skeletons on the zahara book review

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SKELETONS ON THE ZAHARA

A true story of survival.

by Dean King ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 16, 2004

A jaw-dropping story kept on edge, along with the reader: exquisite and excruciating screw-turning. (b&w maps and...

The horrendous ordeal of 11 American seamen, shipwrecked on the Atlantic coast of North Africa and then sold into slavery, grippingly chronicled by adventure writer King ( Harbors and High Seas , 1996, etc.).

The War of 1812 had just ended, and Captain James Riley was hungry to get back to work on the brig Commerce , sailing out of Connecticut to buy cheap and sell dear in the wake of the British wartime blockade. But strange weather and bad luck sent Riley’s ship onto the rocks of Atlantic Africa, then more bad luck put him and ten shipmates in the hands of nomads who took them into slavery. What happened over the next two months was so extraordinary that the narrative flies under its own steam, though King ably guides its progression and the reader’s absorption, using two firsthand accounts published after the event as his source material. The degree of privation the men suffered was so absurd it’s a wonder the nomads kept them at all, for their work value as slaves was scant. Yet there they are: sun-blasted, sand-blasted, wind-blasted, thighs chafed to bleeding ribbons from riding camels, feet shredded to the bone by sharp rocks, so thirsty that drinking urine was a comfort, so hungry they ate pieces of infected flesh that had been cut off the camels and the skin peeling off their own bodies. The men were split up, briefly reunited, then rudely separated; King plays these episodes like stringed instruments upon the reader’s taut occupation with the proceedings. A lifetime of misery was packed into two months, after which six of the seamen, led by the worthy Riley, managed to convince a trader to buy them for the bounty he will receive from the European consul in Morocco.

Pub Date: Feb. 16, 2004

ISBN: 0-316-83514-5

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2003

HISTORY | WORLD | GENERAL HISTORY

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KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

The osage murders and the birth of the fbi.

by David Grann ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 18, 2017

Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.

Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.

During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorker staff writer Grann ( The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession , 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.

Pub Date: April 18, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017

GENERAL HISTORY | TRUE CRIME | UNITED STATES | FIRST/NATIVE NATIONS | HISTORY

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BOOK TO SCREEN

by Elie Wiesel & translated by Marion Wiesel ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 16, 2006

The author's youthfulness helps to assure the inevitable comparison with the Anne Frank diary although over and above the...

Elie Wiesel spent his early years in a small Transylvanian town as one of four children. 

He was the only one of the family to survive what Francois Maurois, in his introduction, calls the "human holocaust" of the persecution of the Jews, which began with the restrictions, the singularization of the yellow star, the enclosure within the ghetto, and went on to the mass deportations to the ovens of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. There are unforgettable and horrifying scenes here in this spare and sombre memoir of this experience of the hanging of a child, of his first farewell with his father who leaves him an inheritance of a knife and a spoon, and of his last goodbye at Buchenwald his father's corpse is already cold let alone the long months of survival under unconscionable conditions. 

Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2006

ISBN: 0374500010

Page Count: 120

Publisher: Hill & Wang

Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2006

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Skeletons on the Zahara- book review

Looking for some good survival literature, check out the book by Dean King- “Skeletons on the Zahara”.

When I was guiding professionally throughout the Southwest for the university, I had a couple from New England who spoke highly of this book. With each bend in the canyon trails we were on, they recounted the tales of hardship and resourcefulness from the book. After that, I forgot about the title only to graciously receive a copy a few months later from those two kind folks.

Once begun, you are not likely to put the book down. The gist: twelve American sailors who were shipwrecked off the coast of Africa in 1815 (yeah, before SAT phones, Leatherman, and spark-rods) and have to survive not only the elements but the hostile nomads roaming the region. They figured they were better off turning themselves over to the locals and being made into slaves than to perish in the desert and that is when the tale of survival really begins. The crew then endures two months of hellish conditions while journeying across some of the most inhospitable landscape on the planet while contending with barbarism and starvation.

