The Intolerable Hulks: British Shipboard Confinement 1776-1857

Book Description

This second, updated edition details the history of British shipboard confinement from its beginning in 1776 to its end in 1857. Illustrations include contemporary sketches of the hulks.

Customer Reviews:

Important link in history.......2007-01-04

This is a well researched book that provides a link in the time between convicts being sentenced to transportation from England and their actual transportation. Many of these men were held on the hulks at various ports in England for months and years before being sent to Australia. This book details the names of the hulks, the previous history of the ships and the conditions under which the convicts were held.

Former Warden Charles Campbell chronicles the birth of for-profit prisons.......2006-08-31

Before the internet facilitated such an endeavor, Charles Campbell exhaustively researched archives, newspapers and books to tease out the essence of, causes and conditions on British prison ships, post-American revolution. When the American Colonies were no longer available a safety valve for those who were systematically excluded from British society because of class, poverty, status as orphans or abandoned children and personal behavior, the government contracted for thousands of convicts to be held in abominable conditions for a set price.
Much in the manner of for-profit prisons today, this foray into short sighted expediency created a horrendous system that dragged on for many decades before the Australian colonies were able to absorb society's outcasts. An epilogue recounts how New York Mayor Ed Koch engaged in the same untenable "solution" to crime and prison overcrowding by commissioning the City's own prison ships in what became an unmitigated economic disaster: Using them cost an average of one million dollars per prisoner.

Customer Reviews:

A great account of US glider forces in WW II........1998-08-15

Mr. Devlin's "Silent Wings" is a great account of the US Army's glider forces during World War Two. It is well researched and well written. It contains a lot of historical information about the early days of the Army's glider training program and the problems of designing and building combat gliders in the United States.

The book contains detailed information about the many airborne and glider operations during the war. Of special interest is the descriptions of operations in Burma and the Phillipines. Mr. Devlin has skillfull included many first hand accounts into his book. The accounts give insight into the problems and luck that accompany the airborne soldier into battle. The book contains many photographs and specifications on the various glider designs used by the US Army. Although not as detailed as "History of the World's Glider Forces" by Alan Wood "Silent Wings" it is solidly researched and easy to read.

Book Description

In her quest across feudal Japan to avenge the murder of her parents, Rin has seen too much death and agony. When she befriends a young boy, she is horrified to discover that his father is one of the band of assassins. Weary of blood, Rin now wishes only an apology from the killer, a mask maker whose only desire is to keep his evil past from his son and who will take up the sword again to protect his secret. Collecting issues #3-8 of On Silent Wings.

Customer Reviews:

easy and fast.......2005-08-08

this transaction was completed very nicely and we are happy with the book

Review of Volume Two.......2002-10-11

(Readers please not that this is a review of the second part of this two volume series. I am making every effort to avoid any spoilers, but it is impossible not to give away some information. Please keep that in mind if you read this review before actually reading Part One)

This volume opens with a very dark episode recalling the rape and murder of Rin's mother. While this story has been told before (see 'Blood of a Thousand') the focus is quite different. For at the end of this grim vision we find Rin in the house of mask maker Kawakami Araya, one of the worst of the killers. Recalling her grandfather's warning about the price of vengeance Rin has decided to try something different. She demands an apology rather than the artist's life. Kawakami, frightened at the possibility of exposure and the effect on his young son, rejects her offer, and at first it looks like history might repeat itself. Manji intervenes, and the usual titanic struggle ensues. The artist has a fighting style all his own, which provides an interesting variation on the usual mayhem worked on Manji's immortal body.

These episodes are exceptionally thoughtful. Rin is beginning to see through her own illusions and question not only whether vengeance will heal her own hurts, but also whether it offers any hope of closure either. As such, she is maturing, not just becoming a woman, but developing wisdom as well. Even though there can be no real end to the violence as long as the itto-ryu swordsmen seek the lives of both Rin and Manji. Surprisingly Manji, who normally plays the cold-hearted killer, shows surprising thoughtfulness and sensitivity to the young woman's internal crisis. Writer/artist Hiroaki Samura brings home the essentially tragic nature of violence while retaining the basic context and theme of the overall manga.

