The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, The First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805

I am a huge fan of the Patrick O'Brian novels and have been looking for authors that write about that time period fiction or non fiction. This book hit the mark. It is well researched and well written. The authors meticulous research and writing style will lend itself well to educating future generations. He brings the story alive! The narrator is not the best (he is actually hard to listen to) but after you get into the story you do not notice or care.

Richard Zack's second book about pirates and piracies, "The Pirate Hunter" being the first, is an excellent read. In command of the most fitting language he sets a standard for historical writing. His recollection of an almost forgotten historic affair is breathtaking. All of his conclusions are backed up by primary sources, which he quotes frequently. Among the surprising facts is not only that America forgot a truly unforgettable hero in William Eaton, but also that the conflict with the Muslim culture of slavery and piracy is not new. Thomas Jefferson's role in the aftermath of the described incident is surprisingly shameful and eerily modern and the author deserves much praise to identify and prove the president's conflict between political interests and moral, short-term and long-term interests. If the Tripoli incident had been backed up by Hamilton and finished by Eaton as planned - maybe we would not have the problems we have today. This book will be a classic and serve for many years as a source that determines the roots and reasons of conflict between Muslims and Americans. The narrator, Raymond Todd, does his job well. Even though the first chapter is read rather amateurishly, where he lowers the voice at the end of each sentence in a boring, unappealing fashion, he becomes much livelier towards the end. It is though not the task of the voice actor, but of the editor or producer to ensure this type of issue. I am looking forward to listen to more books read by Mr. Todd and authored by Mr. Zack.

This is a good story about events that are pretty obscure yet central to early American history. The book is paced well and keeps your interest. Characters are well-developed.
I recommend this if you want to expand your knowledge of early American history.

Unbelievable detail. Those who love history will thoroughly enjoy this book. You come to know the main character of this non-fiction in vivid detail. The stories of courage and patriotism during the birth of our nation is refreshing.

This account of the US conflict with the Barbary "pirates" (Muslims) is entertaining, succinct and accurate. The book's observations of how the Muslims negotiate, fight and act holds true today as the conflict between the West and Islam continues.

Really an entertaining book. This is one of the best listens that I have heard in a long time. I never knew this history before and would never have guessed that anyone could lead such an exciting and dangerous life in those times. The history was presented in such an interesting way that I laughed and cringed at the same time as the narrator presented the story. The story teller does an above excellent job in making the history come alive for the listener.

This account of the US conflict with the Barbary "pirates" (Muslims) is entertaining, succinct and accurate. The book's observations of how the Muslims negotiate, fight and act holds true today as the conflict between the West and Islam continues.

If you are tempted by this book, please read Jefferson's War instead.

This book is an extremely detailed biography of William Eaton, and it is well-written with respect to historical detail and (presumably) accuracy, as it refers frequently to primary sources. However, it is too detailed in many ways and frustratingly lacking in providing a broader context to the events it describes. The narration is adequate, but the narrator's voice is definitely not suited to this story and several mispronunciations are grating. The author also seems intent on portraying certain characters (particularly Eaton and Bainbridge) in a certain light and ignores or downplays inconvenient facts.

The book Jefferson's War covers these same events, it starts earlier in time and describes the events more objectively and in a broader historical context. After listening to The Pirate Coast, I came across Jefferson's War and bought it to fill in the frustrating blanks left in my sense of this historical period. It did so very capably.

Great book - couldn't stop listening to it. Have listened to it 3x over 2 years. A truly great history book in that it teaches not just about the past but about present day conflicts as well.

This is an amazing story which gives the reader insight into both history, politics, and the nature of man. This is product of an amazing amount of research. It is not an "easy read" because the author includes too much detail which does not support or add depth to the main story line. Still, it is an excellent work and well worth the reader's time.