There is a lot of insight into “primitive skills” along with providing a look into the harshness of life in the unforgiving desert for those not familiar with this trying land.

Originally taken from the sea Captain James Riley whose journal “Sufferings in Africa” were unearthed by author King, and turned into this riveting account of survival, endurance, and brotherhood. Riley’s journal was published shortly after the War of 1812 and gained considerable notoriety, attracting such followers as Thoreau, James Fenimore Cooper, and Abraham Lincoln, the latter of whom said it was one of the most influential books of his youth.

This tale reminds me of when I was pouring over the story of the Bielski brothers (the movie “Defiance” was based them) and Shackelton’s story years ago and thinking- “What is there to complain about in life!!”

If you’re looking for some literature on the triumph of the human spirit and survival, and from a time when people’s ingenuity and skills ruled, then check it out. Just have a cool glass of water handy for the chapter called “Thirst.”

Enjoy the wilds!

Tony Nester Ancient Pathways, LLC

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Ancient Pathways, LLC Colorado Springs, CO [email protected]

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Sahara Overland

Travel • history • books • tours • morocco overland • trans morocco trail.

Book review: Skeletons on the Zahara ~ Dean King

SKELETONS ON THE ZAHARA Dean King, 2005

This astonishing yarn expands on the gruelling tale of the 1815 wreck and enslavement of the crew of the American brig Commerce mentioned in Spanish Sahara reviewed elsewhere . The ordeal the crew suffered at the hands of the barbaric Western Saharan tribes (described collectively but not so accurately as ‘Saharawi’) is truly horrendous. At that time (and indeed right up to the St Exupery era), ransoming of foreigners to European trading posts at Essaouira or St Louis was the norm, but the Commerce had the misfortune to run around Cap Boujdour midway between the two.

Pounced upon and subsequently sold on and on to other nomads for a blanket or other chattels, the miseries of the beaten, stripped and starved crew as they tramp around the desert of present day southern Western Sahara and northern Mauritania are based chiefly on the Commerce ‘s Captain Riley’s own account. This book gained wide popularity following his eventual rescue and even influenced Lincoln’s anti-slavery attitudes. For weeks at a time the best drink they could manage was cupping their hands behind a urinating camel and most lost half their body weight. Some lost their minds.

You do have a feeling the author, more familiar with maritime than desert matters, embellishes a little too heartily at times, but it all helps to drive the narrative along with barely a dull moment. This is a survival story on par with Shackleton’s amazing escape from Antarctica, and right up to the very end their continued depredations leave you guessing as to the final outcome.

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This review was published in the March-April, 2004 of The Internet Writing Journal .

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Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival Kindle Edition

• Print length 384 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Little, Brown and Company
• Publication date February 16, 2004
• File size 3032 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
• See all details

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Product details.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000FC1AO8
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company; 1st edition (February 16, 2004)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 16, 2004
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 3032 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
• Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0316835145
• #24 in General Africa Travel Books
• #26 in Expeditions & Discoveries World History (Kindle Store)
• #37 in Ship History (Books)

About the author

Dean King is an award-winning author of ten nonfiction books. Dean relishes the adventures involved in making history come to life while at the same time diligently searching out the truth and turning up new historical detail. While researching his national bestseller SKELETONS ON THE ZAHARA, he crossed the Sahara on camels and in Land Rovers. He trekked the Long March trail in the Snowy Mountains of Western China while researching UNBOUND and was shot at in Appalachia while writing THE FEUD. For his most recent book, GUARDIANS OF THE VALLEY, Dean traveled to John Muir’s boyhood homes in Dunbar, Scotland, and rural Wisconsin and spent months roaming Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada.

The books that have resulted have been widely appreciated. The Daily Mail called UNBOUND, the story of the thirty women on Mao’s 4,000-mile Long March in 1934, “an astonishing and gripping tale of heroism and endurance.” The Wall Street Journal deemed THE FEUD “popular history the way it ought to be written,” and the Daily Telegraph called Dean’s groundbreaking biography PATRICK O'BRIAN: A LIFE REVEALED “a model of how these things should be: skeptical, generous and almost as well informed as the master himself.”

