Ger Tysk: Nothing but an Island
The 38th Voyage of the Charles W. Morgan is featured in a chapter of Ger Tysk’s new book, Nothing but an Island.
John Manjiro, the first Japanese person in America, was a humble fisherman who made an incredible journey from Japan to America in the 1840s, while Japan was still closed to Western trade. When he returned to Japan, he convinced the shogun to open Japan and sign the treaty of Kanagawa with the United States in 1854, bringing about the Meiji Restoration and the fall of Japan’s feudal system. Manjiro became the first English teacher in Japan, the first Japanese navigation and sailing expert, and the first Japanese person to ride on trains and steamboats. More importantly, his friendship with his American foster family continues to this day through both families’ descendants, even through World War II. Spanning three continents and eight years of research, this richly illustrated book brings Manjiro’s journey to life.
Learn more and order the book on the author’s site »
G. L. "Ger" Tysk is a novelist, maritime writer, and photographer. Her work focuses on early American whaling and its impact on globalization, 19th century colonialism, and Asian and Pacific Islander immigrant culture. She is the author of the novels The Sea-God at Sunrise and Paradise, inspired by John Manjiro’s story. Tysk has sailed square-rigged tall ships with Sea Education Association and also with Mystic Seaport aboard the historic whaleship Charles W. Morgan. She lives in Boston.