"Examines the naval history of the Early American era and how raiding and irregular naval warfare by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps acted as a key element in the story of American sea power."-- Provided by publisher.

John Paul Jones and the birth of American naval irregular warfare -- Wars done by halves: quasi-war operations -- Intrepid and irregular warfare on the Barbary Coast -- Raiding on the lakes, 1812-1814 -- Destructive machines and partisan operations: the Torpedo Act and the War of 1812 -- Pirates and privateers: dawn of the West Indies Squadron -- First Sumatra expedition, 1831-1832 -- Return to Sumatra: the East India Squadron, 1838-1839 -- Conclusion: the regularity of the irregular-raiding and irregular warfare in the age of sail and beyond.