French-born Jean Lafitte ran his smuggling business from an island south of New Orleans in the early 1800s. Although the U.S. government did not consider him a friend, he helped America defeat the British at the Battle of New Orleans. In this book, kids will learn about all of Lafitte's exploits and find out why his heroism during the War of 1812 was less of a boost to the Americans than the government first thought.