This was without a doubt the best, most comprehensive, and most sweeping book that i have read on the history of the samurai. Japan had long been at civil war until brought under the rule of first oda nobunaga, and upon his death at the hands of a traitorous general, that of toyotomi hideyoshi, who completed the unification of japan and brought unknown peace. Japan had long been at civil war until brought under the rule of first oda nobunaga, and upon his death at the hands of a traitorous general, that of toyotomi hideyoshi, who completed the unification of. Hagakure translates to hidden leaves, likely a reference at revealing an ancient code. This japanese history book traces the story of a unique historical phenomenon. Yet with these elite warriors who were bound by a code of honor called bushido the way of the warrior the reality behind the myth proves more fascinating than any fiction.
A certain amount of background is required to understand the theme but the background became the bulk of this book. What disappointed you about a brief history of the samurai. The samurai code emphasized loyalty to ones mastereven over family loyalty. May 01, 1977 this was without a doubt the best, most comprehensive, and most sweeping book that i have read on the history of the samurai. A wealth of info on some of the top samurai clans and history of their battles. Nihon no bijutsu japanese matchlock firearms, ammunition, and history. In samurai, john man provides a unique and captivating look at. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading samurai. Brief history of the samurai courtesy of mark mcgee. What are some good nonfiction books on the samurai. Samurai made up just 56% of the total population 18 million in 1600 ce, and none of these were women although there was a separate and very small warrior class of women known as onna bugeisha or martially skilled women. Youve just written this very nice, brief history of the samurai, its just over a hundred pages long.
It was actually an account of the aristocracy of japan rather than about the samurai themselves. Japan has a history that dates back thousands of years. It also vastly alters the attitudes of the sides, making the new government out to be evil and oppressive. In this section of the website though ill take you through the key points in japanese martial. This is a wellwritten book on the history of the samurai, how they came to be, and how they came to cease. From a leading expert in japanese history, this is one of the first full histories of the art and culture of the samurai warrior. A brief history of the samurai audiobook by jonathan. The samurai, members of a powerful military caste in feudal japan, began as provincial warriors before rising to power in the 12th century with the beginning shows this day in history. History shows that the most loyal samurai were usually family members or financial dependents of their lords. Samurai is a tv documentary first aired on the history channel on march 16, 2010 the documentary follows mark dacascos as he travels throughout japan. There are a lot of books that i know that write about the samurais way of life, or philosophy, but i am struggling to find books that. Due to the difficulty of translating from japanese to english, code of the samurai took its time to reach the west. Top samurai novels score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
A 2018 article in new york named the last samurai as the novel of the century. Its 150 years since rebel samurai overthrew the old tokugawa. When portuguese merchants arrive in 1543, they are the first europeans to set foot in japan. Japanese history books are as varied and engaging as the countrys history. The book looks more at the why something happened, than the how of events.
Code of the samurai is straight to the point guidelines on bushido. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. It describes the life and career of saburo sakai, the japanese combat aviator who fought against american fighter pilots in the pacific theater of world war ii, surviving the war with 64. List of books and articles about samurai online research. Around the same time, warriors were increasingly hired by wealthy landowners that had grown independent of the central government and built armies for their own protection. The samurai part 1 the samurai part 1 the samurai part 1. The golden kill is the second novel in the black samurai series, which was released in the year 1974. Yet with these elite warriors who were bound by a code of honor called bushido. In the early 16th century, japan is a warlike society ruled by samurai and their daimyo warlords.
An illustrated history brings the violent, tumultuous, and, at the same time, elegant world of the medieval japanese samurai to life. Brief history of the samurai university of michigan. This is what we generally picture when we think of the infamous samurai. An abundance of the history of the samurai class and the military government that controlled them. Looking for some informational books on the samurai. The samurai were members of a warrior class who rose to power in japan from the 12th century onwards. Oct, 2016 the samurai part 1 the samurai part 1 the samurai part 1. Generously illustrated issue dedicated to early japanese matchlock arms, and other types of rifles, and cannons. The style follows herodotus in the form of a story, not the thucydides style. Anne meadows, writing in granta, ranked it as the best book of 2000. A new history peppers his biography of saigo with additional chapters on the samurai as a whole with the expected discussion of bushidothe samurai honor codeand seppuku, a form of its ritual suicide and on the development of the samurais appeal in popular culture.
In the piece christian lorentzen wrote, the last samurai is, in a few ways, an instruction manual. Whether you are looking for a tome that covers a very specific period in great detail, or one that gives a broad overview of nearly every major event and cultural phenomenon in this fascinating county, you can find it on this list. What are some good book recommendations on samurai. Do you want to start by telling us who they really were.
