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Sufferings in Africa: The Incredible True Story of a Shipwreck, Enslavement, and Survival on the Sahara
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.
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.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1817
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1479 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
September 8, 2012
If you are like me, and really just can't get enough human suffering in your own life, then why not read about human suffering in other people's lives???
You'll learn a lot about camels, starvation, Arabs, and weight loss.
You'll learn a lot about camels, starvation, Arabs, and weight loss.
July 27, 2012
This book is an incredible read! I can see why President Lincoln listed as one of the most influential books he read as a young man. Sufferings in Africa is not merely a woeful tale fraught with melodramatic prose; instead, it is a riveting look into the invincibility of the human spirit juxtaposed with the frailty of the human body. The events chronicled in this book are made even more powerful by Riley's simple writing style and his unflinching delve into the downward spiral of despair and desperation to survive. I recommend this book for everyone, but most especially for those who have dealt with oppression in their own lives.
January 14, 2016
This is a book written in 1817 of a first person account of a shipwreck and subsequent enslavement of an American merchant crew in what is modern day Western Sahara. The tale is told by the Captain - James Riley. The fact that he lived to tell the tale meant that he and part of his crew reached freedom via the time-honored path of ransom.
But you know all this already.
Is the book a good read?
Before answering, I should point out that the book apparently sold 1 million copies through multiple edition between 1817 and 1859. This is outstanding - especially as the book is not well-known today.
The first few chapters were interesting, especially the shipwreck, their attempts to escape in a leaky ship's boat, and their ultimately surrendering out of hunger, sunstroke, and thirst to the locals, who promptly enslaved them. You get a good feel for the times, the clash of cultures, as well as dealing with extreme hardship. Since we can picture the bleak coastline of Western Sahara, we can appreciate the crew's ordeal.
The book remains interesting as we learn how they survived on long treks across the desert, sometimes only with camel urine for sustenance.
Once sold to Sidi Hamet, who agreed to keep them alive in exchange for a promised ransom in faraway Mogador (in the Kingdom of Morocco), the book bogs down into day-after-day tramps through the desert with little to eat or drink and frequent run-ins with 'bad guys'. This gets repetitive and the middle to near the end of the book become tedious, mirroring the real journey.
Riley never once uses the voices or thoughts of his shipmates who were part of the group. He cares for them, wanting to keep them alive - but they are ciphers throughout the book - always near death, falling off camels, bewailing their fate, etc.
Riley also seems to have photographic memory of the long, more-than-one year, journey - this makes the account sometimes hard to believe in spots - but the overall story rings true.
Summary
a) Is it exciting? No (except to a 19th century audience). You know the ending and since his compatriots are featureless, you don't care about them as people and hence are uninterested whether they make it out alive or not.
b) Does it provide an interesting anthropological description of the peoples who lived in that area. Sort of, the only problem is that Riley saves most of his observations for a final chapter, long after his ransom. Had these been blended in during the story, it would have broken up for the reader the endless camel rides up and down dunes and mountains.
c) Is it hard to read because of stilted 1815 prose? Absolutely not. I was surprised at how readable this was and how close to modern English. There is no flowery language. And Riley does not overly place his deliverance as a godly miracle - although he certainly felt that way.
So read it as a first person account of an adventure and to gain insight into what Americans of 1817-1859 found as a best-seller.
But you know all this already.
Is the book a good read?
Before answering, I should point out that the book apparently sold 1 million copies through multiple edition between 1817 and 1859. This is outstanding - especially as the book is not well-known today.
The first few chapters were interesting, especially the shipwreck, their attempts to escape in a leaky ship's boat, and their ultimately surrendering out of hunger, sunstroke, and thirst to the locals, who promptly enslaved them. You get a good feel for the times, the clash of cultures, as well as dealing with extreme hardship. Since we can picture the bleak coastline of Western Sahara, we can appreciate the crew's ordeal.
The book remains interesting as we learn how they survived on long treks across the desert, sometimes only with camel urine for sustenance.
