After Tripoli declared war on the United States in 1801, Barbary pirates captured three hundred U.S. sailors and marines. President Jefferson sent out navy squadrons, but he also authorized a secret mission to overthrow the government of Tripoli. He chose an unlikely diplomat, William Eaton, to lead the mission. But before Eaton departed, Jefferson grew wary of the affair and withdrew his support.
Astoundingly, Eaton persevered, gathering a ragtag army and leading them on a brutal march across five hundred miles of desert. After surviving sandstorms, treachery, and near death, Eaton achieved a remarkable victory on "the shores of Tripoli," gaining freedom for the American hostages and new respect for the young United States. But as Eaton dared to reveal that the president had deserted him, Jefferson set out to crush him.
Richard Zacks specializes in offbeat history. He is the author of the best-selling History Laid Bare and of The Pirate Hunter, chosen by Time as one of the five best nonfiction books of 2002.
