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| Category: |
Historical Fiction |
Publisher: |
Twilight Times Books |
ISBN-10: |
1933353927 |
Type: |
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| Pages: |
288 |
Copyright: |
September, 2007 |
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Fiction |
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A 19th-century high-seas adventure story based on the life of Manjiro Nakahama, a poor fisherboy stranded on an uninhabited island and rescued by an American whaling ship. He lived in the U.S. for ten years, repatriated himself, was instrumental as an informant to the Japanese government during the opening of Japan, came to the States two more times, and brought to Japan the knowledge of animal exploitation he learned in the West.
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The New Bedford Samurai
This book contains adventures on the oceans of the world, whaling scenes, a trip with a captain who goes insane, an episode during California's gold rush, life in 19th-century Japan and New England, and meditations on globalization and its dire effects on the environment, from the 19th century to the present.
Excerpt
As Aunt Millie had predicted, his stomach, filled with good tea, bread and butter and jam, rumbled less. His restless thoughts circled over the coast of Japan, crying like a gull in wind, for his country, for the hapless men in jail, but as the dark of sleep overtook Manjiro, he dreamed not of that darkness but, surprising himself, of Mr. Buck’s beautiful glass buoys, dancing on the waves, marking the spots where, deep on the ocean floor, cedar slats imprisoned creatures whose mighty claws would not suffice to spring them.
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Paperback
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Professional Reviews
The New Bedford Samurai
Shipwrecked on a deserted island with three companions, fourteen year-old Manjiro has already known a lifetime of hardship and oppression, and it has given him a spirit that won’t be conquered. When the others begin to give up hope, he forms a plan for rescue that results in their salvation by an American whaling ship. In a time when Japan is still closed to outsiders, Manjiro is given a chance to see the world beyond the borders of Japan. Aboard the whaling ship, he learns a seaman’s life, and when his benefactor and savior, Captain William Whitfield, brings him home to New Bedford, Massachusetts, he quickly adapts to American ways, though in his heart, he dreams of returning to Japan so as to help his country better understand the ways of the world. When the opportunity comes to return home after many years, he struggles with his identity as a man who loves two countries, yet belongs wholly to neither.
Coursing through the nineteenth century, around the globe, and across several cultures, The New Bedford Samurai is a book that educates us of the errors of the past and enlightens to how little change has been made in over one hundred years in regards to racism and the threat humans still inflict on the planet. The tale follows the real life person of Manjiro Nakahama from his youth to elderly death, and by writing his life story, author Vlasopolos not only allows readers to learn about this remarkable man who worked to bring two cultures together, but also gives an in depth look into many societies of that time; that of the poor peasants of Japan before the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate; the lives of sailors aboard the whaling ships of old who had their own sub-culture and laws of survival; the people of New Bedford, whose lives were touched by Manjiro.
Not only are the stories of Manjiro and the people he met told, but the story of the planet, the gruesome slaughter of whales being hunted for their precious oil, the short-tailed albatross brought to near extinction for the sake of adorning ladies’ hats with its beautiful plumage, and how still in this “modern” age, the planet is continually exploited for the want of money and comfort. Author Vlasopolos does a wonderful job in spreading awareness about the past, and the repercussions our present actions could have on the future world. Written with the creativity and excitement of a work of fiction, but the authority and truth of nonfiction, The New Bedford Samurai is a book that must be picked up, and when it is, it grants all readers a deeper appreciation for the people and creatures we share this planet with.
The New Bedford Samurai
An interesting fusion of nonfiction, historical information, and the environmental effects of 19th-century globalization, this book tells the story of Manjiro Nakahama, a Japanese boy who in 1841 runs away from home. His adventures with four older men on a fishing boat, being cast ashore on a deserted island with his shipmates, his rescue by an American whaling boat, and his return to Japan where he becomes a samurai, are all interspersed with contemplative sections on various animals, places, and other fascinating tales related to environmental pollution and declining species due to man’s industrial revolution.
The blend between historical action and current concerns is expertly woven by the author. A partial bibliography is included for those who wish to explore and learn more about the issues portrayed in the novel. The New Bedford Samurai is a wonderful and exciting tale, as well as an informative tome.
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