Once sold to Sidi Hamet, who agreed to keep them alive in exchange for a promised ransom in faraway Mogador (in the Kingdom of Morocco), the book bogs down into day-after-day tramps through the desert with little to eat or drink and frequent run-ins with 'bad guys'. This gets repetitive and the middle to near the end of the book become tedious, mirroring the real journey.
Riley never once uses the voices or thoughts of his shipmates who were part of the group. He cares for them, wanting to keep them alive - but they are ciphers throughout the book - always near death, falling off camels, bewailing their fate, etc.
Riley also seems to have photographic memory of the long, more-than-one year, journey - this makes the account sometimes hard to believe in spots - but the overall story rings true.
Summary
a) Is it exciting? No (except to a 19th century audience). You know the ending and since his compatriots are featureless, you don't care about them as people and hence are uninterested whether they make it out alive or not.
b) Does it provide an interesting anthropological description of the peoples who lived in that area. Sort of, the only problem is that Riley saves most of his observations for a final chapter, long after his ransom. Had these been blended in during the story, it would have broken up for the reader the endless camel rides up and down dunes and mountains.
c) Is it hard to read because of stilted 1815 prose? Absolutely not. I was surprised at how readable this was and how close to modern English. There is no flowery language. And Riley does not overly place his deliverance as a godly miracle - although he certainly felt that way.
So read it as a first person account of an adventure and to gain insight into what Americans of 1817-1859 found as a best-seller.
August 2, 2024
A pivotal account of the sufferings of an ordinary man... as he led his crew through shipwreck and enslavement, and on a redemption trek across the desert. He had to endure not only his own humiliation and pain; but that of his shipmates, with one being gutted and dragged across the beach. Realizing that they had escaped the sea to be enslaved and killed, they floated helplessly again on the sea. Eventually, they chose to land and face the dangers again. With that choice came slavery and a long protracted starvation.
I first read Riley's story through the second hand account of Dean King in his book Skeletons on the Zahara a year ago. King's account was very true to the original. But, I enjoyed hearing the story in Riley's own words immensely. I highly recommend both books. This especially is an enduring classic, one which Abraham Lincoln considered to be one of the three books that most impacted his life. The other two were Pilgrim's Progress and the Bible.
Riley recounts his story with emotional language, as does King. (King goes beyond a bit and gives more of 'what came next' and how Riley returned to Africa for more of his crew after his harrowing experiences.) Riley includes intriguing information about the geography and culture of the desert as well. It is a book for every century and sheds light on the horrors and degradation of human slavery. Most interestingly, Riley was blatantly honest about his own mistakes and shares his own struggles with the situations.
I read this book for my stop in Western Sahara on my Journey Around the World in 80 books for 2019. I enjoyed the Audible format narrated by Brian Emerson. He read with a voice that was both prosaic and consistent with the subject matter. I would have thought Riley himself was speaking, had I not known better. The sound quality was great, but I heard two passages duplicated...just small repeated sentences that didn't effect anything. My next stop will be Mauritania, though it won't be the book I'd planned.... as... it actually has nothing at all to do with Mauritania. Oh well. Ideas? I'm still searching.
I first read Riley's story through the second hand account of Dean King in his book Skeletons on the Zahara a year ago. King's account was very true to the original. But, I enjoyed hearing the story in Riley's own words immensely. I highly recommend both books. This especially is an enduring classic, one which Abraham Lincoln considered to be one of the three books that most impacted his life. The other two were Pilgrim's Progress and the Bible.
Riley recounts his story with emotional language, as does King. (King goes beyond a bit and gives more of 'what came next' and how Riley returned to Africa for more of his crew after his harrowing experiences.) Riley includes intriguing information about the geography and culture of the desert as well. It is a book for every century and sheds light on the horrors and degradation of human slavery. Most interestingly, Riley was blatantly honest about his own mistakes and shares his own struggles with the situations.
