Decatur's Bold and Daring Act - The Philadelphia in Tripoli 1804

By Mark Lardas

On a dark night in 1804, Lt. Stephen Decatur and a team of hand-picked men, slipped into Tripoli harbor in a small boat. Their target was the USS Philadelphia. Captured by the Barbary pirates four months previously, the Philadelphia had been refitted to fight against her former masters. Decatur’s mission was to either recapture the ship, or failing that, burn her to the waterline. This book recounts one of the greatest raids in American military history, an event that propelled Stephen Decatur to international renown, and which prompted Horatio Nelson to declare it ‘the most bold and daring act of the age’.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 23, 2011
• ISBN: 9781849088329

Mark Lardas

Mark Lardas has always been fascinated by things related to the sea and sky. From building models of ships and aircraft as a teen, he then studied Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, but his interest in aviation led him to take a job on the then-new Space Shuttle program, where he worked for the next 30 years as a navigation engineer. Currently he develops commercial aircraft systems as a quality assurance manager. He has written numerous books on military, naval or maritime history.

Reviews for Decatur's Bold and Daring Act - The Philadelphia in Tripoli 1804

[tchesney_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was read from August 16 to 19, 2011.This booklet was excellent. It was a very enjoyable short read.This is one of the Osprey Raid series. It is about the Barbary States and Mediterranean piracy by the Turkish/Muslim city states. It occurs after the 'Quasi War' with France and before the War of 1812 with the British. It is a naval operation, which takes place on the night of February 16/17, 1804. It occurs in the harbor of Tripoli, which is a city on the Mediterranean city in what is present day Libya. As with all Raid booklets, it is profusely illustrated with very good maps. The Glossary is excellent!How far were the 2 Xebecs from the Philadelphia? 600 yards (page 41), 200 yards (page 52) or 400 yards (page 68)?I was hoping this would provide a thorough coverage of the Barbary Wars ('to the shores of Tripoli', Marine Corps hymn). It didn't. It is solely about one raid. But, I definitely enjoyed it anyways!