The Death Ship (Paperback)

~ B. Traven (Author) "We had brought, in the holds of the S.S. Tuscaloosa, a full cargo of cotton from New Orleans to Antwerp..." (more)
Key Phrases: plum marmalade, decent sailor, plain sailor, New Orleans, New York, George Washington (more...)

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Product Description

The Death Ship tells the story of an American sailor, stateless and penniless because he has lost his passport, who is harassed by police and hounded across Europe until he finds an 'illegal' job shoveling coal in the hold of a steamer bound for destruction.

The Death Ship is the first of B. Traven's politically charged novels about life among the downtrodden, which have sold more than thirty million copies in thirty-six languages. Next to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, it is his most celebrated work

Language Notes

Text: English
Original Language: German

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Product Details Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books; 2 edition (September 1, 1991) Language: English ISBN-10: 1556521103 ISBN-13: 978-1556521102 Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #243,654 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
"We had brought, in the holds of the S.S. Tuscaloosa, a full cargo of cotton from New Orleans to Antwerp." Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
plum marmalade, decent sailor, plain sailor, former watch, death ship, aft wall, ground port, honorable trade, second engineer, black gang

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Orleans, New York, George Washington, League of Nations, Imperator Caesar Augustus, Jackson Square, North African, Stanislav Koslovski

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 6 books:

• Death Ship by B. Traven on 4 pages
• The Treasure of the Sierra Madre by Traven in Front Matter (1), and Front Matter (2)
• The Treasure of the Sierra Madre by B. Traven in Front Matter (1), and Front Matter (2)
• Last of the Mohicans (Now Illus Ser III) by James F. Cooper on page 240
• The Last of the Mohicans (Bantam Classics) by James Fenimore Cooper on page 240

See all 6 books this book cites

 

35 books cite this book:

• My Cocaine Museum by Michael Taussig on 6 pages
• Radical Representations: Politics and Form in U.S. Proletarian Fiction, 1929–1941 (Post-Contemporary Interventions) by Barbara Foley on 5 pages
• In 1926: Living on the Edge of Time by Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht on 5 pages
• Kenneth Rexroth and James Laughlin: Selected Letters by Lee Bartlett on page 175, page 176, and page 179
• Documenting Individual Identity: The Development of State Practices in the Modern World. by Jane Caplan on page 270, page 311, and Back Matter

See all 35 books citing this book

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	76% buy the item featured on this page: The Death Ship 4.3 out of 5 stars (21) $12.71
	12% buy The Treasure of the Sierra Madre 4.7 out of 5 stars (21) $10.88
	6% buy The Cotton-Pickers 4.0 out of 5 stars (3) $17.95
	4% buy March to the Monteria 4.8 out of 5 stars (5) $15.90