I read this book for my stop in Western Sahara on my Journey Around the World in 80 books for 2019. I enjoyed the Audible format narrated by Brian Emerson. He read with a voice that was both prosaic and consistent with the subject matter. I would have thought Riley himself was speaking, had I not known better. The sound quality was great, but I heard two passages duplicated...just small repeated sentences that didn't effect anything. My next stop will be Mauritania, though it won't be the book I'd planned.... as... it actually has nothing at all to do with Mauritania. Oh well. Ideas? I'm still searching.
April 22, 2024
The brutality of human beings is beyond belief. What Riley and his crew experienced mirrored that of Holocaust victims, Bataan Death Marchers, American slaves, and others who've faced absolute cruelty at the hands of our own species.
The mental fortitude of these men is extraordinary. I was most impressed with Riley's Christian attitude—be the best slave he could be. I cannot imagine maintaining that standard amidst their drudgery.
The mental fortitude of these men is extraordinary. I was most impressed with Riley's Christian attitude—be the best slave he could be. I cannot imagine maintaining that standard amidst their drudgery.
September 17, 2013
Such a curious mixture of cruelty and compassion and of honor and dishonor. The setting and people are exotic, almost stereotypically so, and in fact, if I didn't know that this was a true story, I'd think this was a very standard 19th century Anglo-American piece of action/adventure fiction. The fact that this story seems fictional but is not, really made me wonder about a lot of things as I read this book. What motivates people to practice slavery, and does that motivation vary across cultures? Is the desire to enslave others endemic to our species, and if not, how and why do we justify it? Did Riley and his men suffer any more or any less than the slaves existing at the same moment in their own country of the United States, and were their views on American slavery changed after their own experiences? What was Riley's homecoming like? What was the rest of his life like?
The book was long in parts, although I'm not going to say, "longer than it needed to be," because having never been enslaved, I don't know how long a book needs to be in order for the former slave to express their own experience to their own satisfaction. I was impressed with Riley's ability to not only convey his experience as a slave, but also with his ability to learn and observe and become fascinated by the culture around him as he was enduring this suffering. I suppose his survival depended on that, but it was fascinating to know that he was, for example, learning to communicate in Arabic while his body was so beleagured that his bones were literally exposed through his flesh. I'm not sure I'd have had the same will or capacity to survive.
The book was long in parts, although I'm not going to say, "longer than it needed to be," because having never been enslaved, I don't know how long a book needs to be in order for the former slave to express their own experience to their own satisfaction. I was impressed with Riley's ability to not only convey his experience as a slave, but also with his ability to learn and observe and become fascinated by the culture around him as he was enduring this suffering. I suppose his survival depended on that, but it was fascinating to know that he was, for example, learning to communicate in Arabic while his body was so beleagured that his bones were literally exposed through his flesh. I'm not sure I'd have had the same will or capacity to survive.
July 23, 2009
A wonderful story of survival in an unbelievable environment, of suffering in body and mind. The time period is early 1800's. The story contains many details about life, the people, and the area. Very interesting.
March 19, 2018
I loved this book. I learned about it from a podcast (Futility Closet), and decided to pick it up as part of some research I'm doing for a project. I was so inspired by Riley's response to such terrible conditions, his willingness to continue to serve his men, trust God, and work hard in the midst of circumstances where I'm certain I wouldn't have had close to the same amount of fortitude. And while the writing style isn't amazing in of itself, I was fascinated by the different people and conditions he came across, particularly his startling capacity for tracking distances over time, and found his straight-forward manner captivating and easy to read in its own right. I was also struck by how even-handed the book was. Though there are definitely some phrases he uses that are more unique to his time that wouldn't be acceptable today, he also gives credit where credit is due towards those who help him on his journey to freedom, and the book is remarkably even-handed given the circumstances (I doubt I could be so kind in my observations were I in his place). It was a healthy reminder that both kind and wicked people can exist in any culture (and always with cause), that God's hand is in everything, and that anyone can be an oppressor or work to set people free. Though it did drag a little in some of its more specific descriptions of things like architecture or specific tools, etc., for me personally, I also feel like I grew a lot personally in reading this.
