James Cathcart is an American merchant sailor captured by Algerian pirates in 1785. At age seventeen he becomes a slave of Hassan Bashaw, dey of Algiers. James Cathcart is caught in the drama of world events of the time. American merchant ships, filled with timber, died cod, fur and rum are sent to customers in Europe and North Africa. Many are captured by Barbary pirates. Discover how James Cathcart went from Second Mate of the Merchant ship Maria to First Christian Secretary to the ruler of Algeria. President George Washington sends an envoy to negotiate the freedom of American sailors, but Hassan Bashaw rejects the puny offer. James Cathcart is the catalyst between two nations at war. He is a loyal American, but a dedicated ward of the Algerian ruler. The lives of many American citizens are at stake.