Black Ships

Black Ships (a term used in Japan for foreign vessels arriving in the country in the 16th and 19th centuries) depicts one of the most significant events in modern world history: the discovery of Japan in 1854 by the U.S. Navy under Commodore Matthew Perry. Author Wilson (Secrets of the Ninja) has previously adapted Japanese classic texts and history into the graphic form, including Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure, legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings, as well as a biography of Musashi. Incorporating Wilson's knowledge with the illustrations of longtime collaborator and manga artist Shimojima (The 47 Ronin; Cold Mountain: The Legend of Han Shan and Shih Te), this work expertly portrays the clash of cultures that occurred when Perry sailed twice to Japan and how the changes he set into motion fundamentally transformed the country's past and laid the groundwork for industrialization and the birth of modern Japan.Verdict Shimojima's light manga artwork coupled with Wilson's succinct, well-researched narrative will entice readers both teen and adult into learning about this seminal moment in time that helped to forge a world power.—Alger C. Newberry III, Genesee Dist. Lib., Flint, MI