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Black Ships: Illustrated Japanese History--The Americans Arrive Kindle & comiXology

by Sean Michael Wilson (Author), Akiko Shimojima (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
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On the 14th of July, 1853, the USS Plymouth, Mississippi, Saratoga, and Susquehanna sailed into Yokosuka, Japan. The mysterious "Black Ships" had arrived.

In this stirring account of a pivotal moment in modern Japanese history, award-winning author and illustrator team Sean Michael Wilson and Akiko Shimojima tell the story of the four American "Black Ships" that arrived in Japan in 1853 under the command of Commodore Perry to force Japan to open up to trade. The book compellingly portrays the apprehension and confusion of the Japanese people witnessing the Black Ships steaming into view over the horizon; the anxious response of the samurai; the cat-and-mouse game that ensued; the protracted negotiations; and the eventual agreement signed on March 31st, 1854, as the Treaty of Kanagawa. Historically accurate and with an easy-to-read visual format, Black Ships conveys the personalities of the key figures in the drama: on one side, Commodore Perry and his captains, and on the other, Shogunate officials Abe Masahiro and Hayashi Akira. Wilson and Shimojima vividly capture the atmosphere of threat and change that pervaded Japan during Bakumatsu, the final years of the Edo period, as the feudal Tokugawa shogunate took its last breaths and gave way to the new Meiji government.
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  1. Part of Series
    Black Ships
  2. Print length
    112 pages
  3. Language
    English
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  5. Publisher
    North Atlantic Books
  6. Publication date
    March 7, 2017
  7. File size
    26349 KB
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

SEAN MICHAEL WILSON is a Scottish writer living in Japan. He has written more than 20 books, published by a variety of US, UK and Japanese publishers and translated into ten languages. In 2016 his book of Lafcadio Hearn stories, The Faceless Ghost was nominated for the prestigious 'Eisner Book Awards', and received a medal in the 2016 'Independent Publisher Book Awards'. 

AKIKO SHIMOJIMA is a comic and manga artist from Tokyo, Japan. A teacher of digital comics art at a school in Tokyo, she is the illustrator of The 47 Ronin and has contributed work to many other publications. Her book with Sean Michael Wilson, Secrets of the Ninja, got a medal in the 10th International Manga Award, organised by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01GYPMJTY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ North Atlantic Books (March 7, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 7, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 26349 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 112 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

About the author

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Sean Michael Wilson

Sean Michael Wilson

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Sean Michael Wilson is a Harvey and Eisner nominated comic book writer from Scotland. He has had more than 30 books published with a variety of US, UK and Japanese publishers. Although also writing 'western' style graphic novels, such as adaptations of classical novels, he often works with Japanese and Chinese artists on manga style books.

He is currently the only British creator writing books for big Japanese publisher Kodansha. He is also the editor of the critically acclaimed collection 'AX:alternative manga' (one of Publishers Weekly's 'Best ten books of 2010' and nominated for a Harvey Award) and writer of the Stan Lee Award winning adaptation of 'Sweeney Todd'. In 2016 his book 'The Faceless Ghost' was nominated for the prestigious Eisner Book Awards, and received a medal in the 2016 'Independent Publisher Book Awards'. His book 'Secrets of the Ninja' was awarded a medal in the 10th 'International Manga Awards' of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs - the first British person to receive that award.

He has given talks on Gekiga style manga and AX in the USA, UK and Japan, to try to increase knowledge of mature, literary style manga. He has received various grants in support of his publications. In general, Wilson has attempted to do comic books that are different from the normal superhero/fantasy brands, working with a variety of 'non-comic book' organisations in the process. His book with War on Want, 'Iraq:Operation Corporate Takeover' was reported on by a variety of mainstream agencies - such as Reuters, CCTV in China and several Middle Eastern magazines. His main influences remain British and American creators - such as Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Eddie Campbell and Harvey Pekar.

http://seanmichaelwilson.weebly.com

http://sean-michael-wilson.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @SeanMichaelWord

https://www.instagram.com/seanmichaelwilson/

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
13 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

David Haley
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting!
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
I’m using this as part of a professional development book study. I really enjoy the way it’s presented and it’s a good depiction of the US “opening” Japan to the modern world.
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Walkerpeople
5.0 out of 5 stars "I loved Black Ships
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2018
Some reviews for the book I've noticed in other places:

"I loved Black Ships. This was my 1st illustrated history. I congratulate Wilson and Shimojima's skillful use of text and art to provide an exciting description of a part of history of which I was unaware. Particularly being able to "feel" Perry's insensitivity to the concerns of the Japanese against his desires to get ports opened for American ships was so interesting for a comic book. I am truly looking forward to your next book of:Illustrated Japanese History:The Satsuma Rebellion." - Patriica, Goodreads

"This is a Graphic Novel, AKA comic book, but much more. It is an easy read with pictures explaining the U.S. -Japanese involvement from about 1853 through about the next ten to twenty years, with Belgium, England, Russia interspersed as well. Although I love History, and always did well in the school subject, I remember Commodore Perry. I can't help but think, however, that I might have done even better [and others might have done as well] if I had had supplementary books such as this to add to my understanding of the various points of the historical picture. There appears to be another book coming, and I am looking forward to it."
- Coleen, Goodreads

"A history comic book is a really cool idea. I don't think that I've seen anything quite like this. The format is easy to read, the dates are offset from the narrative text so they don't get in the way of the story."
- Chris, Goodreads

"A beautifully well-drawn history of events that happened in Japan in 1800's. I enjoyed following this tale of history in picture form. The detail and graphic are fantastic for this history period. A must read for any lovers of books with graphic pictures to show for this story."
- Antonia, Goodreads
2 people found this helpful
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Gregory G.
2.0 out of 5 stars Biased history
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2019
Verified Purchase
Neither accurate nor balanced. Yes, America was involved in an imperial incursion into the Western Pacific, but, the situation is far more complicated and nuanced than this short illustrated book makes it out to be.
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