Product Description
Two African children following their mission of exploring African-American history record the story of Matthew Henson, one of the first two explorers to reach the North Pole. ... Read more

Product Description

On July 14, 1853, the four warships of America's East Asia Squadron made for Kurihama, 30 miles south of the Japanese capital, then called Edo. It had come to pry open Japan after her two and a half centuries of isolation and nearly a decade of intense planning by Matthew Perry, the squadron commander. The spoils of the recent Mexican Spanish–American War had whetted a powerful American appetite for using her soaring wealth and power for commercial and political advantage.

Perry's cloaking of imperial impulse in humanitarian purpose was fully matched by Japanese self–deception. High among the country's articles of faith was certainty of its protection by heavenly power. A distinguished Japanese scholar argued in 1811 that "Japanese differ completely from and are superior to the peoples of...all other countries of the world."

So began one of history's greatest political and cultural clashes.

In BREAKING OPEN JAPAN, George Feifer makes this drama new and relevant for today. At its heart were two formidable men: Perry and Lord Masahiro Abe, the political mastermind and real authority behind the Emperor and the Shogun. Feifer gives us a fascinating account of "sealed off" Japan and shows that Perry's aggressive handling of his mission had far reaching consequences for Japan – and the United States – well into the twentieth if not twenty–first century.

Customer Reviews (11)

Irritating
This book makes it sound as if America is a world bully. America hardly ever tries to get into anybody else's business unless we have to or forced to. I wish this book was not required to be read for my Battle of Okinawa class.

Needs an editor!
The subject is interesting and timely [taking US values to far corners of the world]. But the writing is abismal. Here is a typical sentence: "Anerican newspapers helped swell the numbers who knew little more about Japan than the cruelty they reported." Did you have to read that sentence twice before getting its meaning? Well you will read many sentences twice in this book. Who taught the author how to write?Where was the Smithsonian Books editor?

The book is also chaotically organized. Many chapters do not reflect their titles. The timeline is often hard to find.

Concerning content, Feifer misses completely how "modern" Japan was in its own terms when Commodore Perry arrived. Edo [Tokyo] was a city of one million people and larger than London. It had department stores. Although Perry remained ignorant of such facts, to understand the "breaking open" the reader of this book should get more than just tabloid style exposés of leading Japanese figures like Abe Masahiro, the Shoguns "prime minister".

A book written from note cards that got dropped on the floor and shuffled.

Good Story.Difficult Prose.

This is a fascinating story and the author presents substantive research.There is some good prose in parts, such as the character development of Commodore Perry and descriptions of Okinawa, but on the whole it is not a smooth read.The 4 stars I'm giving it are for its importance as a contribution to our understanding of this period, the author's discussion on the impact of the attitude with which Perry'smission was accomplished, and the research that has been brought together.

Had there not been such good material and insight, the text was so choppy that I would have not finished the book.The dangling ideas, that is, concepts introduced but not previously explained or later followed up on, were frustrating.Then there are a lot of tortured sentences and then some grammar that had to be ignored to get the meaning.

One example of a dangling idea was the paragraph that ended by saying that Abe Mashihiro had won an important victory in the appointment of his recommended defense advisor followed by a paragraph saying that the appointee was "his (Abe's) the most vocal critic."What did I miss? By this time in the book, I no longer flipped back.The concept of a victory for Abe getting a critic an influential position isn't ever clear. It could be that the author meant it in the wider context that through this appointment there was no war, but that isn't clear either.

An example of the tortured prose, on p. 190 regarding Perry's son in law and grandson:

"New York's high society made him "King of Fifth Avenue". (New York Belmont Race Track and the Belmont Stakes are named after him, while in Newport, Rhode Island one of the sumptuous "cottages" was built by Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, the son of "King" and Perry's daughter, together with Alva Vanderbilt previously married to William K. Vanderbilt)".

A grammar example (while you know it's Abe, there are two antecedents for him, not one) is on p. 243 "More than ever, Abe and the roju made the important decisions; with the senior counselors increasinly deferring to him about those concerning Perry..."

While the text was a real drawback (for me), there is a lot of food for thought in the analysis of what it Perry's actions meant for US-Japanese relations for the next 100 years, the unequal treaties, the symbolism of the USS Missouri receiving the Japanese surrender in Uraga Bay and the comparison of China's attitude and policies toward western trade and intervention.

