Samurai - Hardcover

Man, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593065042 ISBN 13: 9780593065044

Publisher: Bantam Press, 2011

Synopsis

The name 'Samurai' is synonymous with the ultimate warrior. With their elaborate armour, fierce swordsmanship and code of honour, the samurai have become iconic figures whose influence can still be felt today . From Kurosawa's epic Seven Samurai to the figure of Darth Vader in Star Wars, to Manga comics and video games, the figure of the fighting samurai still inspires us today. In John Man's new book we discover the truth behind the legend.

From his birth in the shadow of the great volcano Sakurajima, to his glorious death by ritual suicide and disembowelment, Saigo Takamori was the ultimate Samurai leader. His fall brought about the end of hundreds of years of Samurai tradition and in many ways marks the birth of modern Japan. Saigo was a man trapped by paradox: a faithful servant to the emperor, and yet a leader of rebel troops; a mighty Samurai warrior, and also a master of Chinese poetry. His life, and ultimately his death, offer a window into the hundreds of years of culture and tradition that defined the samurai.

About this title

Product Description:

From his birth in the shadow of the great volcano Sakurajima, to his glorious death by ritual suicide and disembowelment, Saigo Takamori was the ultimate Samurai leader. His fall brought about the end of hundreds of years of Samurai tradition and in many ways marks the birth of modern Japan.

Review:

slashes through the thicket of 19th-century Japanese politics with the keenness of a samurai's tempered steel blade --Daily Express

About this edition

• Publisher: Bantam Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0593065042
• ISBN 13: 9780593065044
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320