Sufferings in Africa: The Incredible True Story of a Shipwreck, Enslavement, and Survival on the Sahara [Paperback]

Captain James Riley (Author), Dean King (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2007

Listed by Abraham Lincoln, alongside the Bible and Pilgrim’s Progress, as one of the books that most influenced his life, few true tales of adventure and survival are as astonishing as this one. Shipwrecked off the western coast of North Africa in August of 1815, James Riley and his crew had no idea of the trials awaiting them as they gathered their beached belongings. They would be captured by a band of nomadic Arabs, herded across the Sahara Desert, beaten, forced to witness astounding brutalities, sold into slavery, and starved. Riley watched most of his crew die one by one, killed off by cruelty or caprice, as his own weight dropped from 240 pounds to a mere 90 at his rescue. First published in 1817, this dramatic saga soon became a national bestseller with over a million copies sold. Even today, it is rare to find a narrative that illuminates the degradations of slave existence with such brutal honesty.

Editorial Reviews

Review

One of five books that "Vividly capture[s] the long history of America's encounters with the Arab world." -- --Michael Oren, The Wall Street Journal, June 2, 2007

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 1915, 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.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602390428
• ISBN-13: 978-1602390423
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #339,783 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #81 in Books > History > Africa > North Africa

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a gem! Couldn't put it down!, November 22, 2009

By 

KB - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sufferings in Africa: The Incredible True Story of a Shipwreck, Enslavement, and Survival on the Sahara (Paperback)

Once in a while you come across a non-fiction that's so good you have to check the back cover to see if it's in the right category. I loved this compelling book, and couldn't put it down. I was introduced this book after seeing a great special on the History Channel called 'Skeletons on the Sahara.' There were two books on the subject, Captain Riley's personal account and Dean King's 'Skeletons on the Zahara' - a modern retelling of Riley's account. I couldn't decide which to purchase, so I bought and read both. Both books have considerable merit, but personally I enjoyed Riley's account more. King's is a great book, and were it the only one on the subject it would be excellent. It is particularly helpful and interesting in its descriptions of the desert way of life, the geography, some of the medical conditions and challenges the men faced, and the back-story on Riley - both before and after the events chronicled in the book. Riley's on the other hand has that first-person perspective, is passionately written in period style, and includes a great deal about Riley's personal faith in God and how Riley viewed his experiences and his ultimate redemption in those terms. This faith aspect is sorely missed in King's account. If you have the time and luxury both are worth the read, but if you have to make a choice I would go with Riley's compelling and inspiring work.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An incredible true story and a great read, October 21, 2007

By 

H. Cunningham (Boise, ID United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sufferings in Africa: The Incredible True Story of a Shipwreck, Enslavement, and Survival on the Sahara (Paperback)

I was surprised I'd never heard of this book, supposedly one of the books Abraham Lincoln considered influential. It is the true story of an American sea captain who is shipwrecked and taken prisoner, then enslaved, by Arabs. Through his ingenious bargaining and a leap of faith, he convinces and Arab trader to trade all of his goods for the captain and some companions from his ship. He convinces the trader to take them across the Sahara, which means not only braving heat, hunger and thirst, but fighting off would be thieves as well.

The captain promises that there is a reward, that there is someone willing to pay a ransom when they get across the Sahara. The problem is, this isn't true - the Captain knows no one in the city they are headed to. The Captain and trader have made a deal that if the ransom isn't paid, the crewman will be sold as slaves and the Captain will be killed. The Captain is a linguist and learns enough Arabic to converse and to learn. He relates the tale of what happened, which is a true page turner, and the stories he hears from the Arabs. While this is an old book with a few old expressions and some racial terms no longer in use, I think it's clear that the Captain is not at heart a racist; he saw people of all colors as people. While he didn't like slavery, it was the way things were, and he accepted his fate as a slave without railing against the institution itself. Rather, he documents what happens, and makes some observations. Overall, it's a very interesting read.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible story, June 2, 2011

By 

nola584 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sufferings in Africa: The Incredible True Story of a Shipwreck, Enslavement, and Survival on the Sahara (Kindle Edition)

This book is an engrossing read and an incredible story, and I was amazed I'd never heard of it before chancing across a documentary about it on the History channel some time ago. The middle of the book can seem a little bit dry (no pun intended...), but stick with it...the ending makes it totally worth it.