The idea of the sword-wielding samurai, beholden to a strict
ethical code and trained in deadly martial arts, dominates popular
conceptions of the samurai. As early as the late seventeenth
century, they were heavily featured in literature, art, theater,
and even comedy, from the Tale of the Heike to the kabuki
retellings of the 47 Ronin. This legacy remains with us today in
the legendary Akira Kurosawa films, the shoguns of HBO's Westworld,
and countless renditions of samurai history in anime, manga, and
video games. Acknowledging these common depictions, this book gives
readers access to the real samurai as they lived, fought, and
served. Much as they capture the modern imagination, the samurai
commanded influence over the politics, arts, philosophy and
religion of their own time, and ultimately controlled Japan from
the fourteenth century until their demise in the mid-nineteenth
century. On and off the battlefield, whether charging an enemy on
horseback or currying favor at the imperial court, their story is
one of adventures and intrigues, heroics and misdeeds, unlikely
victories and devastating defeats. This book traces the samurai
throughout this history, exploring their roles in watershed events
such as Japan's invasions of Korea at the close of the sixteenth
century and the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. Coming alive in these
accounts are the samurai, both famed and ordinary, who shaped
Japanese history.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
