Books with author Peter Wood

Engaging and accessibly written, Strange New Land explores the history of slavery and the struggle for freedom before the United States became a nation. Beginning with the colonization of North America, Peter Wood documents the transformation of slavery from a brutal form of indentured servitude to a full-blown system of racial domination. Strange New Land focuses on how Africans survived this brutal process--and ultimately shaped the contours of American racial slavery through numerous means, including: - Mastering English and making it their own - Converting to Christianity and transforming the religion - Holding fast to Islam or combining their spiritual beliefs with the faith of their masters - Recalling skills and beliefs, dances and stories from the Old World, which provided a key element in their triumphant story of survival - Listening to talk of liberty and freedom, of the rights of man and embracing it as a fundamental right--even petitioning colonial administrators and insisting on that right.Against the troubling backdrop of American slavery, Strange New Land surveys black social and cultural life, superbly illustrating how such a diverse group of people from the shores of West and Central Africa became a community in North America.

Glimpse a life filled with contradictions, discoveries, and passion in Peter Wood's fascinating new memoir, Mud Between Your Toes: A Rhodesian Farm.This is a powerful story about a teenage boy growing up during the Rhodesian Bush War. Peter Wood is an African. He is white, but he also holds a Chinese passport. And he is also gay.Growing up during the 1970s on his family's farm in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Peter was swiftly introduced to a harsh world in which friends and relatives were murdered in ambushes—and the line between blacks and whites was drawn in blood.As travel bans and UN sanctions caused a deepening chasm between his country and the rest of the world, Peter struggled with his identity as a white Rhodesian and later in life, when living in London, he nurtured his skills as a photographer—and finally found the courage to come out as gay.Now a twenty-year resident of Hong Kong and an official Chinese national, Peter is arguably the only white, gay, African man in China. But his wildly entertaining anecdotes delve much deeper than that superficial—yet admittedly fascinating—label. These stories, based largely on Peter's childhood diary entries, offer insight into the universal human experience: from tragedies and triumphs to catastrophes and, perhaps most importantly, joy.

Matthew Wasn’t Always a Problem Child, But Now He’s Screwing Up… Big TimeAfter Matthew's parents’ marriage collapsed and his brother and father both disappeared, this once-popular high school kid learned how to act out: fighting, stealing, skipping school, and generally tearing his world to pieces. But when Matthew runs away to the seductive streets of Greenwich Village, he becomes fascinated with a mysterious panhandler called Sailor Barlow. Barlow offers him a life of freedom and release he never imagined, and when Matthew discovers a dark secret about Barlow, the youth convinces himself that he’s the only one who can save his new friend—even if he has to risk everything to do it. As Matthew descends ever-deeper into New York City’s terrifying underworld—a hellhole full of liars, cheats, thugs, and murderers—he must use his newfound fierce cunning to his advantage if he wants to survive. Can Matthew claw his way back from the brink of destruction? Or will Sailor Barlow draw him so deep into his own dark world that he drowns? Fans of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and Hatchet by Gary Paulsen are sure to love this inspiring coming-of-age novel.

Glimpse a life filled with contradictions, discoveries, and passion in Peter Wood's fascinating new memoir, Mud Between Your Toes: A Rhodesian Farm.This is a powerful story about a teenage boy growing up during the Rhodesian Bush War. Peter Wood is an African. He is white, but he also holds a Chinese passport. And he is also gay.Growing up during the 1970s on his family's farm in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Peter was swiftly introduced to a harsh world in which friends and relatives were murdered in ambushes—and the line between blacks and whites was drawn in blood.As travel bans and UN sanctions caused a deepening chasm between his country and the rest of the world, Peter struggled with his identity as a white Rhodesian and later in life, when living in London, he nurtured his skills as a photographer—and finally found the courage to come out as gay.Now a twenty-year resident of Hong Kong and an official Chinese national, Peter is arguably the only white, gay, African man in China. But his wildly entertaining anecdotes delve much deeper than that superficial—yet admittedly fascinating—label. These stories, based largely on Peter's childhood diary entries, offer insight into the universal human experience: from tragedies and triumphs to catastrophes and, perhaps most importantly, joy.

Matthew Wasn’t Always a Problem Child, But Now He’s Screwing Up… Big TimeAfter Matthew's parents’ marriage collapsed and his brother and father both disappeared, this once-popular high school kid learned how to act out: fighting, stealing, skipping school, and generally tearing his world to pieces. But when Matthew runs away to the seductive streets of Greenwich Village, he becomes fascinated with a mysterious panhandler called Sailor Barlow. Barlow offers him a life of freedom and release he never imagined, and when Matthew discovers a dark secret about Barlow, the youth convinces himself that he’s the only one who can save his new friend—even if he has to risk everything to do it. As Matthew descends ever-deeper into New York City’s terrifying underworld—a hellhole full of liars, cheats, thugs, and murderers—he must use his newfound fierce cunning to his advantage if he wants to survive. Can Matthew claw his way back from the brink of destruction? Or will Sailor Barlow draw him so deep into his own dark world that he drowns? Fans of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and Hatchet by Gary Paulsen are sure to love this inspiring coming-of-age novel.

