In the early 1800s, American ships off the coast of North Africa routinely found themselves the targets of Muslim pirates. These sea raiders, or 'corsairs' as they were known, sought captives to enslave in the Ottoman Empire's galleys, mines and harems. When reports circulated of white Christians being shackled to oars, smashing rocks in mines and being sold into sexual slavery, the American public became incensed. The leaders of the young republic were forced to act and with remarkable dexterity built a fleet of ships that grew into a fighting force powerful enough to withstand its first major test: The Barbary Wars.

In the early 1800s, American ships off the coast of North Africa routinely found themselves the targets of Muslim pirates. These sea raiders, or 'corsairs' as they were known, sought captives to enslave in the Ottoman Empire's galleys, mines and harems. When reports circulated of white Christians being shackled to oars, smashing rocks in mines and being sold into sexual slavery, the American public became incensed. The leaders of the young republic were forced to act and with remarkable dexterity built a fleet of ships that grew into a fighting force powerful enough to withstand its first major test: The Barbary Wars.

"The whites have driven us from the great salt water, forced us over the mountains.The way, the only way, to check and stop this evil is for all red men to unite in claiming a common equal right in the land." -Tecumseh, quoted in Tecumseh: Vision of Glory The legendary charismatic Indian chief Tecumseh was born nearly a decade before Columbus' discovery of the New World. He came of age in an era of violence and cultural decay in which Indian tribes across the American continent expended their energy attempting to oust invading Europeans who were confiscating their land. When white settlers were pushing beyond into Indian territories as the state of Ohio joined the Union in 1803, angry Native Americans vowed to keep these settlers from taking more Indian land. Tecumseh, already an accomplished warrior assumed the role of war chief to organize Indian nations into a confederation and then led the drive to preserve Indian lands and customs. Noted biographer GLENN TUCKER expands the scope of his earlier books by focusing exclusively on the intimate knowledge of his subject; Tecumseh. Taking an in-depth look at this complex man, his life, and the times that shaped him, Tucker's work appeals to history buffs as well as anyone interested in thoughtfully crafted American biographies.

"The whites have driven us from the great salt water, forced us over the mountains.The way, the only way, to check and stop this evil is for all red men to unite in claiming a common equal right in the land." -Tecumseh, quoted in Tecumseh: Vision of Glory The legendary charismatic Indian chief Tecumseh was born nearly a decade before Columbus' discovery of the New World. He came of age in an era of violence and cultural decay in which Indian tribes across the American continent expended their energy attempting to oust invading Europeans who were confiscating their land. When white settlers were pushing beyond into Indian territories as the state of Ohio joined the Union in 1803, angry Native Americans vowed to keep these settlers from taking more Indian land. Tecumseh, already an accomplished warrior assumed the role of war chief to organize Indian nations into a confederation and then led the drive to preserve Indian lands and customs. Noted biographer GLENN TUCKER expands the scope of his earlier books by focusing exclusively on the intimate knowledge of his subject; Tecumseh. Taking an in-depth look at this complex man, his life, and the times that shaped him, Tucker's work appeals to history buffs as well as anyone interested in thoughtfully crafted American biographies.