King was first inspired to research the subject in 1995 when he was in the
New York Yacht Club library researching
Harbors and High Seas, which he would publish in 2000. He spotted an old leather-bound book on a shelf with the title
Sufferings In Africa. Originally published in 1817 and sub-titled
An Authentic Narrative of the Loss of the American Brig Commerce, the book is a first-hand account written by
Captain James Riley, an American sea captain wrecked off the coast of North Africa in his ship . After narrowly escaping capture by nomadic Arabs plundering the wreck, Riley and his crew made a futile attempt at sea in a longboat, and upon return to shore were forced into slavery by Arab tribesmen. often using the libraries at the
University of Richmond and the
Library of Virginia, and even the
Science Museum of Virginia. Both autobiographies had been international bestsellers upon their release, and Riley and Robbins were national heroes in their own time. After his experiences, Riley had been a staunch
abolitionist.
Travels with National Geographic In order to more fully understand the travails of the sailors, King decided to personally retrace their struggles through the desert. ;Journey by camel They traveled more than 100 miles across the western
Sahara Desert on foot and by camel in order to experience a similar journey to Captain Riley. While they tried to avoid dangerous extremes of dehydration, starvation, and sunburn, King claims they experienced eerily similar events to Riley, King even falling off his camel in an identical way. King subjected himself to running barefoot across burning sand and sharp rocks, and scaling dangerous cliffs. He also endured the camel's torturous gait, called "the rack". "It was brutal," King says. "After [riding for] 20 miles, I was bleeding through a hole in my back. It was like sitting on a jackhammer." King was surprised to see that much of the land had stayed relatively unchanged since 1815. == Publishing ==