As is always the case, the artwork and imagination seem to step completely beyond the bounds of the simple, black and white media. The dark fight sequence and its aftermath underline what is happening in the story line. This fine artwork and the stories willingness to question its own meaning are two of the things that set this series apart from the typical historical manga.

The best manga translation on the stands........2000-08-15

community-help@amazon.com.

I stumbled onto "Blade of the Immortal" translations in comic book format. Attracted by the art, and the unusually deep dialogue between the opponents (as dramatic as Kazou Kioke's "Lone Wolf and Cub", but much more up-to-date in sensibility and subject matter) I immediately began looking for back issues, which was difficult. Many retailers don't seem to order many issues of this book. Fortunately the trade paperbacks started coming out soon after.

"Blade of the Immortal" starts off as a fairly typical samurai revenge story, with some unusual horror movie twists. We meet Manji, a guilt-ridden outlaw and expert swordsman, who is cursed with an odd form of immortality. No matter how grievously he is injured, he cannot die. Manji makes a deal with a magical buddhist nun. He will gain the release of death, if he slays 1000 evil men. Soon we meet Rin, a young girl, the daughter of a swordsmanship teacher who witnessed the horrific murder of her parents at the hands of the Itto-Ryu, a renegade sword school. Tortured by nightmares, she seeks revenge, but realizing she has no hope of surviving a direct confrontation with even one Itto-Ryu swordsman, she convinces Manji to serve as her bodyguard and stand in. Taking up Rin's quest seems a perfect confluence of both of their desires: her need to put her parents memory to rest, his to earn his redemption.

The stories take you through dramatic encounters with various members of the sword school. All are dangerous swordsmen with unique styles of combat. Some are quite literally monsters. Each has a unique story, an unique reason for having become a renegade, and this becomes the source of much thought provoking drama before, during and after the battles. All are memorable characters, in particular Shimuzu (Book Two: "Cry of the Worm"), a fellow immortal and Maki, a swordswoman forced into prostitution who fights like the wind (Book 3: "Dreamsong").

Harioki Samura has great timing, the panel layouts make the fight scenes breathtaking and exciting. Also wonderful is the developing relationship between Manji and Rin, a kind of older brother, little sister dynamic that lends the book much humor and necessary warmth (given the bloodiness of the battles).

Beginning with "Rins Bane" (Book 4) Rin's internal debate about the morality and human costs of her quest, takes center stage, and make this one of the deepest and most interesting books to cross the Pacific in years. There's still plenty of action, and the relationship between Rin and Manji continues to deepen, but it's the debates about the sanity of the bushido code, about memory, about filial duty, and hints of political intrigue to come, that make this book an thought provoking and engrossing read.

If you have any taste for the high drama and action, as well as the deeper issues running through comic books like "the Authority", you have to give "Blade" a try. This is the best dramatic manga translation I've read, and it compares favorably with "Lone Wolf & Cub" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion". I really don't think you will be disappointed.

It's Samura, is there any doubt?.......2000-06-16

The night her parents were murdered before Rin's eyes, Kawakami Araya raped her mother. Now she meets him again, but has he changed that much since that night?

Samura delivers the followup to another bloody story of revenge, as Rin seeks out the men who killed her parents. With the help of Manji, an immortal ronin, she might just accomplish her task.

As usual, Samura delivers magnificent artwork, interesting characters which I cared about, and unrivaled drama that I love in Blade of the Immortal. With an excellent translation to increase the quality of the manga, On Silent Wings II will not disappoint any fans of the series, or any new comers to the manga.

Never stop the amazement.......2000-06-13

What can i say about this wonderful masterpiece that have not been said by me in other reviews or by other fans? First for those who do not know about the history (others bear with me). Rin is a young girl who is looking to avenge the murder of her family at the hands of a rival sword school; she meets Manji, a samurai cursed with inmortality until he kills a thousand evil guys. What follows could have been a cheesy samurai opera where, in every chapter Manji kills an "evil" guy until they find the boss of all the minions and kill him after a dramatic battle. Well, that is not the case for this series. Mr. Samura manages to make the best story i have read so far by playing with the meaning of good and bad masterfully, the first books had its compliment of gore, but from the third book so far, each fight gets harder not because of the physical might or swordmanship but for the moral reasons to pursue vengeance, at every corner Rin must face real flesh and blood adversaries, not just plain evil antagonists, each with a reason for what they did. This is the second part of a story that centers around Rin, we finally find out what she really thinks, and specially how she feels, about what she is doing. She and Manji find one of the guys responsible for the death of her family, he is now a mask maker with a little boy under his care. Instead of blindingly killing him, Rin tries to figure out if he really has reformed or if it is just another mask he is wearing now . And she also has to solve the dilemma that by killing him she would make an innocent boy a vengeance filled monster just like her. The ending is great and you really begin to ask yourself if you could keep going after all, even with such good reasons as the one Rin has

