Sufferings in Africa: The Astonishing Account of a New England Sea Captain Enslaved by North African Arabs [Paperback]

James Riley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000

A classic story of adventure and survival.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

In this classic tale of adventure, a young American sea captain named James Riley, shipwrecked off the western coast of North Africa in 1815, was captured by a band of nomadic Arabs, and sold into slavery. Thus begins an epic adventure of survival and a quest for freedom that takes him across the Sahara desert.This dramatic account of Captain Riley's trials and sufferings sold more than 1,000,000 copies in his day, and was even read by a young and impressionable Abraham Lincoln. The degradations of a slave existence and the courage to survive under the most harrowing conditions have rarely been recorded with such painful honesty.Sufferings in Africa is a classic travel-adventure narrative, and a fascinating testament of white Americans enslaved abroad - during a time when slavery flourished through the United States. (51/2 X 81/4, 336 pages)

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585740802
• ISBN-13: 978-1585740802
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,374,649 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brig Commerce, January 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Sufferings in Africa: The Astonishing Account of a New England Sea Captain Enslaved by North African Arabs (Paperback)

We should all be grateful that his book was reissued. It is truly a remarkable account of the danger of seafaring merchants during the early 19th C. Written in the style and the variable spelling of that period, the book prompted me to search out a map of northwestern Africa so I could follow the plight of Riley and his crew. Given that this narration was one of the few books owned by the young Abe Lincoln, one can already see the seeds of the abolition movement after the slavery tables were turned (English speaking whites being enslaved by Africans). One detail not in the book is that a cousin, Justus Riley, from Weathersfield, Connecticut, owned the brig Commerce along with his partners, the Savages of Hartford. Ship insurance would have paid the owners for the loss of the ship, but not the master of the ship, in this case James Riley. It is fortunate James wrote his account as it permitted him to move to Ohio during the US western expansion. Anyone who loves the O'Brien books will love this book -- I keep hoping it will be made into a screenplay.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An incredible will to survive, May 19, 2001

By 

Robert R. Briggs "robroyb" (Santa Barbara, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sufferings in Africa: The Astonishing Account of a New England Sea Captain Enslaved by North African Arabs (Paperback)

In the world of survival stories, this one is an outstanding classic. Captain James Riley's account of his shipwreck and subsequent enslavement by nomadic Arabs will amaze you beyond belief. I cannot began to imagine how anyone could survive under these conditions...naked, sunburned, starving, beaten and driven across the buring desert as slaves. It was encouraging to me that throughout it all, he kept his faith in God and somehow endured with the hope he would eventually be a free man once more. He also exhibited great leadership as he urged his fellow shipmates not to give up. Somehow they would make it! Written in the early 1800's this story has been an inspiration to millions over the years. It's a great addition to any library.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Before Shackleton, there was Riley, October 22, 2003

By 

D. Bond "bocce king" (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sufferings in Africa: The Astonishing Account of a New England Sea Captain Enslaved by North African Arabs (Paperback)

This is a fine entry into the literature of true adventure stories and the literature of suffering. The jacket notes indicate this volume was very popular in the early 19th century and influenced a young Abraham Lincoln. I am surprised that this book does not enjoy wider fame.