This is a 16,000 word basic, short history of the USA in Tom's time. Segments include the Leopard and the Chesapeake; the Louisiana Purchase, the naval war in the Mediterranean; the Anas; the Clermont; The Sacajawea Expedition; and the "Dumbargo." Most historians take a side in the Hamilton-Jefferson feud. The author is not a Tomophile but is not a Hambone either. This book has a balanced opinion on that one, overall, but is highly critical of Jefferson's drastic reduction of US military power.