This is one of those books that is truly original. It is a memoir written in 1817 by an American man who was shipwrecked on the cost of Africa and spent two years as a slave travelling across North African landscape. He spent much of his time crossing the Sahara desert with nomadic families.
the full name for this book is actually: 'Sufferings in Africa: The Astonishing Account of a New England Sea Captain Enslaved by North African Arabs'. It is indeed an astonishing account.
There are many reasons why this book is fascinating. First of all, James Riley has been where very few people have been and has survived to write his tale. His book gives us a portrait of a time and place - and a people - that we will not otherwise see so clearly. Whilst keeping the reader engaged with its gripping tale of survival in extreme conditions - this book teaches much about Tunisia; Sudan; Morocco; the Sahara desert; their geography; geology; ethnography; politics; and their history.
This book is an invaluable original text of African Arab history. But don’t let all this ‘learning’ give you the impression that this book will be boring to read. Really the story is about human ingenuity and survival, cruelty and kindness. Most interestingly perhaps, it has a lot to teach us about the history of slavery in the world. Reading this book I learnt more about slavery practices than I had in my entire education.
We also learn a lot about the difference and similarities between Muslims, Christians and Pagans. Another fascinating element is that we see a first hand account of life in cultures that were ruled by might rather than by law. Reading this book will help the reader to think more deeply about (and understand more fully) their own society and why it is structured by ‘rule of law’ as most modern societies are.
On top of all this, the book gives us the opportunity to meet its author. You will see an exceptional man who loves and values learning to an extent that will impress you. Be aware that this book is an honest account of a man who suffered many things during his days in North Africa. He used language that was appropriate in his own day. Occasionally he uses the word negro to refer to black people, and he describes certain of the native people as ugly and brute-like. However, these terms are not used with their contemporary meaning. In the context of the book we see that he gives the people he meets a fair description recognising both the negative and the positive characteristics of his enslavers. He does not give the impression of being actually racist against anyone, and the book gives us a great opportunity to learn how the people of the past viewed one another across cultures.
