Narratives of Barbary Captivity

by James Leander Cathcart, Jonathan Cowdery, William Ray

hardcover still in shrink wrap

Genres: History

322 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

1767-1843

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of the better Lakeside Press reads, but interesting. Early American involvement with what became known as the Barbary pirates began the nation's involvement in the Middle East even before we had a constitution and helped drive us towards something more concrete than the Articles of Confederation, ultimately helping create the nation. The autobiographical stories by three sailors held in captivity by Tripoli, among more than 300, gives an inside look at a history that few know beyond the Marine song, "...to the shores of Tripoli," and maybe Stephen Decatur, a brave naval officer in the battles that freed the American sailors. Yet, the stories aren't that well told and are repetitive. Good history, but there are much better books in this series that republishes a wealth of first-person stories set in US history.

[Arlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

How often does a reader come across the purist of all history writing -- that of personal narratives, and, in this case, the personal narratives of American seamen imprisoned for years in North Africa's Barbary Coast in the late 1700's and early 1800's. Indeed this is a rare opportunity, and access to these narratives comes from one of RRDonnelley's books from its collection of authentic personal recordings of not-so-well-known historical events. In this book, the reader gets a good look at the culture from top to bottom of the Barbary States, the strained relationshp of a young US and two of the Muslim states, and the insightful perspectives of three seamen who gave especially descriptive accounts of their survival as Barbary State captives.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captivating

[Eric Denny · Rating 3 out of 5]

December 20, 1803: "The market was so poor that we could get nothing for dinner but a shoulder of poor dromedary" [from Dr. Jonathan Cowdery's account of his captivity in Tripoli among the other naval officers:]

What the doctor here complains of, in such dolorous language, would have been a feast and produced strains of joy with us. Had he been compelled to labor as many of us, quite as good by nature as himself, and been stinted to two small loaves of coarse, musty bread, the shoulder of a dromedary would have been a most delicious repast to the querulous gentleman and his dainty companions.
--William Ray, sailor captive from the same ship, USS Philadelphia, as Dr. Cowdery.