What do you think?
Rate this book
Ethan Gage #4
The Barbary Pirates
“William Dietrich is a born stylist, moving characters around on an historical chessboard with the assured hand of a master novelist firing on all cylinders. Ethan Gage is a wiry, battle-scarred hero, with great decency, who rings absolutely true.”
—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Jefferson Key
“William Dietrich...should be read by anyone who loves adventure at its grandest, or humor both smart and sharp, or romance with a wild heart.”
—James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Colony
New York Times bestselling author William Dietrich is back with another rollicking adventure in the popular Ethan Gage series, following Napoleon’s Pyramids , The Rosetta Key , and The Dakota Cypher . From the man Library Journal calls “a leader among historical novelists” comes a grand adventure, featuring a hero as memorable as Indiana Jones or George MacDonald Fraser’s Sir Harry Flashman.
—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Jefferson Key
“William Dietrich...should be read by anyone who loves adventure at its grandest, or humor both smart and sharp, or romance with a wild heart.”
—James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Colony
New York Times bestselling author William Dietrich is back with another rollicking adventure in the popular Ethan Gage series, following Napoleon’s Pyramids , The Rosetta Key , and The Dakota Cypher . From the man Library Journal calls “a leader among historical novelists” comes a grand adventure, featuring a hero as memorable as Indiana Jones or George MacDonald Fraser’s Sir Harry Flashman.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 23, 2013
91 people are currently reading
913 people want to read
About the author
William Dietrich
25 books396 followersWilliam Dietrich is a NY Times bestelling author of the Ethan Gage series of eight books which have sold into 28 languages. He is also the author of six other adventure novels, several nonfiction works on the environmental history of the Pacific Northwest, and a contributor to several books.
Bill was a career journalist, sharing a Pulitzer for national reporting at the Seattle Times for coverage of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. He taught environmental journalism at Huxley College, a division of Western Washington University, and was adviser to Planet Magazine there. He was Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, and received several National Science Foundation fellowships for reporting on science. His travels have taken him from the South Pole to the Arctic, and from the Dead Sea to the base camp of Mount Everest. The traveling informs his books.
He lives in Anacortes, WA, in the San Juan islands, and is a fan of books, movies, history, science, and the outdoors.
Bill was a career journalist, sharing a Pulitzer for national reporting at the Seattle Times for coverage of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. He taught environmental journalism at Huxley College, a division of Western Washington University, and was adviser to Planet Magazine there. He was Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, and received several National Science Foundation fellowships for reporting on science. His travels have taken him from the South Pole to the Arctic, and from the Dead Sea to the base camp of Mount Everest. The traveling informs his books.
He lives in Anacortes, WA, in the San Juan islands, and is a fan of books, movies, history, science, and the outdoors.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
September 10, 2018
I always love a good swashbuckling adventure story and the ongoing exploits of Ethan Gage definitely fits that bill. These stories take place in the Napoleonic era and remind me, at times, of George MacDonald Fraser’s Flashman series. Both characters interact with authentic and important historical events while contributing behind-the-scenes in accidental and often humorous ways.
As author William Dietrich describes on his web site, Ethan Gage is:
“Explorer. Gambler. Diplomat. Sharpshooter. Electrician. Savant. Treasure hunter. Romantic. Womanizer. Idealist. Opportunist.
"American by birth, French by lifestyle, British by alliance, and soldier by happenstance, Ethan Gage at times seems a chameleon in the jumble of personal papers that comprise his haphazard autobiography. Yet Gage would argue he is a model of loyalty and character – except when circumstances require him to spy, steal, flee, or shoot particularly unpleasant people.”
This entry in the series finds Ethan back in the European theater, fresh off his adventures in frontier America (The Dakota Cipher). His mission as dictated by Thomas Jefferson is to convince Napoleon to accept Jefferson’s offer in what will become known as The Louisiana Purchase but it is not long before Napoleon asks a favor in return. Napoleon has heard the tale about the legendary mirror of Archimedes that allegedly burned the Roman fleet during ancient battles and is supposedly hidden on the isle of Thira. That ties in with some cryptic puzzles from Ethan’s previous adventures.
Ethan embarks on this quest in the company of some great co-characters and famous historical savants: Frenchman Georges Cuvier, a prominent zoologist and paleontologist; Englishman William Smith, the father of English geology; and fellow American Robert Fulton, who we remember today as the father of the steamship but was the tireless inventor of several items, most notably the submarine (or “plunging boat”) known as the Nautilus that is put to use during the novel’s climax. Given the title of this volume, you know that the Barbary Pirates play a major role as well.
