It is 1801 and President Thomas Jefferson has assembled a deep-water navy to fight the growing threat of piracy, as American civilians are regularly kidnapped by brigands and held for ransom, enslaved, or killed. Young Bliven Putnam is bound for the Mediterranean and a desperate battle with the pirate ship Tripoli. He later returns under legendary Commodore Edward Preble and marches across the Libyan desert with General Eaton to assault Derna, discovering the lessons he learns about war, and life, are not what he expected.