The Book of the Samurai
by Stephen R. Turnbull
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Few countries have a warrior tradition as ancient and exciting as that of Japan--and it is embodied by one powerful and romantic figure: the loyal, self-sacrificing samurai. Exalted in stories, painting, and film, he was the valiant lone swordsman in battle, the ultimate individual combatant, but also a lover of beauty and nature. And for over 700 years, the samurai--whose name means "those who serve"--ruled Japan, struggling to protect the country from foreign influences. Their history and show more that of the nation are inseparably intertwined, and both unfold with the help of some 300 line drawings, photographs, and maps. Follow their rise between the 9th and 11th centuries A.D., their participation in over 600 years of civil war, and their role shift from knights on horseback to peacemaking administrators. Understand bushido, the complex code of conduct they lived by, and finally their decline and disappearance. A thrilling saga of an ever-fascinating warrior tribe. show lessTags
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Few countries have a warrior tradition as long and exciting as that of Japan. It is a tradition found particularly in the person of the romantic, loyal, and self-sacrificing knight of old Japan-the samurai. He is the valiant lone swordsman, the ultimate individual warrior. He is the aesthete, appreciating the beauty of the cherry blossom, seening in its brief carreer his own short but glorious life. He is the commander of the host on the battlefield, the keeper of the peace, the aristocratic administrator and the avenger of his master.
Yet he is also a member of a class that ruled Japan tor nearly 700 years, a class whose members fought both for control of the country and to keep Japan free from foreign influence. From show more its inception in the Heian Period through to the bloody Onin Wars, the history of the samurai is a history of political and military struggle. In the sixteenth century, Bobunaga and Hideyoshi attempted to unite bands of samurai and reunify Japan. Then, after the Battle of Sekigahara, peace was established and the samurai slipped into an administrative role. As their military role declined, their armour became more elaborate and decorative.
However, Japan could not stand alone forever. Advances in technology meant that the West could threaten Japan militarily, and the Meiji Restoration was a progressive movement that effectively put an end to the samurai class. In 1877, Saigo organized an uprising of the degraded class and, fighting guns with swords, atempted to re-establish the samurai's dominant position. But he was doomed to fail. The samurai's days of glory were over.
The history of the samurai is an intergral part of the history of Japan. In this book, Stephen Turnbull, author of several books on the samurai and Reader in History at the university of Leeds, describes the development and decline of this great military tradition. It is illustrated wth some 300 line drqwings, photographs and maps.
Contents
1 The Way of the Horse and Bow
2 The Classical Warriors
3 The Sons of Hachiman
4 The Shogun of the Golden Pavilion
5 The Age of the Country at War
6 The Professionals
7 Great Peace Throughout the Land
8 The Sword and the Abacus
9 Decline and Opportunity
10 Men of High Purpose
11 The Last of the Samurai
Glossary
Index
Bibliography
Acknowledgments show less
Few countries have a warrior tradition as long and exciting as that of Japan. It is a tradition found particularly in the person of the romantic, loyal, and self-sacrificing knight of old Japan-the samurai. He is the valiant lone swordsman, the ultimate individual warrior. He is the aesthete, appreciating the beauty of the cherry blossom, seening in its brief carreer his own short but glorious life. He is the commander of the host on the battlefield, the keeper of the peace, the aristocratic administrator and the avenger of his master.
Yet he is also a member of a class that ruled Japan tor nearly 700 years, a class whose members fought both for control of the country and to keep Japan free from foreign influence. From show more its inception in the Heian Period through to the bloody Onin Wars, the history of the samurai is a history of political and military struggle. In the sixteenth century, Bobunaga and Hideyoshi attempted to unite bands of samurai and reunify Japan. Then, after the Battle of Sekigahara, peace was established and the samurai slipped into an administrative role. As their military role declined, their armour became more elaborate and decorative.
However, Japan could not stand alone forever. Advances in technology meant that the West could threaten Japan militarily, and the Meiji Restoration was a progressive movement that effectively put an end to the samurai class. In 1877, Saigo organized an uprising of the degraded class and, fighting guns with swords, atempted to re-establish the samurai's dominant position. But he was doomed to fail. The samurai's days of glory were over.
The history of the samurai is an intergral part of the history of Japan. In this book, Stephen Turnbull, author of several books on the samurai and Reader in History at the university of Leeds, describes the development and decline of this great military tradition. It is illustrated wth some 300 line drqwings, photographs and maps.
Contents
1 The Way of the Horse and Bow
2 The Classical Warriors
3 The Sons of Hachiman
4 The Shogun of the Golden Pavilion
5 The Age of the Country at War
6 The Professionals
7 Great Peace Throughout the Land
8 The Sword and the Abacus
9 Decline and Opportunity
10 Men of High Purpose
11 The Last of the Samurai
Glossary
Index
Bibliography
Acknowledgments show less
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113+ Works 5,250 Members
Stephen Turnbull is an Honorary Lecturer at Leeds, a Research Associate at SOAS and Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies at Akita International University. He is a leading expert on the military history of Europe and the Far East and the author of more than fifty books on the subject. His expertise was also put to use in helping design the show more award-winning computer strategy game Shogun Total War, and in 2010 he acted as Historical Adviser to Universal Pictures fro the movie 47 Ronin. show less
Common Knowledge
- Important places
- Japan
- Original language
- English
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