This group traverses many a hair raising adventure along the way, really putting the “swash” in swashbuckling. Ethan’s life is complicated including many past romances and dalliances, all of which tend to pop up when least expected and when they can cause the most havoc. I’ve seen descriptions of Ethan Gage as a cross between Indiana Jones and Captain Jack Sparrow and I wholeheartedly agree.
This is terrific historical fiction and as far from “dry” as can be. Since these novels are told from Ethan’s first person point-of-view, it is easy to fall into their charm and really feel for poor Ethan as he loses his trusty long rifle once again and is forced to borrow his friend’s blunderbuss to escape his latest challenge.
Next up: The Emerald Storm wherein Ethan Gage is reportedly seeking the lost treasure of Montezuma...
As author William Dietrich describes on his web site, Ethan Gage is:
“Explorer. Gambler. Diplomat. Sharpshooter. Electrician. Savant. Treasure hunter. Romantic. Womanizer. Idealist. Opportunist.
"American by birth, French by lifestyle, British by alliance, and soldier by happenstance, Ethan Gage at times seems a chameleon in the jumble of personal papers that comprise his haphazard autobiography. Yet Gage would argue he is a model of loyalty and character – except when circumstances require him to spy, steal, flee, or shoot particularly unpleasant people.”
This entry in the series finds Ethan back in the European theater, fresh off his adventures in frontier America (The Dakota Cipher). His mission as dictated by Thomas Jefferson is to convince Napoleon to accept Jefferson’s offer in what will become known as The Louisiana Purchase but it is not long before Napoleon asks a favor in return. Napoleon has heard the tale about the legendary mirror of Archimedes that allegedly burned the Roman fleet during ancient battles and is supposedly hidden on the isle of Thira. That ties in with some cryptic puzzles from Ethan’s previous adventures.
Ethan embarks on this quest in the company of some great co-characters and famous historical savants: Frenchman Georges Cuvier, a prominent zoologist and paleontologist; Englishman William Smith, the father of English geology; and fellow American Robert Fulton, who we remember today as the father of the steamship but was the tireless inventor of several items, most notably the submarine (or “plunging boat”) known as the Nautilus that is put to use during the novel’s climax. Given the title of this volume, you know that the Barbary Pirates play a major role as well.
This group traverses many a hair raising adventure along the way, really putting the “swash” in swashbuckling. Ethan’s life is complicated including many past romances and dalliances, all of which tend to pop up when least expected and when they can cause the most havoc. I’ve seen descriptions of Ethan Gage as a cross between Indiana Jones and Captain Jack Sparrow and I wholeheartedly agree.
This is terrific historical fiction and as far from “dry” as can be. Since these novels are told from Ethan’s first person point-of-view, it is easy to fall into their charm and really feel for poor Ethan as he loses his trusty long rifle once again and is forced to borrow his friend’s blunderbuss to escape his latest challenge.
Next up: The Emerald Storm wherein Ethan Gage is reportedly seeking the lost treasure of Montezuma...
March 31, 2019
Four in a series (have not read the preceding books). Fun historical adventure with an antihero very similar to the protagonist in the Flashman series. A lot of historically accurate information interwoven with clear fiction.
April 26, 2019
Plenty of swash is buckled here, once the yarn gets ripping. After a rather rousing start, the story bogs for a while in order for the pieces to get positioned on the board. Then the dice are rolled and Ethan Gage starts shredding the scenery with all of the enthusiasm and grit, but not quite as much suave, of James Bond. Yes, there are pirates. Plus more Napoleon, now with added Archimedes, Robert Fulton and plenty of old friends and enemies.
August 6, 2022
I’ve always enjoyed the historical fiction of Dietrich. While the stories are set in different parts of the world and follow the adventures of Ethan Gage, the weaving in of actual places and facts in time are what keeps me reading the books.
July 7, 2014
I found “The Barbary Pirates” by William Dietrich to be an attention grabbing tale. This book is the author’s most recent work and features Ethan Gage in yet another adventure. I enjoyed the read so much I will be making a point to read more of Dietrich’s books in the future. Honestly, I had difficulty setting the book down. When I was sitting in court waiting to find out if I was going to be selected for jury duty I was very thankful to have brought it with me.