Average customer rating:

Inspirational for Glider Pilot research
Intriguing accounts of previously unreported WWII heroism.

SILENT WINGS AT WAR PB
Lowden Jl
Manufacturer: Smithsonian
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1588340341

Book Description

The pilots were known as "suicide jockeys" and the aircraft they flew were called "flak bait." Towed behind modified bombers or transport aircraft, Allied combat gliders were used in some of the riskiest missions of World War II, landing miles behind enemy lines with specially trained assault forces. In Silent Wings at War, John L. Lowden combines his own recollections with those of fellow veterans to create a vivid, gritty, jocose memoir of war as he and other glider pilots and their passengers knew it. These true tales of courage, as well as command blunders, make a substantial contribution to WWII literature.

Customer Reviews:

Inspirational for Glider Pilot research.......2002-10-23

I began doing research into glider pilots and ran across John's book. John's book follows you from his entry into the program, his training, combat, and home from the war. It is a great perspective on the glider pilot. John's book will only make you want to know more, more about the glider pilots, and more about the USAAF glider program. Glider pilots were as close to volunteer suicide as it comes, just they didn't realize it. If you don't know about glider pilots, READ THIS! See if you get hooked like I did and learned all I could about the glider program and all the men who were part of it.

Intriguing accounts of previously unreported WWII heroism........1998-02-08

US Army Aviator Veteran Lowden has assembled an amazing collection of first person accounts of WWII glider operations from those, including himself, who lived them. Well written, almost spell-binding tales of unbelieveable heroism under fire and extremely deadly conditions. The book fills in many of the gaps of reporting in other major WWII literature.

Blade of the Immortal: On Silent Wings, Volume 4

Average customer rating:

An interesting story line, but no action.
Review of Volume 1
Beautiful art with an intellectual twist
a must-get
How do you say "sweet!"

Blade of the Immortal: On Silent Wings, Volume 4
Hiroaki Samura
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Dark Horse | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1569714126

Book Description

Manji, the immortal samurai, is condemned to a life of combat until he slays a thousand evil men. He works as bodyguard for Rin, a young woman who seeks to avenge her father`s murder at the hands of the deadly Kagehisa Anotsu. But even with Manji`s instruction, will Rin ever be able to stand against such a powerful and ruthless adversary? And in her consuming quest for vengeance, does she risk becoming like him?

Customer Reviews:

An interesting story line, but no action........2004-01-25

There aren't really any action scenes worth talking about in this novel. Rin does a few things, but she doesn't actually "fight". There is a story about this guy and his masks, but that isn't fully developed until the next volume.

This isn't a great place to start for your first volume. It mostly just develops story, but the story is important. Start somewhere else though. Get DREAMSONG if you can't fight a good seller for BLOOD OF A THOUSAND.

Those who already own the previous volumes of BOTI could skip this book and the next possibly. It develops Rin some, but I skipped it for a while and was fine.

Review of Volume 1.......2002-10-12

This volume and its sequel capture events from issues 19 through 28 of the manga comic books, and represents events in the earlier phases of the adventures of Rin and Manji. It contains two stories, "Rin's Bane," and the first part of "On Silent Wings." Both of these are strong stories that trace Rin's growth from a young girl hell-bent on vengeance for the murder of her parents into a woman who is beginning to understand the real price of retaliations.

In "Rin's Bane," the young swordswoman, smarting from an argument with Manji over her fighting skills heads off into the woods to wash her hair. There she finds herself face to face with Kagehisa Anotsu, the leader of the Itto-Ryu swordsmen. Anotsu brushes aside her skills, and she is forced to face some very unpleasant truths about her beliefs. The lessons of this encounter haunt Rin in the next story, "On Silent Wings." Manji and Rin are at a local fair when the immortal swordsman suddenly finds that a local mask maker is another Itto-Ryu. In a parallel encounter, Rin risks her own life to prevent a haughty samurai from killing a young child. Manji barely avoids a public battle, and Rin is shocked to recognize the artist as the killer who defiled her mother.