You can learn more about Dean at deanhking.com or keep up with him on Facebook.

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Customers say.

Customers find the story compelling and interesting. They describe the writing as clear and easy to read. Readers appreciate the well-researched information about desert life at that time. The human spirit and will to live are highlighted as themes. The book explores friendship, kinship, and the importance of relationships in survival.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find the story compelling and interesting, with a well-written narrative that draws them into the unfolding drama. The characters are superb, and the historical asides provide perspective. Readers describe the book as a gripping history lesson that reads like a novel.

"...brig Commerce along the Northern Africa coast, but it is also a compelling and tightly written story that will hold the reader's interest and give..." Read more

"...King's prose flows smoothly and is not without a few novelistic flairs of colorful description ...." Read more

"...This is a great action packed true story . I read the 353 page book in 2 days...." Read more

"A very racy and edge of the seat account of the sufferings of the white slaves in Zahara by Dean King...." Read more

Customers enjoy the story. They find it an amazing historical epic adventure with a heart of faith. The book is described as a true story of strength, determination, and courage. Readers appreciate the details of survival in the desert and the lifestyle of their captors. Overall, they describe it as a piece of local history.

"...Much like other shipwreck novels, it is a story of survival , undergoing hardship, and how even under the most adverse conditions men can, and do,..." Read more

"If you like true adventure you will love this book. Lots of interesting history as well as a great story." Read more

"...This is a gripping tale that is very well told and should leave the reader wishing that at least a few of the crew's tormentors had met sundry nasty..." Read more

"...Look at all the 5 star reviews by reviewers. This is an excellent classic survival story . 5 stars and proudly added to our family library." Read more

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it well-told, easy to read, and realistic. The descriptions are vivid and artful, with a graphic account of the geography and lifestyles of the people in Zahara. While the book isn't overly lengthy, some feel the first half drags on.

"...I also appreciate the explanations at the end and the very readable Notes section ...." Read more

"...the Northern Africa coast, but it is also a compelling and tightly written story that will hold the reader's interest and give tremendous insight..." Read more

" Tremendously well-written and researched. Difficult to put down. Read it in two days...." Read more

Customers find the book provides interesting and informative information about desert life at the time. They appreciate the well-researched and detailed writing style. The book also provides valuable historical details about the time and place.

"This is a monumental work . I am amazed at the amount of research that went into the making of this book...." Read more

"...The book gives comprehensive insight into the life of the nomads; their almost complete reliance on Camels..." Read more

"Tremendously well-written and researched . Difficult to put down. Read it in two days...." Read more

"... King's research has been thorough and also taps into the survival tales of other crews stranded in that region in the early 1800s...." Read more

Customers find the book inspiring and a testament to the human spirit. They appreciate the personalities and strengths of the characters, as well as the interesting lifestyle of their captors. The story gives readers insights into life in the desert lands, with an objective depiction of nomadic tribal ethos. Readers also mention that the book is a great read about the character and nature of a group of real people.

"...written story that will hold the reader's interest and give tremendous insight into life in the barren desert lands of North Africa and the nomadic..." Read more

"...The reader will not be board and gains much empathy with Captain Riley and his crew. There are some maps and a few B/W pictures of various men...." Read more

"This book caught my eye due to its different and unusual subject matter...." Read more

"...with an interest in adventure, American history, nautical lore, Islamic culture , and the triumph of the soul over the body, and is yet additional..." Read more

Customers find the book about friendship, kinship, and endurance. They appreciate the strong bond that develops between characters.