September 22, 2010
This is a seaman's survival story set as far as you can get from the plight of the sailors in Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, but except for Apsley Cherry-Garrard's The Worst Journey in the World, Volumes 1 and 2: Antarctic 1910-1913, I can think of no survival memoir that relates quite so remarkable a tale.
March 31, 2008
Easy reading, with historical insights from one of history's participants. Very interesting and eye opening. While it tells firsthand of the author's experience of being a slave, it also chronicles the pervasive slave culture in Africa at the time, which included all races as slaves. The systematized slave trade routes, and enslavement of blacks by other blacks, are documented by the stories of Riley's former Arab master.
January 23, 2009
Wow!! This book is a true story of James Riley, a ship captain and his crew who were shipwrecked in 1815 off the coast of Africa. They are slaves to a nomadic Arab group and he tells their story of suffering as they cross the Sahara Desert. A good read!
February 11, 2021
A very watered down narrative of life as a slave to Islamic barbarians. It is difficult to tell if the author had suffered Stockholm syndrome or was more forgiving than should have been.
May 13, 2025
Raved as one of the 3 books that influenced Abraham Lincoln in his youth, Sufferings in Africa takes the reader through a heart wrenching TRUE story about a shipwreck gone horribly wrong. James Riley, being both the captain of the ship and this book's author, writes an incredibly detailed retelling of his horrific experience while shipwrecked, enslaved, abused, and eventually saved from his captors while in the desert and coast of Africa. This experience eventually lead James Riley to become one of the first to vocalize their distaste of American Slavery and his book led to influence Lincoln in his decisions within American History.
This is not a read for the faint of heart, it is truly a horrendous story of a man and his crew trying to survive after being shipwrecked off the coast of Africa. The details described are heart wrenching and sickening. The suffering is vast. The hardest part for me was Riley explaining the many other shipwrecked crews that had been enslaved before (and surely after) his time and how they disappeared forever. The terrible sufferings they must have all gone through. To give a small perspective, James Riley exclaims he was 6'2 and 240 lbs at the beginning of his journey. By the end he was a meager 90 lbs and refused to write down some of the other surviving crew members weights, because they were just so astonishingly low.
A terrible story about slavery and suffering but also inspiring to see Riley's will to live and persevere for himself and his crew. If I could, I would recommend everyone read this tale solely because empathy for such things would make the world a better place. I wish this book was given to high school kids as required reading, what a better place it would be if we could all see how bad we treat each other and the scars it leaves.
This is not a read for the faint of heart, it is truly a horrendous story of a man and his crew trying to survive after being shipwrecked off the coast of Africa. The details described are heart wrenching and sickening. The suffering is vast. The hardest part for me was Riley explaining the many other shipwrecked crews that had been enslaved before (and surely after) his time and how they disappeared forever. The terrible sufferings they must have all gone through. To give a small perspective, James Riley exclaims he was 6'2 and 240 lbs at the beginning of his journey. By the end he was a meager 90 lbs and refused to write down some of the other surviving crew members weights, because they were just so astonishingly low.
A terrible story about slavery and suffering but also inspiring to see Riley's will to live and persevere for himself and his crew. If I could, I would recommend everyone read this tale solely because empathy for such things would make the world a better place. I wish this book was given to high school kids as required reading, what a better place it would be if we could all see how bad we treat each other and the scars it leaves.
January 17, 2018
“Sufferings in Africa” is an autobiographical tale of Captain James Riley, an American naval captain, who was shipwrecked off the coast of North Africa in 1815. In Captain Riley’s words, “I had only been tutored in the school of adversity, in order that I might be prepared for fulfilling the purpose for which I had been created.” That purpose was to lead, endure, and encourage a handful of destitute seaman through the cruel and unrelenting Saharan desert.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and especially how Captain Riley continually looked to Providence (i.e., God’s will and favor in leading him and his men) as they encountered what would otherwise appear to be terrible circumstances and people. I found it amazing how Captain Riley was constantly the encourager to his men and how he could grasp the Arabic language enough in order to get his tale across to a sympathetic and somewhat greedy Arab trader that agreed to help them.
I will say the writing is a bit curt and slanted heavily towards recounting the miles traveled, the harsh conditions endured, etc. Also, the Kindle edition had numerous OCR errors and typos. These things detracted from the story a bit, but I’m glad I pressed on. I was surprised to learn that this is one of the books available to Abraham Lincoln in his youth and may have helped form his own ideas around the evils of slavery.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and especially how Captain Riley continually looked to Providence (i.e., God’s will and favor in leading him and his men) as they encountered what would otherwise appear to be terrible circumstances and people. I found it amazing how Captain Riley was constantly the encourager to his men and how he could grasp the Arabic language enough in order to get his tale across to a sympathetic and somewhat greedy Arab trader that agreed to help them.
I will say the writing is a bit curt and slanted heavily towards recounting the miles traveled, the harsh conditions endured, etc. Also, the Kindle edition had numerous OCR errors and typos. These things detracted from the story a bit, but I’m glad I pressed on. I was surprised to learn that this is one of the books available to Abraham Lincoln in his youth and may have helped form his own ideas around the evils of slavery.
August 22, 2018
Having heard that this book was a favorite of Abraham Lincoln’s and that it may have influenced his hatred of slavery, I looked forward to reading it. The story of Captain James Riley is riveting. He accounts both the sufferings of his crew, the hand of God blessing them from time to time, and includes cultural notes. Although by modern day standards his reference to “negroes” and “barbarians” is objectionable, we have to remember that such was the world he lived in. If anything, Captain Riley is very progressive for his time. He speaks with respect and awe of several good Muslim people who helped him and discusses several of their cultural mores which are worthy of emulation. That an 18th century Anglo-European could foster such tolerance even in the middle of his enslavement by predominantly Muslim people is extraordinary.
June 17, 2022
It is the memoirs of a sea captain in the early 1800s who is shipwrecked along with his crew on the African coast. It tells the story of his travels around the Sahara desert as a slave to some Arabs. It is an interesting glimpse into the culture of the African arabs and life in the desert, not to mention the cultural perspectives of the 1800s. Occasionally frought with a bit too specific details, it is not a hard read and the details serve to prove the truth of the time. I loved the fact that 2 pages at the end of the book are spent resummarizing the almost unbelievable-sounding adventures and declaring how obviously the hand of God had preserved them through all of this.
The sufferings are difficult to read about sometimes, but the joy from seeing the Lord's evident mercies is worth the read!
The sufferings are difficult to read about sometimes, but the joy from seeing the Lord's evident mercies is worth the read!
December 8, 2021
A brutal and harrowing read. The torment and sheer hell that Riley and his crew went through is told in an open and honest way, which is written in a very accessible style that doesn't feel hard to read despite its age.
The unique twist on slavery that the book explores is very interesting and highlights the horrors of the institution for all people and from all angles.
Toward the end of the work and at times it gets a little bogged down in geographical details or a vast array of different Arabs who enter the story and then leave it. It would also have been good to hear more about the rest of his crew directly and how they were coping as slaves.
Overall an excellent and accessible read, highly recommended.
The unique twist on slavery that the book explores is very interesting and highlights the horrors of the institution for all people and from all angles.
Toward the end of the work and at times it gets a little bogged down in geographical details or a vast array of different Arabs who enter the story and then leave it. It would also have been good to hear more about the rest of his crew directly and how they were coping as slaves.
Overall an excellent and accessible read, highly recommended.
January 16, 2025
Read it yourself at: https://archive.org/details/authentic...
Memoir.
President Abraham Lincoln said this is one of the most influential books of his life.