As events proceed inexorably towards the second volume's part of the story, we sense the internal tensions in Rin and her swordsman as they confront the possible outcomes of their actions. Hiroaki Samura's tale again touches on complex moral issues rather than simply dishing out a violent samurai melodrama. The grim horror that counterpoints the lighter exchanges between Samura's main encounters provides the basis for much thought and consideration. One of the surprises in this series has been the quality of the translation, which manages to carry through the whole range of the dialog. Yet Japanese is preserved where it is part if the detailed and carefully composed artwork. This extremely high level of artistic integrity grows on the reader. "Blade of the Immortal" is much more a genuine graphic novel than it is a simple manga.

Beautiful art with an intellectual twist.......2001-07-25

The first time I looked at the Blade of the Immortal series, I seriously thought "Oh wonderful, another cheesy, gore ridden series with no plot and ... artwork." However, upon reading it I was taken aback by how wrong I truly was. The art is beautiful in its own way, unique and sketchy looking with no possible way it could be turned into an anime and still look as gorgeous. The story is also very nice, there is blood, but there is a good intellectual plot with the occasional twist of witty humor. It is an interesting mix of fact and fantasy, real and surreal all mixed in a historical setting. This series is set apart from others and I don't believe that I have any others quite like it. It never gets old. I highly recommend that, no matter what you're interested in, you should at least give this stunning series a try.

a must-get.......2001-03-19

this is one of the best comics i've ever read. it's about manji's job as a bodyguard for rin, who confronts Anotsu Kagehisa, who killed rin's father. she attemps to kill him, but does she really even stand a chance?this book was explosive and had a mix of action and explaining of the story for people who did not read any other of the Blade of the immortal series.

How do you say "sweet!".......2001-03-08

Dude this book is beast!! The best comic company ever (dark horse comics) has once again put out another comic that doesn't just raise the bar it obliterates it. Kudos to Hiroaki Samura for making the best comic book ever.

Average customer rating:

Lush and vibrant
Silence Is Golden

Why Butterflies Go By On Silent Wings
Marguerite Davol
Manufacturer: Orchard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0531303225

Customer Reviews:

Lush and vibrant.......2003-04-04

What luscious art! What a fresh way to consider one's place in the world, surrounded by such color. My kids used inside voices for at least 2 days after reading this book to them. This is no small feat.

Everyone, look around you!

Silence Is Golden.......2001-05-15

The bright watercolor illustrations wash through this book as frantic as its loud animals, and only calm down when the animals themselves stop to enjoy the quiet; reflecting the writing style in a visual way. The transition from noisy ignorance to quiet reflection is starkly abrupt; brought on by a horrendous thunderstorm. Perhaps, this transition will be too abrupt for some readers, as it was for me. It also may seem strange to say about a picture book, but there is not enough character development of the two un-named children who appear only briefly to comment on, first, the noise, and then the quiet. This might be a good read-aloud and discussion lead-in to better written creationist stories, like Kipling's "Just-So Stories" or Hughes' "How the Whale Became."

Owls: On Silent Wings (The Wonder Series)

Average customer rating:

Owls: On Silent Wings (The Wonder Series)
Ann Cooper
Manufacturer: Roberts Rinehart Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Social Skills | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1879373785

Book Description

Ages 8-12.

Average customer rating:

Rebel Without A Spine
Bernardo brings Jose Marti to life
Excellent expression of love, honor, and truth.
One of the Best Works of Fiction for 1998
The best romantic historical novel for a long time to come

Silent Wing
Jose Raul Bernardo , and Adams Morgan
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Secret of the Bulls

ASIN: 0786115548

Book Description

The story of a love that changed the destiny of a nation...

Set near the turn of the last century and based on the life of Cuban poet and revolutionary hero José Martí, Silent Wing bursts with passion, sensuality, and turbulence as it tells one of the most famous love stories in all of Latin America: The tale of the desperate and heartbreaking conflict an idealistic young man experiences when he finds himself caught between the woman he loves and the one he has promised to wed.