"...under the worst conditions imaginable, I was also captivated by the strong bond that developed between Captain Riley and his "owner" Hamet, who..." Read more

"...heartbreaking and difficult to read, there are heroes and acts of kindness on both sides and ultimately the story is uplifting...." Read more

"...of the challenging nomadic life and lawlessness on the Sahara, kindness of strangers and incredible cruelty. Highly recommend." Read more

"Amazing story of fortitude, morality, kinship and endurance. Thoroughly engrossing tale. Very highly recommend...." Read more

Customers have different views on the book's pacing. Some find it steady and engaging, keeping them hooked until the end. Others mention it starts slowly, with a slow start.

"...a good job of placing the reader in the environment, maintaining suspense when necessary , and providing insight at key moments...." Read more

"...crew eventually found their way back to freedom makes for a relentless page turner - though one that is grim, devastatingly dark, and, but for a..." Read more

" Slow beginning . Once the ship wrecks, it is hard to put this book down...." Read more

"...they were doomed at every turn, and the author did a great job of maintaining the suspense ...." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the brutality of the book. Some find it well-written and fascinating, praising the sailors' determination and grit to overcome challenges. Others feel the account is too brutal and grim for their taste.

"Being shipwrecked is almost always bad , but being stranded on the coastal fringe of the Sahara Desert where the "lucky" survivors will be..." Read more

"I read this book with horror , fascination, deep interest ... and incredulity...." Read more

"...back to freedom makes for a relentless page turner - though one that is grim , devastatingly dark, and, but for a solitary dream, totally devoid of..." Read more

"...knowledge, his recasting of memoirs by two of the shipwrecked sailors was done extremely well ...." Read more

Reviews with images

Having been to the Sahara on a tour, this story was extra interesting!

Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal book about a tremendous ordeal.

4.0 out of 5 stars A compelling story of survival and perserverence of the human spirit

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific, 5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating book, 4.0 out of 5 stars american slaves in africa, top reviews from other countries.

5.0 out of 5 stars True story of the wreck of the US ship 'Commerce'

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best books you will be lucky to read., 5.0 out of 5 stars intriguing insight into the world of men and the coastal sahara, 4.0 out of 5 stars zahara, 4.0 out of 5 stars got it a bargain price in excellent condition. a lot of research went into the ..., report an issue.

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• Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story...

Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival

• About the Book

On a calm May morning in 1815, Captain James Riley and the crew of the Commerce left port in Connecticut for an ordinary trading voyage. They could never have imagined what awaited them.

Their nightmare began with a dreadful shipwreck off the coast of Africa, a hair-raising confrontation with hostile native tribesmen within hours of being washed ashore, and a hellish confinement in a rickety longboat as they tried, without success, to escape the fearsome coast. Eventually captured by desert nomads and sold into slavery, Riley and his men were dragged along on an insane journey through the bone-dry heart of the Sahara-a region unknown to Westerners. Along the way the Americans would encounter everything that could possibly test them: barbarism, murder, starvation, plagues of locusts, death, sandstorms that lasted for days, dehydration, and hostile tribes that roamed the desert on armies of camels. They would discover ancient cities and secret oases. They would also discover a surprising bond between a Muslim trader and an American sea captain, men who began as strangers, were forced to become allies in order to survive, and, in the tempering heat of the desert, became friends-even as the captain hatched a daring betrayal in order to save his men.

From the cold waters of the Atlantic to the searing Saharan sands, Skeletons on the Zahara is a spectacular odyssey through the extremes. Destined to become a classic among adventure narratives, Dean King's masterpiece is an unforgettable tale of survival, courage, and brotherhood.

Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival by Dean King

• Publication Date: September 19, 2012
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
• ISBN-10: 0316835145
• ISBN-13: 9780316835145

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Summary  |  Excerpt  |  Reading Guide  |  Reviews  |  Read-Alikes  |  Genres & Themes  |  Author Bio

Skeletons on the Zahara

A True Story of Survival

• Critics' Consensus ( 3 ) :
• Readers' Rating ( 4 ):
• First Published:
• Jan 1, 2004, 368 pages
• Apr 2005, 385 pages
• Biography & Memoir
• History, Current Affairs and Religion
• Travel & Adventure
• Middle-East (West Asia)
• 19th Century
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