August 1815 James Riley (white) and his crew of sailors (NOT slavers - just sailors) shipwrecked in Africa. Africans captured and enslaved them. He and his crew were slaves: their African masters worked them to death, marched them across the Sahara Desert, beaten, starved, sold, and brutally tortured to death, one by one.
James Riley was captured weighing 240 pounds and by the end, weighed 90 pounds. This is a true story.
Memoir.
President Abraham Lincoln said this is one of the most influential books of his life.
August 1815 James Riley (white) and his crew of sailors (NOT slavers - just sailors) shipwrecked in Africa. Africans captured and enslaved them. He and his crew were slaves: their African masters worked them to death, marched them across the Sahara Desert, beaten, starved, sold, and brutally tortured to death, one by one.
James Riley was captured weighing 240 pounds and by the end, weighed 90 pounds. This is a true story.
February 9, 2020
This is the story of an 1800's ship captain who ran aground in Africa, was captured as a slave, and managed to get home. It's dramatic and emotional, with battles and intrigue. It's well written, especially given the era it was written in. And it's been verified by contemporaries as all true. Most famously, Abraham Lincoln said it was one of the most influential books that he read (causing him to think differently about slavery).
March 17, 2022
I try my best not to judge the past with modern values and perspective, however… it took the recollection of a white, Christian man for the world to feel compassion for slaved humans. The book inspired Abraham Lincoln in 1817, among many influential people.
A book that changed history.
Some people complain this book doesn’t retail adventure, this is not about that, this is an important reflection of the dehumanizing effects of slavery, regardless of the colour of the skin.
A book that changed history.
Some people complain this book doesn’t retail adventure, this is not about that, this is an important reflection of the dehumanizing effects of slavery, regardless of the colour of the skin.
March 8, 2025
The dreadful (but also humanly hopeful) story of Captain James Riley, whose ship gets wrecked on the current day Moroccan coast, resulting in him and his crew being enslaved by the locals. Despite months of extreme hardship through deserts and several owners, Riley never loses his faith and hope. He also has an excellent memory of details, remembering day by day his horrific journey until the happy ending.
September 10, 2017
Very fascinating book. I really enjoyed reading it and it was informative as to the culture, etc, in NW Africa at the time. I also found some electronic copies online that had additional chapters with Riley's thoughts on various aspects of the NW African cultures at the time.
February 3, 2021
The book is ok, not great but ok.
Fun Fact: the last 10 countries abolishing slavery (since 1960) are Muslim countries. The very last one is Mauritania in 1981. And the last country to criminalize slavery is Chad in 2017, also a Muslim county. So yeah...
Fun Fact: the last 10 countries abolishing slavery (since 1960) are Muslim countries. The very last one is Mauritania in 1981. And the last country to criminalize slavery is Chad in 2017, also a Muslim county. So yeah...
June 16, 2021
Not a direct descendant, but as a distant cousin of the author, I grew up hearing this story from my elders. Then, Dean King stumbled upon this book and another written by the 1st mate, and subsequently wrote Skeletons on the Zahara, a compilation of the two men's accountings of the ordeal.
Read
October 9, 2021Technically I only listened to a little over 1/3 of the book. I struggled paying attention and getting into it. However, my book club filled me in on the rest of the story, which sounded interesting, so maybe one day I will give it another go.
June 23, 2022
Read this book about 10 years ago after watching a documentary on the History Channel. It's a very good book, and a true testament to the struggles Capt. Riley faced. It's a bit preachy near the end of the book, but perfectly understandable.
October 23, 2017
It’s one of those books that you can’t put down. It’s an easy and quick read. A book about survival in the face of brutality.
February 17, 2019
Pre-civil rights & Pre-civil war.
Amazing slavery story in North Africa
Amazing slavery story in North Africa
July 26, 2019
A true tale of living horror. It's unbelievable that they survived through everything, and it's a true testament to God's goodness. Very moving.
July 27, 2020
Really interesting book. A little slow at times
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