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Decatur's Wake: The Fateful Rivalry Behind the Lightning Defeat of Barbary Terror (Kindle Single) by [Daniel Wattenberg]

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Daniel Wattenberg

Decatur's Wake: The Fateful Rivalry Behind the Lightning Defeat of Barbary Terror (Kindle Single) Kindle Edition

by Daniel Wattenberg (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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"Brisk storytelling, evocative prose, and bravura action sequences."
-Jay Winik, best-selling author of 1944 and April 1865

"A great nonfiction novella ... fascinating, informative and fun."
-Joseph Bottum, essayist and author of best-selling Kindle Singles, including Dakota Christmas

Since the founding of the United States, the Barbary pirates of North Africa threatened with impunity American lives, commerce and honor on the high seas. But in 1815, Commodore Stephen Decatur led a charge to victory:The Second Barbary War, as it became known, helped define American foreign policy and consolidate its naval power. In Decatur's Wake: The Fateful Rivalry Behind the Lightning Defeat of Barbary Terror, Daniel Wattenberg shows us how, while painting a portrait of the two senior officers turned mortal enemies who fought for a shot at personal redemption and a naval command of unprecedented scale and pivotal historical significance. Decatur's Wake is a rousing true narrative that crackles with the tension and torques with the surprise twists of a psychological thriller.

Daniel Wattenberg is the author of Decatur's Wake, a Kindle Single. He is a widely cited, award-winning cultural essayist, columnist, critic,investigative writer and editor. His work has appeared in many magazines and newspapers, including the American Spectator, Atlantic.com,Civilization, the Daily Caller, Forbes FYI, George, National Review,Playboy, Reason, the Weekly Standard, the Arizona Republic, Baltimore Sun, New York Post and Washington Times. He served in the State Department in the bureaus of Inter-American Affairs and Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs and in the United States Information Agency at the U.S. Mission to UNESCO and the U.S. Embassy in Paris. He worked in the Merchant Marine in the engine room of a container ship. As the lead singer of punk-era New York bands, he appeared often at the historic CBGB and opened for the Ramones. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and daughter.

Cover design by Evan Twohy

Print length

95 pages
Language

English
Publication date

July 14, 2016
File size

442 KB
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Daniel Wattenberg is the author of “Decatur’s Wake,” a Kindle Single. He is a widely cited, award-winning cultural essayist, columnist, critic, investigative writer and editor. His work has appeared widely in print and online at outlets including Atlantic.com, the American Spectator, Playboy, Reason, the Weekly Standard, National Review, Forbes FYI, George, Civilization, the New York Post and the Washington Times. He served in the State Department in the bureaus of Inter-American Affairs and Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs and in the United States Information Agency at the U.S. Mission to UNESCO and the U.S. Embassy in Paris. He worked in the Merchant Marine in the engine room of a container ship. As the lead singer of punk-era New York bands, he appeared often at the historic CBGB and opened for the Ramones. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and daughter.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01IIU63GS
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 14, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 442 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 95 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #1,059,527 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #109 in Kindle Singles: History
- #249 in Kindle Nonfiction Singles
- #1,896 in Two-Hour History Short Reads

Customer Reviews:
38 ratings

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Jim F.

Thrilling Illumination of Overlooked American History

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2016

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DECATUR'S WAKE is a knockout piece of nonfiction. Examining the unbelievable life of America's first great naval hero and his arch-rival, Daniel Wattenberg tells a thrilling story, one with with so much action and intrigue that one could be forgiven for occasionally forgetting that it's all true.

Cut against the backdrop of the young United States' Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, the text illuminates a now little-known piece of American history, one that saw the fledgling USA in its first fight against Islamic states.

Utilizing precise, engaging prose, the narrative moves at breakneck speed without sacrificing pertinent details. At the center of this maritime epic are two men, US naval officers Stephen Decatur and William Bainbridge, whose contrasting leadership styles would bring glory to the former and humiliation to the latter. A bold, effective commander, Decatur would eclipse the older, pedantic Bainbridge in national prestige. As America learns that diplomacy in Northern Africa needs more stick than carrot, both men rise (and fall) to the occasion. It culminates in a tragic showdown with mysterious, insidious undertones, a stunning end to a story that deserved nothing less.