Ethan Gage, the book’s dashing hero, seems to be part ladies man extraordinaire and part unwitting spy. He is forever winding up in the wrong place at the wrong time and in the company of the wrong people. His character reminds me of a humorous mix of an 18th century James Bond meets Mr. Bean meets MacGyver and let’s just throw in Captain Jack Sparrow for good measure since some of his adventures happen on the high seas.
Gage’s usually innocent escapades have a way of landing both himself and his companions in hot water, wherever they travel, and more often than not they barely escape by the seat of their pants. Of course it is never Gage’s fault; trouble just seems to follow him around as intently as Wile E. Coyote followed the roadrunner.
Like all good heroes Gage must battle countless bad guys. These heinous villains are only concerned with world domination and he must attempt to stay one step ahead of them. This challenge is made even more difficult once he discovers he must also rescue his former lover Astiza and a three-year-old son he never knew he had.
“The Barbary Pirates” is an extremely well written book. The story is entertaining and believable since Dietrich seems to recount the historical aspects in it with the same ease and familiarity of someone who had lived and experienced it several hundred years ago. It is a definite “must read” for anyone who enjoys action and adventure stories. I would even go so far as to say I feel Dietrich’s work belongs on the shelf right next to Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt novels. Sit down; prop your feet up and enjoy the read!
(Reviewed in association with Rebecca's Reads).
Ethan Gage, the book’s dashing hero, seems to be part ladies man extraordinaire and part unwitting spy. He is forever winding up in the wrong place at the wrong time and in the company of the wrong people. His character reminds me of a humorous mix of an 18th century James Bond meets Mr. Bean meets MacGyver and let’s just throw in Captain Jack Sparrow for good measure since some of his adventures happen on the high seas.
Gage’s usually innocent escapades have a way of landing both himself and his companions in hot water, wherever they travel, and more often than not they barely escape by the seat of their pants. Of course it is never Gage’s fault; trouble just seems to follow him around as intently as Wile E. Coyote followed the roadrunner.
Like all good heroes Gage must battle countless bad guys. These heinous villains are only concerned with world domination and he must attempt to stay one step ahead of them. This challenge is made even more difficult once he discovers he must also rescue his former lover Astiza and a three-year-old son he never knew he had.
“The Barbary Pirates” is an extremely well written book. The story is entertaining and believable since Dietrich seems to recount the historical aspects in it with the same ease and familiarity of someone who had lived and experienced it several hundred years ago. It is a definite “must read” for anyone who enjoys action and adventure stories. I would even go so far as to say I feel Dietrich’s work belongs on the shelf right next to Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt novels. Sit down; prop your feet up and enjoy the read!
(Reviewed in association with Rebecca's Reads).
November 29, 2017
This is the fourth in the continuing series about Ethan Gage, adventurer, explorer, and ladies'man. Gage reminds me of the Briton "Flashman"--both are not heroes, but anti-heroes, trying unsuccessfully to keep out of trouble...Gage's adventures take place during the era of the Napoleonic conflicts, while Flashman came along later, during the Victorian Age. The biggest difference is that Gage gets involved in historical mysteries, such as in this one. Napoleon sends Gage to the tiny island of Thira in the Aegean Sea to discover a rumored lost "superweapon" possibly invented by the ancient Atlanteans! The mission puts Gage right into grave danger--from the Barbary pirates. It's a thrilling ride and we know it won't be the end. Gage will turn up somewhere in the world again.
October 9, 2017
Another good Ethan Gage tale
The wild ride continues. A word of warning. This series requires a healthy dose of “willing suspension of disbelief’’. Toward the end of this book you have to overlook some impossible escapes from doom. Overall, though, worth the effort.
The wild ride continues. A word of warning. This series requires a healthy dose of “willing suspension of disbelief’’. Toward the end of this book you have to overlook some impossible escapes from doom. Overall, though, worth the effort.
March 6, 2018
The Ethan Gage series makes it really easy to zone out and enjoy some laughs and adventure.
November 29, 2021
The author, William Dietrich, has revolutionized his character, Ethan Gage, in this fourth tale of the series. The preceding books in the series became a bit formulaic, centering around the adventures of Gage, which included womanizing, gambling, and poor judgment.
In this adventure, Gage has turned a page (sort of) and is trying to reform his ways-no women, a little gambling, and improved judgment.
