The Greater the Honor — William H. White

The year is 1803, and young Oliver Baldwin arrives in Boston to take his berth aboard the newly launched United States brig Argus commanded by Stephen Decatur. Argus is bound for the Mediterranean to join Commodore Preble's squadron to protect our trade against the "Barbary Pirates," the North African Corsairs who made their livelihood preying upon merchant vessels sailing in the western Mediterranean.