For general readers interested in the seclusion period I recommend Samurai William: The Englishman Who Opened Japan and Native American in the Land of the Shogun: Ranald Macdonald and the Opening of Japan.

a radically different view of American history
If you think you knew and understood American history this brilliant book will make you think again.The author sets out to show that America arrogantly decided to force Japan to open its doors to foreigners and trade, a decision that turned out to be the first step along the path that was to lead to Pearl Harbor. He succeeds admirably. This is readable, controversial history with a lesson for what is going on in Iraq today. A must book for serious thinkers.

Essential Reading
On one level this remarkable book will provide invaluable background for anyone interested in understanding why Japan's love-hate relationship with the United States continues to this day. It should also serve to underline the dangers of imposing one nation's views on another.
But the book will also appeal to readers simply interested in a rich historical tour of Japan at the dawn of its modern era. The skillful weaving of the descriptions of the personalities, prejudices and political backgrounds of Commodore Perry and his Japanese counterpart Lord Abe brings to life and keeps in focus a story that might otherwise have drifted into an academic dissertation.
Breaking Open Japan will now be added to my list of must-reads for friends and acquaintances interested in peeling away the layers of a society that remains the most complex and conflicted of the modern era. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Leviathan, published by Thomson Gale on October 1, 2006. The length of the article is 2555 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Herman Melville, Matthew Perry, and the narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the china seas and Japan.
Author: Dorsey Kleitz
Publication: Leviathan (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 8Issue: 3Page: 25(8)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! USNS Matthew Perry (T-AKE-9) is a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship of the United States Navy, named in honor of Commodore Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858), who led the effort to open Japan to trade with the West. The contract to build Matthew Perry was awarded to National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) of San Diego, California, on 30 January 2006. Her keel was laid down on 3 October 2008. She was launched and christened on 16 August 2009, sponsored by Hester Evans, a great-great-great granddaughter of Commodore Perry. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Susan B. Anthony, W. E. B. Du Bois, Martha Coakley, David Leavitt, Matthew Perry, Debra Jo Rupp, Paul Farmer, Elizabeth Banks, Anson Jones, Eliza R. Snow, Meg Hutchinson, Emily Robison, Claudius W. Sears, Dan Duquette, Lona Cohen, Ben Silverman, Gene Shalit, Jeff Reardon, Edwin D. Morgan, William J. Johnson, William Henry Barnum, Hezekiah S. Russell, Cyrus West Field, Gregory Whitehead, Eric Schneiderman, Henry V. Boynton, Edward A. Perry, Goodale Sisters, Rix Robinson, Hamish Linklater, Henry Shaw Briggs, George P. Lawrence, Terry Allvord, George Frederick Root, Lue Gim Gong, Ronold W. P. King, Nathan George Horwitt, Jack Chesbro, John Schroeder, Daniel Read Anthony, Van Hansis, Francis Mahoney, John Bacon, Frank Philbrick, Samuel Young, E. B. Farnum, Elnathan Sweet, William Smitty Pignatelli, Jonah Bayliss, Valmore A. Whitaker, Josephine Abady, Elizabeth Graver, Byram Green, John Bennett Perry, Charles E. Hibbard, Patrick J. Moore, Kelton B. Miller, Harry D. Sisson, Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, Nathaniel Jones, George H. Boughton, Harold Stanley, William H. Macinnis, William J. Bacon, William C. Plunkett, Albert Fowler, Charles Stebbins, Cyrus Spink, Elizabeth Blodgett Hall, Lorrin A. Cooke, Augustus P. Hascall, Al Jaffe, Bernard Blair, Bishop Perkins, Stephen Philbrick, Franklin Leonard Pope, Alexander Viets Griswold Allen, Rebecca Field, Chester Dewey, Homer Judd. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 304. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (pronounced ; February 23, 1868 August 27, 1963) was an American civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, sociologist, historian, author, and editor. Historian David Levering Lewis wrote, "In the course of his long, turbulent career, W. E. B. Du Bois attempted virtually every possible solution to the problem of tw...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=89988 ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Cupples and Hurd in 1887 in 496 pages; Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / General; Biography & Autobiography / Historical; Biography & Autobiography / Military; Biography & Autobiography / Presidents & Heads of State; History / Military / United States; History / Military / Naval; ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: American Commodores, Oliver Hazard Perry, Matthew C. Perry, Byron Mccandless, John Lorimer Worden, Joshua R. Sands, George H. Perkins, David Conner, John Marston, Robert F. Lopez, Foxhall A. Parker, Jr., Robert C. Lee. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 54. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: War of 1812 Second Barbary War Mexican-American War Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 March 4, 1858) was the Commodore of the U.S. Navy who compelled the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854. Matthew Perry was the son of Navy Captain Christopher R. Perry and the younger brother of Oliver Hazard Perry. Matthew Perry received a midshipman's commission in the Navy in 1809, and was initially assigned to the USS Revenge, under the command of his elder brother. Under his brother's command, Matthew was a combatant in The Battle of Lake Erie aboard the Flagship Lawrence and the replacement flagship, Niagara. Commodore Perry's early career saw him assigned to several ships, including the USS President, which had been in a victorious engagement over a British vessel, HMS Little Belt, shortly before the War of 1812 was officially declared. Aboard the USS President he served as aide to Commodore John Rodgers. He transferred to the USS United States, and saw little fighting in the war after that, since the ship was trapped in port at New London, Connecticut. Following the signing of the Treaty of Ghent which ended the conflict, he served on various vessels in the Mediterranean. Perry served under Commodore William Bainbridge during the Second Barbary War. He then served in African waters aboard USS Cyane during its patrol off Liberia from 1819-1820. After that cruise, Perry was sent to suppress piracy and the slave trade in the West Indies. Later during this perio...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=204728 ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 722 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Designed to answer such key questions as: How has the U.S. Constitution shaped the economy of the United States? What were the consequences of Prohibition on consumers' behavior? This title presents era overviews, event/movement profiles, biographies, business/industry profiled, geographic profiles, and more. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 660 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450 provides students and researchers with a much-needed, comprehensive resource on the subject of colonialism and expansion. From a global perspective, the set traces many facets of colonial growth and imperialism, including Europe's overseas expansion into the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Pacific, beginning in the 15th century; the collapse of empires; race relations in decolonized regions; and current examples of continuing dependence by much of the developing world on Western nations (often former colonial powers themselves). In addition, a number of articles address the ideology and theories behind colonialism and imperialism, as well as the major and controversial issues at the core of the debate on colonialism and its consequences, such as Apartheid in South Africa, the Maji Mahi Revolt, and the Minas Gerais Conspiracy. ... Read more