Julián, a charismatic Cuban poet possessed with a passionate love of freedom, is exiled from his homeland for demonstrating in favor of his country's independence from the tyrannical hold of Spain. He lands in Mexico City, where he proposes marriage to Lucía, the spinster daughter of a Cuban lawyer exiled in that city. Knowing that the wedding must wait until he establishes himself professionally, Julián goes to Guatemala City, where a teaching job awaits and where Lucía is to follow him in time.

What Julián has not reckoned on is that in Guatemala he will meet and fall madly in love with Sol, daughter of that country's great liberator, Don Manuel. For Sol, on the verge of womanhood, Julián is her first love, and she places her trust in him with total abandon. But Julián, a man of great principle, knows that even though he loves Sol beyond limits, he is expected to honor the pledge he made to Lucía, no matter how great the sacrifice, or how tragic the consequences.

Vividly portraying an era of honor and almost mystical innocence, yet intricately interwoven with political intrigue and turmoil, José Raúl Bernardo -- whose previous novel, The Secret of the Bulls, was named one of the best works of first fiction for 1996 by the Los Angeles Times -- weaves the kind of rich historical tapestry that has made great bestsellers of such novels as The Autumn of the Patriarch and Like Water for Chocolate.

Customer Reviews:

Rebel Without A Spine.......1999-11-29

The book seemed like a novel that was expanaded from a TV drama pilot outline...The characters other than Julian were never delevoped and what happened to all the characters in Guatamala? The General, the Rabbi and most all Rubios. This is a case where less is not enough. Perhaps with another 200 pages, this could have been a different historical novel.

Bernardo brings Jose Marti to life.......1999-11-08

I prefer my history imbedded in a good story. Jose Raul Bernardo has not disappointed me with SILENT WING; a historical novel based on the life of Cuban patriot/poet Jose Marti. Julian, Bernardo's protagonist is a romantic visionary who must choose between two forces he had always thought identical- truth and duty. The author's rendering of locale is as convincing as Graham Greene's. -Al Gowan, author, SANTIAGO RAG, a novel of the Spanish-Cuban-American War, also available at Amazon.com

Excellent expression of love, honor, and truth........1999-03-08

I look forward to the opportunity of meeting the author and thanking him for his eloquent expression. His book brought much reflection and analysis of the three internal conflicts that tend to haze our decisions - love, truth, and honor. I want to believe that Julian (Marti) and Sol (Maria) are . . .

One of the Best Works of Fiction for 1998.......1999-02-03

At first blush, SILENT WING is a torrid love story based on the life of the l9th century Cuban poet and patriot Jose Marti. At second blush, SILENT WING is a minor but altogether likeable cousin to such 19th century novels as "The Red and The Black," and "The Sentimental Education." Let Marti's tragedy be portrayed in rather pot-boiled terms--reckless choice and brash honor--but Bernardo still makes us care about him. SILENT WING is a lovely story, doing what historical fiction does best. More than the life of Jose Marti, we get a glimpse of his poetry and a touch of his anguished soul. (The above has been excerpted from the review by Thomas Curwen, Deputy Editor, Los Angeles Times BOOK REVIEW, December, 1998.) This novel was selected as ONE OF THE BEST WORKS OF FICTION FOR 1998.

The best romantic historical novel for a long time to come.......1999-02-03

Bernardo is a master in the art of making his characters human. Any reader can feel and sense the dreams, the weaknesses, the hopes, the despair--all the emotions that are part of our humanity. To say that I enjoyed reading this book very much is not enough. I was enthralled. SILENT WING is a piece of art. It deserves to be known as the best romantic historical novel for a long time to come. It so well expresses the dream of man to lead a normal life of love and fulfillment without opression. I shall always treasure my copy of SILENT WING.

The Fury of Gabriel's Wings Silent Screams Diary of a Serial Killer

Average customer rating:

The Fury of Gabriel's Wings Silent Screams Diary of a Serial Killer
J. Stephen Mahone
Manufacturer: Fury Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0974704903

Average customer rating:

The Great Gray Owl on Silent Wings

Manufacturer: Windermere House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1550565028

Average customer rating:

Love Has Silent Wings
Vera Holding , and Joe Christy
Manufacturer: Sharon Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0895311488

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books