BARBARY GENERAL: The Life of William H. Eaton

by Samuel Edwards ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 16, 1967

Born in 1764, graduated from Dartmouth, married in mutual enmity to an aging widow, Eaton made himself into an international hero--though never a real general. After fighting Indians, spy-catching and money-making in Georgia, Eaton wangled a consular post at Tunis and conducted a highly irregular military campaign as the climax of the U.S.'s first formal war--against the Tripolitanians. With an under-financed band of rogues, mercenaries and dissident Arabs, the ""General"" succeeded in throwing out a despot and installing a puppet, thanks to the ambition, command of Arabic, and diplomatic acumen which reinforced his military imagination. This is the first twentieth-century biography of Eaton (in 1813 an anonymous one appeared, probably written by Eaton himself). It is a slight, agreeable historical footnote, with a style to suit its lively subject, and it provides some insight into the period when America was quickly reaching world-power status--and Americans were still Rugged Individualists.

Pub Date: Feb. 16, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Prentice-Hall

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1967

Categories: NONFICTION