What book are you reading?

_NOBODY_ said:
Also, did you check out Psycho-Pass?
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I have put it on my list, very occupied for time lately and will get to it later in year :P

I will get to brave new world again a bit later (to answer/sum up my end w.r.t your new replies)

_NOBODY_ said:
Another book add to my to read list.
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It is full of great stories/accounts. For those that have large reading list piled up already to get through first or as teaser for those that will get to it more quickly..... let me give one from it that stood out for me:

James Forten (with relation to the privateering episode of his life especially), from what I remember (I have lent the book out to a friend, so don't have it on hand). Apologies in advance regd any slight errors.

He lived in Philadelphia, heard the reading of the declaration of independence shortly after it was signed, (he was black boy, ~ 10 years old at the time, born to a black freeman sailmaker).

Forten had spent most of his childhood in relative poverty given his father's untimely passing when he was very young leaving just his mother to rear the family.

He was however literate for the time as a boy (especially a black one), having (at his mother's continued insistence) attended a Quaker school run by well known abolitionist Anthony Benezet (specifically for black children)....for a number of years before dropping out to attend full time to sailmaking craft of his father. Benezet has a praiseworthy story of his own that one can read up.

Forten thus took heart in the soaring rhetoric of this 1776 declaration (that all men were created equal) in that this perhaps would soon be extended to his race (most as you know were under cruel slavery at the time).

Circa 1780, Pennsylvania would also become the first state to pass some early gradual abolition law. Though it was limited (manumission for all children of slaves when they reached ~ 28 years old),these both convinced forten to sign up for privateer ship "Royal Louis" at 14 years old....commanded by iirc a Captain Decatur.

His job was to bring powder to cannon...bringing number of close shaves in combat ( a cannonball evenutally killed 3 of the other cannon team but spared him) during his first cruise.

The experience however rather encouraged him to sign on for 2nd cruise with the same privateer. However this time a British warship captured the privateer ship just one day after it left port

When captured (according to his memoirs) along with rest onboard he was worried given "people of his complexion" were often sent to the slave markets of the Caribbean, a fate he now expected (this would also happen frequently when the Americans captured British vessels, with the black folk onboard.

- however Captain Bazely (of the British ship I forgot name) entrusted Forten to be the ward onboard his ship for his 12 year old son. A task Forten diligently did and developed a close friendly relationship with the boy.

So much so that when the British ship pulled into NY harbour to transfer all prisoners to a dedicated prison ship, the British Captain gave an option to Forten to return with him to the UK to continue to be the ward of his son and the life of a freeman in the UK (further education and all).

Forten however believed in the US and chose the prison ship (a long story you will find in the book along with his return to life in the US and his life subsequently)

Forten eventually built up a 70,000 dollar net worth by end of life (at 75), a long story in itself (innovations regd sailmaking and merit employment of both white and black labour)

It was a considerable amount for the time and he used this in much philantrophy such as helping the establishment of "The liberator" newspaper to advance the abolitionist cause. He clearly always held hope in the lofty language of the declaration of independence to the very end.

But yes there were black privateers and he was one of the most notable ones.

@Joe Shearer
 
Joe Shearer said:
That's a PRETTY heavy load! :oops:
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Not really to be honest, I met a friend yesterday and he asked the routine ques of, ' how's parhai going'. Told him our biggest problem is we start in the last few months, its like drugs. once you know you can do it at the end of the year near exams, there's no going back.
 
Waj Sal said:
Not really to be honest, I met a friend yesterday and he asked the routine ques of, ' how's parhai going'. Told him our biggest problem is we start in the last few months, its like drugs. once you know you can do it at the end of the year near exams, there's no going back.
Click to expand...
There, but for the grace of God,......

I can't tell you how EASY it gets if you pace yourself, although I would be lying if I didn't admit that these last-moment crash courses didn't happen - ever. Just that when I managed to do my work earlier than crash time, it was so enormously easy that I kicked myself for not doing it that way every time.

Good luck with the crash courses.:rolleyes:
 
I thought the crowd here might appreciate the photo below and what it might represent:

detroit library 1996.jpg

This is how the Detroit Library ended in 1996. It took a while to get to this stage when it was closed, and then there were some vague plans to restore it, but they were never put into action. Just sad to see.
 
VCheng said:
I thought the crowd here might appreciate the photo below and what it might represent:

View attachment 11898

This is how the Detroit Library ended in 1996. It took a while to get to this stage when it was closed, and then there were some vague plans to restore it, but they were never put into action. Just sad to see.
Click to expand...
Still looks better than some public libraries in Lahore.
 
@RescueRanger @Joe Shearer @Nilgiri I finished Pirate Latitudes today. I will give it 4.2/5 stars but it had the potential of getting 4.8 stars had it been around a hundred pages longer. At some points, it was rushed. Also please note that I am a bit biased when rating books involving sea adventures, ships, survival, maritime battles, maritime disasters, pirates and politics. In addition, there is one plothole that will continue to bug me for the rest of my life unless someone thoroughly explains to me how hurricanes work. I will recommend you gentlemen to grab a copy of this book, you will definitely have a good time reading it.

In the name of Allah, I will start reading The North Water by Ian McGuire tomorrow.

1705424240508.png
 
Nilgiri said:
I have put it on my list, very occupied for time lately and will get to it later in year :p

I will get to brave new world again a bit later (to answer/sum up my end w.r.t your new replies)



It is full of great stories/accounts. For those that have large reading list piled up already to get through first or as teaser for those that will get to it more quickly..... let me give one from it that stood out for me:

James Forten (with relation to the privateering episode of his life especially), from what I remember (I have lent the book out to a friend, so don't have it on hand). Apologies in advance regd any slight errors.

He lived in Philadelphia, heard the reading of the declaration of independence shortly after it was signed, (he was black boy, ~ 10 years old at the time, born to a black freeman sailmaker).

Forten had spent most of his childhood in relative poverty given his father's untimely passing when he was very young leaving just his mother to rear the family.

He was however literate for the time as a boy (especially a black one), having (at his mother's continued insistence) attended a Quaker school run by well known abolitionist Anthony Benezet (specifically for black children)....for a number of years before dropping out to attend full time to sailmaking craft of his father. Benezet has a praiseworthy story of his own that one can read up.

Forten thus took heart in the soaring rhetoric of this 1776 declaration (that all men were created equal) in that this perhaps would soon be extended to his race (most as you know were under cruel slavery at the time).

Circa 1780, Pennsylvania would also become the first state to pass some early gradual abolition law. Though it was limited (manumission for all children of slaves when they reached ~ 28 years old),these both convinced forten to sign up for privateer ship "Royal Louis" at 14 years old....commanded by iirc a Captain Decatur.

His job was to bring powder to cannon...bringing number of close shaves in combat ( a cannonball evenutally killed 3 of the other cannon team but spared him) during his first cruise.

The experience however rather encouraged him to sign on for 2nd cruise with the same privateer. However this time a British warship captured the privateer ship just one day after it left port

When captured (according to his memoirs) along with rest onboard he was worried given "people of his complexion" were often sent to the slave markets of the Caribbean, a fate he now expected (this would also happen frequently when the Americans captured British vessels, with the black folk onboard.

- however Captain Bazely (of the British ship I forgot name) entrusted Forten to be the ward onboard his ship for his 12 year old son. A task Forten diligently did and developed a close friendly relationship with the boy.

So much so that when the British ship pulled into NY harbour to transfer all prisoners to a dedicated prison ship, the British Captain gave an option to Forten to return with him to the UK to continue to be the ward of his son and the life of a freeman in the UK (further education and all).

Forten however believed in the US and chose the prison ship (a long story you will find in the book along with his return to life in the US and his life subsequently)

Forten eventually built up a 70,000 dollar net worth by end of life (at 75), a long story in itself (innovations regd sailmaking and merit employment of both white and black labour)

It was a considerable amount for the time and he used this in much philantrophy such as helping the establishment of "The liberator" newspaper to advance the abolitionist cause. He clearly always held hope in the lofty language of the declaration of independence to the very end.

But yes there were black privateers and he was one of the most notable ones.

@Joe Shearer
Click to expand...
Sir, I am sold. The only sad thing is that this book isn't available in Pakistan. I will have to request our biggest bookstores to import this book for me.
 
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