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Customer Reviews

21 Reviews 5 star:  (13) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:  (4) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.3 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 12 of 12 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, but not Traven's best, March 13, 2005 By  K.A.Goldberg (Chicago) - See all my reviews This novel begins as an almost-humorous tale of a man trapped in a bureaucratic web, then advances to an adventure on the high seas. A U.S. merchant sailor finds himself stranded in 1920's Europe without a passport or his seaman's card after his ship leaves without him (his documents are aboard the ship). Without his ID he finds himself an outcast, an unwelcome vagabond that ships won't hire, nations don't want, and whom U.S. Consuls brush off. Broke, stranded and desperate, he eventually finds work aboard the Yorikke. That vessel is called a death ship for its dangerous hard work, meager pay, and atrocious conditions. Our hero can only hope that the Yorikke will eventually set anchor in a U.S. port - but that could take months or years. There is a certain Franz Kafka/Twilight Zone quality to this story of a little man trapped by an unfair system. I felt the novel story got better in the second half, as our friend adjusts to his difficult situation only to find himself in great danger. Chicago-born author B. Traven (1890-1969) lived secretly, wrote readable prose, and didn't hide his contempt for the effects of government rules and unregulated capitalism on ordinary people. This story doesn't match his TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, but it makes for a solid read. 15 of 16 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars One of the great forgotten classics of the century, August 23, 1998 By  Robert Moore (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)       B. Traven is unquestionably one of the most fascinating writers of the 20th century. For decades nothing was known about him except rumor, and his exact identity was shrouded in confusion and mystery. It was not even known for certain what language he wrote in (it turned out to be German). When John Huston was making the film version of Traven's THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, Traven declined to visit the set, sending a friend instead. After Traven's death the first known photos of Traven were made public, and Huston recognized Traven as the so-called friend, who was using yet another of his many aliases (of which B. Traven was but one). Anyone interested in learning more about the man who was the most mysterious author of the century should consult Wyatt's THE SECRET OF SIERRA MADRE: THE MAN WHO WAS B. TRAVEN. THE TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE is a classic, but this novel may be even better. A man without a passport, a crime in post WW I Europe, is forced to take a job on an ancient steamer (the narrator suggests it was old when the Greeks and Romans ruled the Mediterranean). The result is a nightmarish descent into hell and one of the most unforgetable masterpieces of the century. 12 of 13 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic -- one of a kind!, April 25, 2000 By  Charles R. Grey (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Just finished reading this book for the third time. Traven's writing style is clear, harsh and as vivid as fireworks. You can feel sparks fly off every page. Man, I wish I could write even half as well as he does. If you ever want to feel as angry as an anarchist over the human injustice in this world, read this book. Plus it's a great story. I can't do it justice.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars The Good Sailor Schweik... ... as acted by Humphrey Bogart, in a hypothetical film based on the 1926 novel The Death Ship, written in buffo German by Ludwig von Mises and translated into bobo English by... Read more Published 5 months ago by Giordano Bruno 5.0 out of 5 stars Proletarian adventurer Reading Capote's 'In Cold Blood', I was reminded of Traven, one of my frenzied discoveries decades ago, at the stage of trying to figure out what 'world literature' might be... Read more Published 5 months ago by H. Schneider 3.0 out of 5 stars Which is the prison: the state or the boat? Traven, a mysterious author who came to fame with _The Treasure of the Sierra Madre_, gives us a tale about a man trapped between prisons. Read more Published 12 months ago by Quickhappy 5.0 out of 5 stars The Death Ship The Death Ship is one of my favorite books since my youth. This American sailor telling the story of his live going from bad to worse and still keeping his humor helped me to go... Read more Published 12 months ago by Dietmar Schmidt 3.0 out of 5 stars kinda boring... Ok. First I'd like to say that I'm a big fan of THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE. It's one of the best books I've ever read, and I love the movie too(the book is better though)... Read more Published 14 months ago by Carles Farre Gomez 4.0 out of 5 stars Death warmed over the third time What is there about this "Story of an American Sailor" caught up in an endless downward spiral of bureaucracy, anarchy, destruction and finally death that has drawn me back for... Read more Published 14 months ago by Roland R. Parent 5.0 out of 5 stars A Crazy Genius I began reading "The Death Ship" after I had already read just about every biography about the author. I was prepared to dislike the book, because I didn't like the author. Read more Published 16 months ago by Lolita Watkins 5.0 out of 5 stars It's too short. What a surprisingly readable novel! I picked this one up, not knowing anything about the writer, or his work and was completely amazed. Read more Published 22 months ago by Artem Melnik 5.0 out of 5 stars Great book As a real live "American Sailor" I really enjoyed this book. Traven must have sailed as amercahnt marine to have written a book so close to ship life. Read more Published on January 6, 2006 by Frank J. Jope 5.0 out of 5 stars A definitive narrative of the triumph of human will Manual labor. That's what I think of most of all when I think of B. Traven's The Death Ship. I actually read the majority of this book during break periods while working a manual... Read more Published on April 17, 2004 by Bim Landers Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books; 2 edition (September 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556521103
• ISBN-13: 978-1556521102
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #243,654 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, but not Traven's best, March 13, 2005

By	K.A.Goldberg (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This novel begins as an almost-humorous tale of a man trapped in a bureaucratic web, then advances to an adventure on the high seas. A U.S. merchant sailor finds himself stranded in 1920's Europe without a passport or his seaman's card after his ship leaves without him (his documents are aboard the ship). Without his ID he finds himself an outcast, an unwelcome vagabond that ships won't hire, nations don't want, and whom U.S. Consuls brush off. Broke, stranded and desperate, he eventually finds work aboard the Yorikke. That vessel is called a death ship for its dangerous hard work, meager pay, and atrocious conditions. Our hero can only hope that the Yorikke will eventually set anchor in a U.S. port - but that could take months or years. There is a certain Franz Kafka/Twilight Zone quality to this story of a little man trapped by an unfair system. I felt the novel story got better in the second half, as our friend adjusts to his difficult situation only to find himself in great danger.

Chicago-born author B. Traven (1890-1969) lived secretly, wrote readable prose, and didn't hide his contempt for the effects of government rules and unregulated capitalism on ordinary people. This story doesn't match his TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, but it makes for a solid read.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the great forgotten classics of the century, August 23, 1998

By	Robert Moore (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

B. Traven is unquestionably one of the most fascinating writers of the 20th century. For decades nothing was known about him except rumor, and his exact identity was shrouded in confusion and mystery. It was not even known for certain what language he wrote in (it turned out to be German). When John Huston was making the film version of Traven's THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, Traven declined to visit the set, sending a friend instead. After Traven's death the first known photos of Traven were made public, and Huston recognized Traven as the so-called friend, who was using yet another of his many aliases (of which B. Traven was but one). Anyone interested in learning more about the man who was the most mysterious author of the century should consult Wyatt's THE SECRET OF SIERRA MADRE: THE MAN WHO WAS B. TRAVEN.

THE TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE is a classic, but this novel may be even better. A man without a passport, a crime in post WW I Europe, is forced to take a job on an ancient steamer (the narrator suggests it was old when the Greeks and Romans ruled the Mediterranean). The result is a nightmarish descent into hell and one of the most unforgetable masterpieces of the century.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic -- one of a kind!, April 25, 2000

By	Charles R. Grey (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Just finished reading this book for the third time. Traven's writing style is clear, harsh and as vivid as fireworks. You can feel sparks fly off every page. Man, I wish I could write even half as well as he does. If you ever want to feel as angry as an anarchist over the human injustice in this world, read this book. Plus it's a great story. I can't do it justice.