An Authentic Narrative of the Loss of the American Brig Commerce Wrecked on the Western Coast of Africa in the Month of August, 1815
by James Riley
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Description
Young American sea captain James Riley, shipwrecked off the coast of north Africa in 1815, was captured by nomadic Arabs and sold into slavery. This dramatic account of Riley's trials and sufferings, wildly popular in his day, was read by a young and impressionable Abraham Lincoln. The degradations of a slave existence and the courage to survive under harrowing conditions have rarely been recorded with such painful honesty.Tags
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Not only is this book the exemplary tale of the endurance of the human body, mind, and spirit; it shows the complexity of the cruelty and compassion in every one of us.
This is a seaman's survival story set as far as you can get from the plight of the sailors in [b:Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage|139069|Endurance Shackleton's Incredible Voyage|Alfred Lansing|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172099854s/139069.jpg|900140], but except for [a:Apsley Cherry-Garrard|27180|Apsley Cherry-Garrard|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]'s [b:The Worst Journey in the World, Volumes 1 and 2: Antarctic 1910-1913|1824947|The Worst Journey in the World, Volumes 1 and 2 Antarctic 1910-1913|Apsley Cherry-Garrard|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1188862180s/1824947.jpg|47447], I can think of no survival memoir that relates quite so remarkable a tale.
Suffering at its best, with no holds barred.
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Author Information
2+ Works 174 Members
James Riley is the New York Times bestselling author of the Half Upon a Time and Story Thieves series. (Bowker Author Biography)
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Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- An Authentic Narrative of the Loss of the American Brig Commerce Wrecked on the Western Coast of Africa in the Month of August, 1815
- Alternate titles
- Sufferings in Africa: the Incredible True Story of a Shipwreck, Enslavement, and Survival on the Sahara
- Original publication date
- 1817
- People/Characters
- James Riley
- Important places
- North Africa
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Travel, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, History
- DDC/MDS
- 916.10423092 — History & geography Geography & travel Geography of and travel in Africa Tunisia; Libya; The Maghreb Generally
- LCC
- DT189 .R5 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Africa History of Africa Maghrib. Barbary States
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 174
- Popularity
- 187,316
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.98)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 14
- ASINs
- 4