Fans of history and nonfiction would be remiss if they didn't give this a spin. As a Kindle Single, it's a quick read, more than worth the modest investment of time and coin.

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Sean

Succinct Historical Account That Reads Like An Action Movie

Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2016

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I wish I learned more about this time period in school -- I feel like US history courses often emphasize the Revolutionary War and then the Civil War, while the War of 1812 isn't as memorable (i.e., memorably taught). However, this is an excellent yet quick read for anyone interested in US naval and foreign policy history; it sets the stage for our present-day naval strength and foreign policy attitudes. I imagined scenes from Master & Commander and Assassin's Creed: Black Flag as I read this, which is awesome! History is a tricky subject matter, since it can easily devolve into a bland chronology retelling. But Wattenberg's narrative style makes it an exciting and compelling factual story that will hopefully be more memorable to readers than any previous textbook exposure.
Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I received this book and lunch for free during a meet-and-greet with Wattenberg. I do sincerely recommend this book for anyone interested in the subject matter.

3 people found this helpful

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travel guide

Well-writen, thoroughly researched

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2016

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This was a great, quick read. I thoroughly enjoyed the story from start to finish. The vast majority of my history textbooks seemed to gloss over the Barbary Wars, so I was eager to learn more. Decatur's Wake did not disappoint. From the very beginning, it was obvious that the author spent a great deal of time researching this story. You'll be surprised by how much you'll learn in just 95 pages.

I am always fascinated to see how much information is out there (if you're willing to look for it). Official documents rarely tell the whole story. Personal letters, diary entries, and logbooks are able to help us fill in some of the blanks.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

I love a good historical action book and while this one ...

Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2016

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I love a good historical action book and while this one is based completely in historical fact, it read like a great action novel. I learned about Captain Decatur whom I had heard of before but knew next to nothing about.

While the details of his early life were thin, it's to be expected as the time period doesn't always lend itself to a plethora of information.

I found myself feeling a bit bad for Cmdr. Bainbridge for a while until the end of the book where his dealing edge on sinister. He seems like the unlucky loser throughout the period.

Overall I liked this book as it doesn't get dragged down with complicated naval terms and doesn't become a study of naval strategies. It sprinkles in just enough that the reader gets interested and is invited to read further if he/she likes. It gives you a peek at a turbulent time in America's early history as a fledgling nation on the world stage.

One person found this helpful

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dragonlady

This is excellent history as well as a great read

Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2016

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Mr. Wattenberg has written a riveting story about the Barbary pirates and the early US response to them. This is excellent history as well as a great read. This stuff is normally passed over in a paragraph in a high school text. But the Barbary pirates -- Muslim raiders -- were the reason Thomas Jefferson commissioned what became the US Navy. And taking them out -- making them leave American ships alone -- is a fine model for the kind of campaign needed to get today's Muslim terrorists to lay off. I hope Mr. Wattenberg chooses to elucidate other historic instances that didn't make it into the traditional American History narrative.

2 people found this helpful

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A.B.

This classic American tale, which has been neglected for years, is finally brought to life in Wattenberg's novella.

Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2016

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Decatur's Wake tells a fascinating tale that takes the reader beyond the history books. This classic American tale, which has been neglected for years, is finally brought to life in Wattenberg's novella. I highly recommend Decatur's Wake to anyone interested in American history, naval history, and/or anyone looking for a story to go beyond the pages and truly come to life.

I had the pleasure of meeting Daniel Wattenberg, who is truly an impressive writer and creative historian. His work here is one that should be widely shared for both its educational value, historical context, and incredible entertainment.

2 people found this helpful

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B B

Surprisingly interesting and enticing

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2016

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It seems that ALL POLITICS ARE OFFICE POLITICS. Yet Stephen Decatur shines as a good tactician and an honorable man or, to borrow from Tennyson's "The Revenge", he had conducted himself "like a valiant man and true". Too bad for William Bainbridge who was apparently consumed by his own frustration despite his qualities. Overall, this is a very well researched and written book, rich in details and colorfully brings up a corner of American history that I'm not sure even Americans are really aware of. For non-Americans this book has something to say about why the US does what it does in the way that it does it: an old sense of (Anglo-Saxon?) commitment to do the right thing.

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