirates hated Christians. The author explained their ancestors were expelled from Spain, which started the anger. Piracy was ust a profitable bonus. I was surprised that Willam Eaton's land expedition was far away from Tripoli before being withdrawn. The Marine anthem "To the shores of Tripoli" makes more sense because I always thought Eaton had arrived in Tripoli. After listening this book, I excited to learn more about Commodore Edward Preble because he was a fighter.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well worth your time

It’s written in the shadow of 9/11, the comparisons to that event and subsequent war are incredibly dated in 2022 considering how that war has recently ended. That being said, this book succeeded at opening my eyes to yet another forgotten war in America’s early history. It was a huge gap in my understanding of one of my favorite periods that I’m glad is now filled. Legendary ships such as the Constitution and Enterprise, and figures that deserve more recognition such as Edward Preble and William Eaton all get their stories told in a well researched book. One of the reasons I suspect it’s so forgotten is the fact that it tends to upset the traditional narrative of President Jefferson’s decentralization of the government. Watching Ken Burns Jefferson series (which skipped the Barbary War entirely) it’s clear his expanding the navy and enacting this conflict without consulting congress complicates an already complicated political career. Recommend

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Early American Marines vs Pirates!

This SHOULD be the greatest adventure/history book ever written!
The subject matter is OFF-DA' HOOK crazy cool fun!
It's about early America’s first serious conflict using the newly formed U.S. NAVY & MARINES (damn!)
Early American Marines vs... Pirates! ( double damn! )
For me that is the ULTIMATE cool historical war fantasy!
A conflict that's off American shores.
It’s a battle against deadly pirates.
( Wow! )
The book's really really REALLY well written. Really well narrated. Very exciting. Makes history come alive!
That sounds so exciting!
…and it is!
Sort of.
However...
Don't get me wrong, this is a very good book.
But, I had a guilty reaction to loving this story of early American warfare.
Why?
It's a disturbing tune that goes like this:
“Hooray for white Christian people kicking brown Muslim people’s butts!”

A tune I'm so tired of hearing. I know, you are too. Sorry I brought it up.
Nothing gets in the way of a good “pirate-war fantasy” than real modern life sensibilities.
There is no good answer to thinking about it THAT way, with modern sensibilities.

It’s history. History is bloody and violent.
The author brought history up out of the past and into today to drop it at our feet.
( ...drop it at our feet dying & bleeding with arrows and swords stuck in it. )

This is history that's amazingly adventurous and exciting!
It's what made me love history in the first place
Yet I cringe knowing this wasn't a fantasy novel, it's history, and everyone who died horribly was a real living person.
Sheesh!
Can't I enjoy history anymore? What's wrong with me?

I liked history better when I was a little kid with out adult morels

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