Super Short Summary

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger outlines the Barbary Wars (1801-1815) where President Thomas Jefferson allied with Sweden to combat North African pirate states including Tripoli, Algiers, Tunis, and Morocco, which extorted tribute for safe passage. Despite initial naval setbacks, including the capture of the U.S.S. Philadelphia, American forces, led by figures like Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, undertook daring missions to undermine the pirates’ power, with significant events like the march to capture Tripoli contributing to U.S. naval history and military morale. The book, however, includes orientalist depictions and Islamophobic undertones.