How Long to Read The Lionkeeper of Algiers

By Des Ekin

How Long Does it Take to Read The Lionkeeper of Algiers?

It takes the average reader 4 hours and 32 minutes to read The Lionkeeper of Algiers by Des Ekin

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

In 1785, just a few years after U.S. Independence, a young American named James Leander Cathcart is kidnapped at sea and carried as prisoner to the maverick North African statelet of Algiers, where he is held as a political hostage along with hundreds of other seamen captured on the open seas. The piratical corsairs of Algiers have decided, without any warning, to exploit the vulnerability of the newborn United States by seizing its mariners and holding them for ransom while ruthlessly exploiting their free labor. Today, the name of James Leander Cathcart has been all but forgotten by history. And yet he was one of the most remarkable figures in the early story of the fledgling United States. The Lionkeeper of Algiers reveals the extraordinary and unlikely story of Cathcart, who, thanks to his flair for languages and his formidable human intuition, rose steadily up the ranks from lionkeeper at the Dey’s private zoo to become Chief Clerk at the Palace, along the way amassing a chain of taverns in Algiers that functioned as safe houses and food banks for American prisoners. Eleven years later, just one among more than one hundred US hostages in Algiers, Cathcart was paroled back to America and charged with delivering a vital letter to President George Washington, saving a tenuous peace deal and bringing the other captives home. Remarkably, his sense of honor compelled him to go back to Algiers – where he had never formally been made free – to see the peace project through. Cathcart would go on to become a U.S. diplomat in the lands where he was held captive for more than a decade. Featuring some of the most prominent Americans of the era like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, as well as ordinary citizens like Hannah Stephens, the wife of a sea captain who tirelessly lobbied Congress until she was finally reunited with her husband after more than a decade, author Des Ekin’s captivating storytelling brings this adventure to life. This page-turning narrative follows the twists and turns of Cathcart’s own life upon the international stage of diplomacy, trade, and maritime statecraft at a time when America’s place in the world was hanging in the balance.

How long is The Lionkeeper of Algiers?

The Lionkeeper of Algiers by Des Ekin is 271 pages long, and a total of 68,021 words.

This makes it 91% the length of the average book. It also has 83% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read The Lionkeeper of Algiers Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 6 hours and 11 minutes to read The Lionkeeper of Algiers aloud.

What Reading Level is The Lionkeeper of Algiers?

The Lionkeeper of Algiers is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy The Lionkeeper of Algiers?

The Lionkeeper of Algiers by Des Ekin is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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