An Authentic Narrative of the Loss of the American Brig Commerce (Paperback)

Language: English

Published by Blurb, San Francisco, 2026

138965415X / 9781389654152

  • Softcover
  • New
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Seller: CitiRetail, Stevenage, United KingdomCitiRetail

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Softcover

Condition: New

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Paperback. The incredible true story of an American ship's crew taken into slavery by the Muslim slave traders of North Western Africa after being wrecked on that continent's west coast, has riveted, fascinated, and horrified readers since its first publication two hundred years ago. Captain Riley's ship, the Commerce, was sailing from Gibraltar to the Cape Verde Islands when it was lost in fog and wrecked on the west Moroccan coast. There, the crew were seized by passing Berbers, who, after taking their food and pouring out their drinking water, carried off the white men deep into the Sahara desert. The book tells in shocking detail the events before and after their capture by marauding Sahrawi natives, and their mistreatment, which included beatings, heat exposure, and starvation (to the point where they were forced to drink their own urine just to stay alive). Eventually, the abused, underfed, and overworked captives were on the point of death when their masters sold them to yet another Arab slave trader. He had purchased the white men upon Riley's promise of cash ransom and a gun. Riley promised his new owner that he had a friend on the coast at the town of Mogador (nowadays known as Essaouira) in Morocco, who would pay the ransom-something that was completely untrue. Incredibly, an Englishman-and total stranger-came to Riley's aid in Mogador, and paid the ransom, allowing the survivors to escape captivity and return to America. Captain Riley's detailed and horrifying descriptions of his experiences at the hands of the slave-trading Muslims of North Africa, typified the treatment suffered by more than a million Europeans who were captured by the Barbary pirates. This valuable account bears witness to a part of history that is now largely suppressed or ignored. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781389654152

Title
An Authentic Narrative of the Loss of the American Brig Commerce (Paperback)
Author
Captain James Riley
Publisher
Blurb, San Francisco
Publication year
2026
Condition
new
Binding
Paperback
Language
English
ISBN 10
138965415X
ISBN 13
9781389654152

CitiRetail

Stevenage, United Kingdom

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since June 29, 2022

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ABC BOOKS LIMITED

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London, United Kingdom WC1N 2EB