Unfortunately, he re-entangles himself and three savants (Robert Fulton, Georges Cuvier, and William Smith-all actual historical figures from around the 1800s) with Napolean. The self-appointed French Emperor tasks them to track down a missing mirror, perhaps located on the Greek isle of Thira. This is not simply any mirror, rather Archimedes mirror of legend-the one able to burn ships by reflecting the sun's rays.
As it happens, Gage's old nemesis, the Egyptian Rite, are on his trail. This time they are led by the one and only Aurora Somerset, the wicked and demented Englishwoman from Gage's last adventure in America (The Dakota Cipher). She and the Egyptian Rite are out for revenge...and the mirror for world domination.
This time Gage does not have his famous long rifle nor his tomahawk. But he is reacquainted with a former love-Astiza. And she has a surprise for him. Quite a few twists and turns, which pit Gage and his savants against Barbary Pirates, the Egyptian Rite, and Aurora.
Quite a good tale with the usual historical facts as the backdrop, and glad it broke from the formula-mostly.
In this adventure, Gage has turned a page (sort of) and is trying to reform his ways-no women, a little gambling, and improved judgment.
Unfortunately, he re-entangles himself and three savants (Robert Fulton, Georges Cuvier, and William Smith-all actual historical figures from around the 1800s) with Napolean. The self-appointed French Emperor tasks them to track down a missing mirror, perhaps located on the Greek isle of Thira. This is not simply any mirror, rather Archimedes mirror of legend-the one able to burn ships by reflecting the sun's rays.
As it happens, Gage's old nemesis, the Egyptian Rite, are on his trail. This time they are led by the one and only Aurora Somerset, the wicked and demented Englishwoman from Gage's last adventure in America (The Dakota Cipher). She and the Egyptian Rite are out for revenge...and the mirror for world domination.
This time Gage does not have his famous long rifle nor his tomahawk. But he is reacquainted with a former love-Astiza. And she has a surprise for him. Quite a few twists and turns, which pit Gage and his savants against Barbary Pirates, the Egyptian Rite, and Aurora.
Quite a good tale with the usual historical facts as the backdrop, and glad it broke from the formula-mostly.
January 29, 2023
An Ethan Gage adventure is always good fun. Roguish Ethan does errands for Napoleon Bonaparte, and along the way runs into various other historical figures, usually getting them into serious trouble. In this adventure, he manages to get American inventor Robert Fulton, British geologist William Smith, and French zoologist Georges Cuvier trapped in a fire in a French brothel, arrested, sent on an impossible mission by Napoleon, captured by Barbary pirates, nearly sold as slaves, and nearly drowned in Fulton's submarine (which Fulton did indeed really invent and tried to sell to the French). In Ethan's earlier adventures, he had been trapped in the Great Pyramid, hung over a snake pit in Jaffa, tied to a stake in a fireworks display, and made to run an Indian gauntlet at Lake Superior. Fun stuff.
The errand in this case is to locate the possibly mythical, possibly real Archimedes Mirror to keep the super weapon from falling into the hands of the Egyptian Rite, where it could be used against the US, British, and French navies. Lots of swashbuckling ensues, of course!
The errand in this case is to locate the possibly mythical, possibly real Archimedes Mirror to keep the super weapon from falling into the hands of the Egyptian Rite, where it could be used against the US, British, and French navies. Lots of swashbuckling ensues, of course!
February 25, 2020
That Ethan Gage! I've read about him once before. If there were no such thing as luck, he'd be dead many times over. In Barbary Pirates he gets mixed up with the wrong bunch of hoodlums while trying to be a good tour guide to inventor Robert Fulton and his friends. Enter the bad guys and two of his former love partners, and his innocent son. There's a bit of humor, a bit of history and a bit of suspense in Barbary Pirates.
May 6, 2021
A Real Adventure
This was a very enjoyable read which is now well into the series. I have read them in order and it does help to read them that way since there are many mentions of previous events in the dialog between the characters. I had thought that the series had been sputtering but this book brought new life back to Ethan Gage and I am wondering where will he go from here.
This was a very enjoyable read which is now well into the series. I have read them in order and it does help to read them that way since there are many mentions of previous events in the dialog between the characters. I had thought that the series had been sputtering but this book brought new life back to Ethan Gage and I am wondering where will he go from here.
December 26, 2017
My regular go-to escape read for when I have down-time--the Ethan Gage series. They're a combination of adventure, humor, and historical fiction that are wildly engaging, improvisational in plot (what could possibly happen next?) and full of lively characters. This was more of the same pleasure reading for me and I'll be ready for the #5 soon.
