At the Fall of Port Arthur; Or, a Young American in the Japanese Navy
1904. The Russo-Japanese War rages across the Pacific, and the cargo ship Columbia is running a dangerous mission. Larry Russell, a young American second mate, and his seasoned sailor friend Luke Striker are carrying supplies from Manila to Nagasaki for the Japanese government, knowing full well that Russian warships prowl the waters between them. When the Columbia is captured and Larry finds himself pressed into service aboard a Japanese man-of-war, he must navigate loyalty, survival, and the chaos of naval warfare amid the legendary siege of Port Arthur. Edward Stratemeyer, the prolific creator behind the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, wrote this rollicking adventure with the propulsion of a torpedo and the heart of a sea story. The novel captures a fascinating historical moment when an Asian power challenged a European empire and won, told through the eyes of an American outsider caught between empires. Larry's choices matter: to the crew who trust him, to the brothers waiting for his return, to the war that won't wait for anyone. For readers who love Horatio Hornblower but crave something fresher, or who want to understand how Americans saw the rise of Japan in the early twentieth century, this is a rousing ride through history's turning tide.
