The decades from about 1970 to 2010 were all about fighting Islamic jihadists to protect our country and Europe from any more attacks like the 9/11 tragedies. It seemed that the United States had to take the lead to get other countries involved in the resistance to terrorism. What Americans little know was that this was not the first time this happened. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the four Muslim pirate states of Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, and Morocco preyed upon shipping from Christian nations in the Mediterranean Sea near to their north African shores. Larger countries paid them tribute to safeguard their merchant shipping but the new United States did not have money for tribute nor navy ships to force the corsairs to leave American shipping alone. Under Presidents Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and finally Madison, a navy of strong frigates (planned by Secretary of War Henry Knox, he of the Guns for General Washington fame) was built and eventually the four Islamic pirate nations were forced to leave American merchant ships alone. Inspired by the US example, other European nations finally stopped paying tribute and ended this piracy forever by force. The Tripolitan War: 1801-1805, by Henry Castor, tells the main part of the American story in an interesting and exciting manner. The reader will see the heroism of our navy men and the wise and determined policy of our presidents and ambassadors. This book is at middle school level. Note that Henry Castor wrote several Landmark books and only the best authors were chosen for this honor.