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Sign up todayJefferson’s War
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Learn moreTwo centuries ago, without congressional or public debate, Thomas Jefferson, a president who is thought of today as peaceable, 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 two hundred 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.”
Joseph Wheelan, a graduate of the University of Wyoming and University of Colorado at Denver, is the author of several books, including the highly acclaimed Terrible Swift Sword and Jefferson’s War. Before turning to writing books full time, he was a reporter and editor for the Associated Press for twenty-four years, where he also wrote about the Korean War.
Patrick Cullen (a.k.a. John Lescault), a native of Massachusetts, is a graduate of the Catholic University of America. He lives in Washington, DC, where he works in theater.
Reviews
“Lively recounting of the crusade, 200 years ago, that brought the marines to the shores of Tripoli...The stuff of good historical fiction—and a treat for military buffs.”
“A clear, suspenseful account of a complex topic.”
“Jefferson’s War is a fascinating and readable story of how America fought and won its first war on terror—two centuries ago.”
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