Skeletons on the Zahara

Just when you think it couldn't get worse--more painful, more hopeless--it does. This is the true story of a hapless American sea captain who, in 1815, had his merchantman brig ripped out from under him on the western coast of Africa. Most of the book then follows the sufferings of the sailors as they were thrust into slavery by the Muslim nomadic natives. There is much cultural insight here. Michael Prichard lends his baritone to the proceedings, neither enhancing nor detracting from the multiple cringe-inducing episodes and interesting historical anecdotes. D.R.W. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine


A true historical narrative of American sailors shipwrecked and abducted into slavery, this is a story even Hollywood couldn't improve. Michael Prichard's reserved style is surprising at first, given such dramatic content. However, when the listener is transported to the early nineteenth century, and the monotony of life on the seas or sands, his steady, even tone--well enunciated, measured, and deliberate--is well received. But for those used to more dramatic readings, the narration may seem monotonous in parts. His English pronunciation of Arabic words, for those familiar with that language, serves to underscore the alienation of these American characters trapped in a foreign land. M.R. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine