For centuries, four nations along the northern rim of Africa then known as the Barbary Coast had been terrorizing merchant shippers, capturing and looting their vessels and imprisoning their crews for ransom. With a vital lifeline of the infant United States threatened by the Barbary pirates, President Thomas Jefferson faced one of the first major challenges to U.S. foreign policy: He could continue trading arms for hostages with the Barbary Coast rulers or he could meet force with force.

Map on lining papers. Maps on lining papers.

pt. 1. Thomas Jefferson: Prologue in the desert -- Ransom, tribute, or war? -- Six frigates to fight the Dey -- "Chastise their insolence ..." -- "The Commodoress" -- pt. 2. Edward Preble: Disaster on Kaliusa Reef -- Singeing the Bashaw's beard -- Assault by gunboat and fireship -- pt. 3. William Eaton: A foreign legion of marines and mercenaries -- Rendezvous at Bomba -- Betrayal at Derna -- pt. 4. The price of peace: A presidential change of mind -- "Treason against the character of the nation."