November 12, 2022
Not what I had anticipated for my yearly Barbary read. Nevertheless an entertaining adventure with an early American adventurer that mixes Jason Bourne and Indiana Jones, although without always the same redeemable irascibility of those two. The audio performance has some confusion amongst the characters that creates one or two jarring moments.
December 7, 2017
A Ripping Jolly Adventure!
A fast paced adventure that takes you from France to Greece to Northern Africa! Fight Barbary pirates, face heaving waves, and the oceans depths. This novel has it all!
A fast paced adventure that takes you from France to Greece to Northern Africa! Fight Barbary pirates, face heaving waves, and the oceans depths. This novel has it all!
February 27, 2020
Silly but fun
Indiana Jones in the age of Napoleon and Jefferson. I wasn't sure I would even finish it, but I'll probably read or listen to one of the others in the series some day.
Indiana Jones in the age of Napoleon and Jefferson. I wasn't sure I would even finish it, but I'll probably read or listen to one of the others in the series some day.
September 9, 2023
The weakest of the first four Ethan Gage books. Neither the Egyptian Rite as a 19th-century S.P.E.C.T.R.E. nor the ancient world-conquering weapon they were attempting to unearth managed to achieve suspension of disbelief. The last hundred pages or so were brisk and entertaining, though.
August 14, 2024
I grabbed this book off of a free shelf expecting bargain bin Dan Brown and even then was disappointed. Stilted dialogue, even the action scenes were boring, and I can only conclude that William Dietrich has never met a person of color or had sexual intercourse in his life.
September 13, 2025
Fun, lighthearted, but I actually lost interest and didn’t end up finishing it. 3.5 stars! Fun but maybe not worth seeking out. Great if you want something fun and lighthearted that isn’t cringey like most historical fiction books that fall into the former categories.
May 13, 2017
Adventure-packed! I love 2-year-old Harry. Humor abounds as usual. I was as happy as Ethan to see Pierre ('Don't call me a little man!') Radisson again. He is priceless.
There is also a lot of violence, however, much of it involving terrifying creatures. Aurora finally gets what she deserves, and it ain't pretty.
I don't care what critics say about implausible events--this series is wildly entertaining and just plain fun.
And educational along the way! I always wondered why the phrase "to the shores of Tripoli" was in the U.S. Marine anthem. That is actually why the Marines were created by President Jefferson--to rescue Americans captured and enslaved by Barbary pirates, because the USA no longer enjoyed the protection of His Majesty's Royal Navy. Who knew? This makes learning history fun.
There is also a lot of violence, however, much of it involving terrifying creatures. Aurora finally gets what she deserves, and it ain't pretty.
I don't care what critics say about implausible events--this series is wildly entertaining and just plain fun.
And educational along the way! I always wondered why the phrase "to the shores of Tripoli" was in the U.S. Marine anthem. That is actually why the Marines were created by President Jefferson--to rescue Americans captured and enslaved by Barbary pirates, because the USA no longer enjoyed the protection of His Majesty's Royal Navy. Who knew? This makes learning history fun.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2017
okay historical adventure. Robert Fulton in a cameo role.
March 10, 2018
Ethan Gage, an American rogue in the Napoleanic era.
Part Indiana Jones, part McGyver all fun and you learn a little history too.
Part Indiana Jones, part McGyver all fun and you learn a little history too.
December 29, 2018
bugger all on pirates let alone history of barbary.. very much in his usual style. but not what i was looking for
January 11, 2023
Satisfyingly swashbuckling, historically intriguing, doesn't take itself too seriously.
February 16, 2024
Ethan Gage always gets himself into trouble, and that's part of why these books are so much fun.
March 7, 2024
Honestly a 3.5. The book was fun but after a few of these books I like Ethan less and less as a main character.
August 19, 2024
The best in the series so far. The series reads like an over the top action movie but is very entertaining.
November 8, 2024
Not as good as his previous efforts, but still entertaining. Would be a 3.5 if I could give 1/2 points.
February 25, 2025
another good one
I love the Ethan Gage stories: adventure, history, humor…this one had a little of the flavor of the old Bob Hope and aging Crosby Road Shows.
I love the Ethan Gage stories: adventure, history, humor…this one had a little of the flavor of the old Bob Hope and aging Crosby Road Shows.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews