"A Private Journal of John Glendy Sproston, U.S.N., edited by Shio Sakanishi, presents an eyewitness account of Commodore Perry's expedition and early American-Japanese relations. Sproston served as an officer aboard the U.S.S. Macedonian, and his journal covers the months from February to August 1854, recording events in Japan and subsequent travels to the Ryukyu Islands, Bonin Islands, Formosa and the Philippines.
Combining naval history with personal travel observations, the journal describes the signing of the Perry Treaty, activities around Edo, and visits to Shimoda and Hakodate. Sproston's accounts of encounters ashore and everyday experiences at sea offer a more intimate perspective than an official expedition narrative, preserving the humour, attitudes and impressions of an American naval officer travelling through East Asia in the mid-nineteenth century.
Published by Sophia University, Tokyo, in cooperation with Charles E. Tuttle Company, this 1968 second edition was revised and reset from the original 1940 publication and includes a new foreword by George Alexander Lensen. Retaining its original pictorial dustjacket, the volume is of interest to collectors of Japanese history, naval journals, nineteenth-century travel and the development of relations between Japan and the United States."
Minor wear to clipped dust jacket. An excellent copy in very good condition overall. Please study photos to further understand condition.