Product Description
Who can say how words in thisbook will be received ?Will readers respond to a message about immigration and resilience ? I know my own reaction. I came to the conclusion that nobody would buy in.That was a switch because I had believed people would eat up my every word.As I wrote, a change came over me.I began to believe that my words would also change others.Even Warren Buffett, the modern King Midas.I began to see that my book was not just about emigration and resilience but also about repentance and redemption.I accepted the notion that this was my Pactolus, the river which had lifted the burden of greed and threat from Midas, whose food and drink---and daughter---turned into gold at his touch. Suddenly, Midas was free to live like a person who could touch his food, drink and family members without bad results.He was freed from his addiction to wealth. ----------------------------My 77-year-span unfolded before my eyes. I recorded all traumas in detail---a million words, hundreds of pages. Slowly, I began to understand that I was having a conversion experience.--------------------------I went from admiration and love of pennies, nickels, dimes, riches, wealth---an addicted state of mind---to the realization that I had a condition which I call Buffett mania.As Buffett's biographer Schroeder wrote this year, Buffett did not control money.Rather, money controlled Warren Buffett. In Omaha , Buffett stole his sister's bicycle--because he wanted a trade-in as he bought a bicycle for himself.He shop-lifted golf balls at Sears in Washington so he could sell balls himself. During my careers as chemical engineer and stock-market analyst, I observed Buffett mania in my engineering and business associates but overlooked my addiction. I still have traces of this mental illness.Now I have decided to be a man---to confront Warren Buffett with my book. Buffett's biographerdescribes his mania in a new biography, The Snowball. American preoccupation with economics played a part in Warren Buffett's so-called success and so-called wealth.-----------------------------There is an antidote to the poison of addiction to greed---and that is this book, My Fourteen Lives. My resilience, which saved my life 13 times, is nothing less than a gift from God, who will also save Warren Buffett from his greed. It's not just about my life and that of Warren Buffett because 500,000 other lives hang in the balance.Addiction to greed has targetedmanyvictims for a hellish life and death. Time for repentance and redemption ! Time to give away your money, Mr. Buffett.In your own lifetime.Do it yourself.As Carnegie did.As Rockefeller did.As Morgan did. Time for everybody on "Wall Street" to refuse the end-of-year bonus.Buy books instead. Buy The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the business of life. $35 for 960 pages ! Buy My Fourteen Lives: the many lives of Matthew Valentin PerryGive them as presents.Read them yourself.( You never know...) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The First Generation
Matthew and I were classmates at Waynesburg College and both of us are first generation Americans of Croatian origin.His real name is Mate Pisacich but changed it as an aid to pronunciation.Matthew tells the story of his difficult childhood in a mill town in the suburbs of Pittsburgh (West Mifflin). He continues on through the various stages of his life telling it like it is; one thing about Matthew - he's very honest.When he did well he tells you about it and when he bombed he tells you about that too.Actually it's a typical story of first generation Americans who grew up in the Great Depression. So those of you who were born around 1929 will find it familiar.

Matthew started out as a chemist then turned businessman, and finally stock broker.He would have been very good in the cosmetics business but was in the wrong place at the wrong time: the 1970s recession plus the new age when women didn't wear bras let alone cosmetics.As is true with most people, unfortunately, Matt's goal was money.He is a very good salesman, good in business and he wanted to make a lot of money.He describes many of his trials and tribulations along the way and in the end concluded that "money isn't everything".He rails against those millionaires who stash their money away [Warren Buffet] and admires those who gave it away while they were living [Andrew Carnegie].

I think it's a very nice read but those of you who aren't familiar with Matthew's writing style may find it a little tricky.Just be patient, read it slowly and imagine yourself starting out as a very poor boy in a smoke-choked mill town. ... Read more

Product Description
The Exodus Gate, by Stephen Zimmer, is a modern fantasy novel that is the first release in the Rising Dawn Saga.

The story unfolds around Benedict Darwin, host of a popular late night radio show that deals with the paranormal. Benedict comes into possession of a virtual reality simulator that turns out to be something far greater and more powerful than he ever expected.

Meanwhile, supernatural powers from the depths of the Abyss and their human allies are working tirelessly to bring about a One World Government. They are also laboring to bridge the boundaries between time and space to bring back the Nephilim, the monstrous offspring of Fallen Avatars and humans that were destroyed in a Great Flood that occurred long ages ago.

An epic tale of courage, hope, and adventure, with fantastical realms and exotic creatures, The Exodus Gate is sure to appeal to a wide range of fantasy readers. The first edition also features 15 full page illustrations by the artist Matthew Perry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

An Epic for Our Time
Nephilim, a One World Government, events of apocalyptic proportions. Just another "Christian End Times" fiction, you say? Well, not exactly.

In The Exodus Gate, Stephen Zimmer begins a seven-book epic (and secular) saga that combines the myths of Judeao-Christian, Babylonian/Sumerian, and Assyrian apocalyptic texts with an added dash of his own epic dark fantasy twist (and possibly an esoteric sprinkle or two of gnosticism), and weaves a tale that rivals The Lord of the Rings in its scope and The Stand in its characterization depth.

Being the first in the Rising Dawn Saga, this book's primary purpose is to set up the overall world and introduce the large cast of characters (with the main character being Benedict Darwin), each with their own agendas and sometimes even secrets (I, personally, am already rooting for Erishkegal, but that's just me). But there is still plenty of well-paced action and plot to keep you reading. The main downside I had was the sheer size of the book. It's only half the size of The Stand, and I wanted More! Dammit! More!

Some readers might be put off by the size of the book, and if you don't know it's basically a large chapter in a grand sweeping saga then you also might feel lost near the end. But the characters will grow on you, especially the An-Ki-Zimmer's unique take on the werewolf myth-loyal and honorable servants of Adonai.

Overall, it's a fine start to what promises to be an awesome saga that will keep you reading for days (in between a nap or two, of course).

And besides, Erishkegal is awesome!

Solid Epic Urban Fantasy
"The Exodus Gate" is book one of a seven part series from author, screenwriter, and director, Stephen Zimmer.To be completely honest, I know Zimmer fairly well as a fellow author doing the convention circuit throughout the year to sell our books.Normally I'm not a fan of ongoing series because far too often I feel there is too much filler and not enough meat.

The ideas behind this series is clearly epic in nature, requiring a good deal of development and change in our main characters lives.Yes, there are several main characters though radio talk show host Benedict is the principle viewpoint we see time and time again.

Benedict's world and the world of the supernatural are on a course to bleed into each other thanks to an almost mindless pursuit of more technology and more entertainment that correctly mirrors several trends happening today in our world.There is some political and social commentary within this novel but primarily it's a journey we are taken on to discover the horror that lies right outside our normal sight.

A great introduction to a new series for those who love epic scale and the genres of urban fantasy coupled with speculation about the origins of the universe and it's potential death.

Great Story
I completely enjoyed The Exodus Gate by Stephen Zimmer.The build up in the last 3/4 of the book had me turning the pages wanting to know what was going to happen next.I'm not big on long reviews so all I have to say is if you are looking for a good fantasy book in line with Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia then The Exodus Gate is a sure bet.

Can't wait to read book two in the series.Keep them coming.

Excellent first novel
The end of the world was coming, but almost no one believed it.

A fan of Benedict Darwin, host of a late night radio talk show, loans him what is supposed to be the prototype of a new virtual reality game. Darwin soon realizes this is unlike any game ever known when he steps into the device's elaborate harness and is instantly transported into a world where talking wolf-man hybrids called An-Ki are at war with the Nephilim and demons from the Abyss. The creatures he encounters, and the world they inhabit, are not mere computer constructs, images on wireframe. He can feel the ground beneath his feet, the wind on his face, and smell the odors of a different world.Excited, Darwin shows the game to his niece, Arianna, unwittingly making her a player in the drama that is about to unfold.

It rapidly becomes certain that the Gate was designed for more nefarious purposes than mere entertainment. The game is not a game at all, but a Gate through time and space, allowing Darwin to travel to before the Great Flood. His usage of the Gate attracts the attention of the High Avatar Calliel, who wishes to deliver the An-Ki from their watery doom into the modern world. Darwin learns that there are others, Fallen Avatars who have a similar goal in mind: to cheat Adonai of His Plan to rid the world of the evil that has overtaken it by sending themselves and their Nephilim offspring into the future.

Darwin and his niece are caught up in a growing conflict between the Fallen Avatars and the An-Ki. Unable to prevent the Gate's use by the Fallen, they work to stop the Nephilim, their Masters and minions from obliterating the An-Ki and taking back the power they lost at the Flood.

Stephen Zimmer has given us an epic tale that stretches across millennia and myth. He casts ordinary people in a most extraordinary situation and takes us along for a terrifying and sometimes horrifying ride. The unbridled evil of the Fallen Avatars is echoed in their children, while the An-Ki's noble struggle for survival is often heartbreaking. The hope offered by the presence of the High Avatar Calliel is the only thing that might carry the An-Ki through - if their internal discord can be contained.

The first book of the Rising Dawn Saga, The Exodus Gate is a promising beginning to what will probably be a thrilling trilogy in a style that is a cross between Clark Ashton Smith and C.S. Lewis for its usage of mythic and religious symbols in a fantastic mixture of the ancient and modern worlds.

Amazingly Captivating
As mentioned earlier, I could NOT put this book down.I found myself picking it up every free moment I could to follow the exploits of Benedict Darwin.The book is extremely well written and brings an incredibly fresh look at the fantasy sci/fi genre.The characters are created with such depth that by the time you finish the book, you swear that they are in fact real people.Leaves you wanting for the next chapter in this saga.The book is very detailed but is presented in such a way that it doesn't bog down the flow of the story, something rarely seen in today's novels.I highly recommend picking a copy of this up and getting to know the creative work that Stephen Zimmer has produced.CANNOT WAIT to get my hands on the next one...... ... Read more