Engaging and accessibly written, Strange New Land explores the history of slavery and the struggle for freedom before the United States became a nation. Beginning with the colonization of North America, Peter Wood documents the transformation of slavery from a brutal form of indentured servitude to a full-blown system of racial domination. Strange New Land focuses on how Africans survived this brutal process--and ultimately shaped the contours of American racial slavery through numerous means, including:- Mastering English and making it their own- Converting to Christianity and transforming the religion- Holding fast to Islam or combining their spiritual beliefs with the faith of their masters- Recalling skills and beliefs, dances and stories from the Old World, which provided a key element in their triumphant story of survival- Listening to talk of liberty and freedom, of the rights of man and embracing it as a fundamental right--even petitioning colonial administrators and insisting on that right.Against the troubling backdrop of American slavery, Strange New Land surveys black social and cultural life, superbly illustrating how such a diverse group of people from the shores of West and Central Africa became a community in North America.

Mparntwe describes how two young friends change the world for the better with their involvement in the development of the first benevolent Artificial Intelligence. There is a gentle treatment of disability involving both the characters, Jarra and Mirrigan, who have adventures in a number of distinctly Australian settings – the outback near Alice Springs, and the Grampians Range in Western Victoria.Mparntwe is traditional science fiction.

Engaging and accessibly written, Strange New Land explores the history of slavery and the struggle for freedom before the United States became a nation. Beginning with the colonization of North America, Peter Wood documents the transformation of slavery from a brutal form of indentured servitude to a full-blown system of racial domination. Strange New Land focuses on how Africans survived this brutal process--and ultimately shaped the contours of American racial slavery through numerous means, including: - Mastering English and making it their own - Converting to Christianity and transforming the religion - Holding fast to Islam or combining their spiritual beliefs with the faith of their masters - Recalling skills and beliefs, dances and stories from the Old World, which provided a key element in their triumphant story of survival - Listening to talk of liberty and freedom, of the rights of man and embracing it as a fundamental right--even petitioning colonial administrators and insisting on that right.Against the troubling backdrop of American slavery, Strange New Land surveys black social and cultural life, superbly illustrating how such a diverse group of people from the shores of West and Central Africa became a community in North America.

For Africans who survived the trans-Atlantic journey and were forced to disembark at one of the many ports along the coast of Britain's North American colonies, what lay before them was indeed a strange new land. Although forms of bondage had existed in West and Central Africa long before the trans Atlantic slave trade began, human beings were rarely the main commodity at the marketplace. Here in the modern world, the enslaved African was inspected, assessed, auctioned, bought, sold, bartered, and treated in any manner the owner saw fit. Slaves did not always cooperate. They fought and ran away, or made the business of commercial farming more difficult by not working efficiently. In spite of their condition and despite different ethnic backgrounds and languages, enslaved Africans forged a strong sense of community. The Africans learned the English language and made it their own. They learned Christianity and transformed it. Others held fast to Islam or combined their own spiritual beliefs with the faith of their masters. And all around them they heard talk of liberty and freedom, of the rights of man. Not surprisingly, many enslaved Africans embraced the idea of liberty as a fundamental right, and some even petitioned colonial administrators, insisting on that right. But the majority simply stole themselves and headed to Northern cities where slavery was less visible and where they might blend in more easily. Strange New Land explores the history of slavery and the struggle for freedom before the United States became a nation. Beginning with the colonization of North America, it documents the transformation of slavery from a brutal form of indentured servitude to a full-blown system of racial domination. More importantly, it surveys black social and cultural life, illustrating just how such a diverse group of people from the shores and hinterlands of West and Central Africa became a community in North America that survives and flourishes today.

Living history through the eyes of a young German girl. Based on a true story.Like many little girls, Helga Reiter dreams of horses. More than anything, the six-year-old wants to learn to ride and become a great equestrian. But, in 1941, the world is at war...Having overrun much Europe and North Africa, Germany's glorious military has no spare horses for frivolous childhood dreams. Stubborn as any good German soldier, Helga, contrives several ill-fated attempts to ride. By late 1944, Helga has no choice but to forgo her dream and face a terrible reality. Her country is losing the war. As Germany is crushed between the Soviet and Allied advance, the Reiter family struggles to survive one day at a time.