Another main goal of this project is to record the construction of a replica of. The samurai archives history page is an indepth research page on japanese samurai history, with details of the samurai warriors and battles of japanese history. The greatest warriors of japan history of japan see u in history duration. Some enjoyed reading this pulp, mens adventure novel, and cannot wait to get their hands on more of these novels. The best books score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
May 19, 2019 hong kong cnn when feudal japans most powerful warlord nobunaga oda met yasuke, a black slaveturnedretainer, in 1581, he believed the man was a god. First published in 1977, the samurai has long since become a standard work of reference. The best books on samurai five books expert recommendations. Set against the background of japans social and political history, the book records the rise and rise of japans extraordinary warrior class from earliest. The book of five rings by miyamoto musashi, instruction manual for the 21st century samurai by alexei maxim russell, the art. Samurai is the popular term in the west to refer to warriors in general. It continues to be the most authoritative work on samurai life and warfare published outside japan. Jonathan clements author of a brief history of the samurai. Hong kong cnn when feudal japans most powerful warlord nobunaga oda met yasuke, a black slaveturnedretainer, in 1581, he believed the man was a god.
The samurai emerged as a warrior caste in medieval japan and would have a powerful influence on the history and culture of the country from the next 500 years. This book covers samurai history, but japanese history as well, since the samurai were. The book is tons of fun, and has an interesting main character, as well as a lot of action, and a strong villain. Sekigahara was the greatest samurai battle in history. Im currently interested in learning more about samurais. The samurai trace their origins to the heian period campaigns to subdue the native emishi people in the tohoku region. He described the book as a virtual encyclopedia of japanese history and culture. It describes the life and career of saburo sakai, the japanese combat aviator who fought against american fighter pilots in the pacific theater of world war ii, surviving the war with 64 kills as one of japans leading flying aces. Taking in folklore, history and the worlds first novel, here is some of the best. This book includes a breakdown of every piece of the armour worn by the samurai and the weapons they used, the history of how and why the armor was developed. Jul 24, 2019 some samurai were relatives of the landowners they protected, while others were simply hired swords. Scientists believe the japanese people descended from many groups that migrated to the islands from other parts of asia, including china and korea. Many samurai had their own dedicated assistants or baishin who also worked any land their master owned.
Paragons of virtue, exemplars of honour, beacons of integrity and masters of warfare the knights of the east. Also, nice historical artworks and manual images showing the use of firearms and battle tactics employing their use, and even pictures of japanese armor that had been shot at for early testing purposes. Created by takashi okazaki, afro samurai was initially a dojinshi, or manga series, which was then made into an animated series by studio gonzo. Katsunos revenge and other tales of the samurai, 3. In the piece christian lorentzen wrote, the last samurai is, in a. His story, which has become the basis for countless flying swordsman oriental movies, is one of. The practice of seppuku continued until 1873 when it was formally outlawed.
They were encouraged to take up bureaucratic posts. List of best books about samurai, including jacket cover images when available. It provides a good general overview on japans military history and has many gorgeous pictures and descriptions of samurai battles. Mar 05, 2020 samurai, member of the japanese warrior caste. Jan 15, 2018 miyamoto musashi was the greatest swordsman to ever come out a nation of great swordsmen japan.
The inspiration for the jedi knights of star wars and the films of akira kurosawa, the legendary japanese samurai have captured modern imaginations. Books this covers the early transition period from heian society when the samurai were first emerging as a power bloc 940 ad. The definitive history of the samurai, by acclaimed author of ninja. Some samurai were relatives of the landowners they protected, while others were simply hired swords. I did not realize, when i ordered the book, that it was about saigo takamori, but it would have made no difference, i would have ordered it anyway. Aug 18, 2014 samurai is a tv documentary first aired on the history channel on march 16, 2010 the documentary follows mark dacascos as he travels throughout japan, exploring the history or story of the famous. From a leading expert in japanese history, this is o. Wert shows that the real story of the samurai is more complex, more nuanced, and more interesting than its popular portrayal.
Miyamoto musashi was the greatest swordsman to ever come out a nation of great swordsmen japan. The term samurai was originally used to denote the aristocratic warriors, but it came to apply to all the members of the warrior class that rose to power in the 12th century and dominated the japanese government until the meiji restoration in 1868. Samurai was a history book i have been trying to find for years. Nov 01, 2018 paragons of virtue, exemplars of honour, beacons of integrity and masters of warfare the knights of the east. While turnbull entitles the work a military history, this book goes far beyond a mere tallyingup of war stories, delving into mythology, religion and politics and stripping away many of the illusions that so many people both in japan and abroad have about the. Mark dacascos samurai miyamoto musashi documentary the. The life and legend of the warrior rebel, taira masakado. The way of japans elite warriors presents the history of japan where the samurai played a vital role with in a concise 300 page, while also avoiding the dry textbook prose. Shogun is a novel epic written by james clavell, an australianborn man who was inspired. The last samurai blends over a decade of real history into a shorter narrative, while changing a french hero into an american one. In this section of the website though ill take you through the key points in japanese martial history and how these events shaped and changed the samurai. The animated series, afro samurai, became wellliked in american popular culture due to its blend of hackandslash animation and gritty urban music.