In 1801, Thomas Jefferson launched America's first war on foreign soil. The Barbary pirates attacked European and American merchant shipping with impunity, triumphing as much by terror as force of arms. As a newly independent nation, America and her merchant fleet became a frequent target of such piracy. Jefferson came to believe that peace with the Barbary States, and respect from Europe, could be achieved only through the "medium of war."

Originally published: New York : Carroll & Graf Publishers, c2003. Unabridged. Compact discs.