{"product_id":"to-my-dearest-wife-lide-letters-from-george-b-gideon-jr-during-commodore-perry-s-expedition-to-japan-1853-1855-hardback-9780817320232","title":"To My Dearest Wife, Lide; Letters from George B. Gideon Jr. During Commodore Perry’s Expedition to Japan, 1853–1855 (Hardback) 9780817320232","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eTo My Dearest Wife, Lide\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eLetters from George B. Gideon Jr. During Commodore Perry’s Expedition to Japan, 1853–1855\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eM. Patrick Sauer (Author), David A. Ranzan (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9780817320232\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHardback, published 16 July 2019\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e264 pages, 15 black \u0026amp; white figures\u003cbr\u003e23.1 x 15.7 x 2.5 cm, 0.56 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"\"To My Dearest Wife, Lide\u003c\/i\u003e is a recently discovered primary source that will be useful to an audience of scholars and naval history buffs.\"\" - John H. Schroeder, author of \u003ci\u003eMatthew Calbraith Perry: Antebellum Sailor and Diplomat\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\"This volume offers a unique contribution to our understanding of life in the antebellum navy and of Perry's expedition to Japan in particular.\"\" - Jason Smith, Southern Connecticut State University\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eA personal account of Commodore Perry's landmark expedition to Japan and life in the antebellum navy.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e George B. Gideon Jr. served as second assistant engineer aboard the \u003ci\u003eUSS Powhatan\u003c\/i\u003e from 1852 to 1856. From his position on the steam frigate, Gideon traveled to Singapore, Labuan, Borneo, Hong Kong, and many other Asian lands. During his time at sea, Gideon penned dozens of letters to his wife, Lide, back home in Philadelphia. Recently discovered in the attic of his great-great-grandniece, were fifty-one letters penned by Gideon providing thorough and insightful commentary throughout the voyage.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Through these correspondences, Gideon laboriously documents the details of his daily life on board, from the food they ate to the technical aspects of his work, as well as observations concerning the historical events unfolding around him, such as Chinese piracy, the Taiping Rebellion, the Crimean War, and the devastation of Shimoda. \u003ci\u003eTo My Dearest Wife, Lide: Letters from George B. Gideon Jr. during Commodore Perry's Expedition to Japan, 1853–1855\u003c\/i\u003e is a rare first-person account of the landmark American naval expedition to Japan to establish commercial relations between the two countries. Gideon's letters have been meticulously transcribed and annotated by the editors and are an invaluable primary historical source.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Gideon's letters are candid and revealing, delving into the rampant dysfunction in the navy of the 1850s—sickness and disease, alcohol abuse, and poor leadership, among other challenges. Gideon also unabashedly shares his own cynical views of the navy's role in supporting American economic interests in Japan. This firsthand account of the political mission of the Perry expedition is a unique contribution to naval and military history and gives readers a better view of life aboard a navy ship.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eList of Illustrations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePreface\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChronology\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter One. February 13–\u003cbr\u003eApril 19, 1853\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter Two. August 30–\u003cbr\u003eDecember 29, 1853\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter Three. January 1–\u003cbr\u003eJune 23, 1854\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter Four. July 3–\u003cbr\u003eDecember 28, 1854\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter Five. January 1–\u003cbr\u003eJune 27, 1855\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter Six. July 2–\u003cbr\u003eDecember 23, 1855\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNotes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBibliography\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndex\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"The University of Alabama Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52570146242840,"sku":"9780817320232","price":30.39,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/to-my-dearest-wife-lide-letters-from-george-b-gideon-jr-during-commodore-perry-s-expedition-to-japan-1853-1855-hardback-9780817320232","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}