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Book Summary and Reviews of The Barbary Pirates by William Dietrich

The Barbary Pirates by William Dietrich

The Barbary Pirates

An Ethan Gage Adventure

by William Dietrich

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  • Published:
  • Apr 2010, 336 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Swashbuckling American explorer and ladies' man Ethan Gage has seen his fair share of danger, having braved the sands of Egypt, the perils of the Atlantic Ocean, and the harsh wilderness of early America. Once more, he finds himself in a desperate race—this time with the Barbary Pirates, a powerful band of Muslim outlaws from North Africa. Also after Ethan is his nemesis—and former lover—Aurora Somerset, member of a dangerous sect called the Egyptian Rite. The prize is the Mirror of Archimedes, an ancient superweapon that, according to legend, once burned a Roman fleet with its power. In 1802, this death ray could tip the balance of power in the Mediterranean, and Ethan must stop the pirates from using it against the American, English, and French fleets.

From the salons and brothels of the Palais Royal of Paris, where the quest for information about his lost love Astiza involves real-life scientists and engineers—including inventor Robert Fulton—Ethan must travel at Napoleon's behest to the canals of Venice, the caves of Santorini, the dungeons of Tripoli, and finally to treachery on the high seas in the Mediterranean.

Can Ethan rescue Astiza without betraying the cause of his own United States? Can he save the two-year-old son he only recently discovered he had without allowing the Egyptian Rite to finally dominate the world? And when the sun rises on the Mirror of Archimedes, will everything Ethan cares about be set afire?

Delivering the fast-paced adventure, uncanny wit, and page-turning historical excitement that readers have come to expect from the masterful William Dietrich, The Barbary Pirates is Ethan Gage at his winningest, most hilarious, and most death defying.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"A heart-stomping pulpy yarn, Gage's narrow escapes, hardboiled banter, and unexpected surprises ensure Dietrich's imaginative page-turner will enjoy a long and lively run." - Publishers Weekly

"Dietrich works real characters and historical events into the mix, expertly blending fact and fiction. Fans of the earlier Gage novels will definitely want to read this one, but the book should be heartily recommended to all action-adventure lovers." - Booklist

This information about The Barbary Pirates was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

William Dietrich Author Biography

William Dietrich grew up near Puget Sound in the shadow of Mount Rainier.The influence of dramatic landscapes on people permeates not only his non-fiction but his novels, which are set in various places around the globe including Antarctica, the Australian Outback, Tibet, and the Caribbean.

The Pulitzer-winning journalist’s non-fiction has been widely used in university classes and his fiction has been sold into twenty-eight languages.

Dietrich was born on Sept. 29, 1951 in Tacoma, WA, graduated from Mount Tahoma High School, and attended Fairhaven College, an experimental liberal arts division of Western Washington University. Interest in writing led him to journalism at Western, and his first job was covering agricultural Skagit County for the Bellingham, WA, ...

... Full Biography
Link to William Dietrich's Website

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