"A story of honor and bloody revenge." The legend of the 47 ronin is one of the most popular and best known stories about the samurai in Japan. It is often referred to as the country's "national legend" and is the most revered example of the samurai code of honor, bushido, put to the ultimate test. The story tells of a group of samurai who, in 1701, were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was compelled to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka. The ronin, led by Asano's chief councilor, Oishi Yoshio, avenged their master's honor by killing Kira, after waiting and planning for almost two years. In turn, the ronin were themselves forced to commit seppuku for committing the crime of murder. With much embellishment, this true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that people should preserve in their daily lives. The popularity of the almost mythical tale was enhanced by rapid modernization following the fall of the shogun during the Meiji era of Japanese history. Many versions of the events appeared and the story of the 47 ronin continues to be popular in Japan to this day. This book traces the history of the story through various retellings. It includes the first English version to appear in print, from Isaac Titsingh's "Illustrations of Japan," published in 1822, plus the second from "The Capital of the Tycoon" by Rutherford Alcock. It also includes in full "The Forty-Seven Ronins" from "Tales of Old Japan" by A. B. Mitford (plus his account of seppuku/hara-kiri), "The Loyal Ronins" by Shunsui Tamenaga, translated by Shiuichiro Saito and Edward Greey and "The Forty-Seven Ronin" by James Murdoch from "A History of Japan." This is a comprehensive collection which brings together some of the best known versions of the story and serves as a perfect introduction to the legendary tale of the 47 ronin. For more information please visit Purple Rose at www.purplerosebooks.com and view our other titles and new releases.

"It remains one of the most penetrating and illuminating books on the island's elusive, alluring culture." -- National Geographic A House in Bali tells the fascinating story of renowned writer and composer Colin McPhee's obsession with Balinese gamelan music, and of his journey to Bali to experience it first-hand. In 1929, the young Canadian-born musician chanced upon rare gramophone recordings which were to change his life forever. From that moment, he lived for the day when he could set foot on the island where this music originated. He realized his dream and spent almost a decade there in the 1930s. Music and dance are second nature to the Balinese, and McPhee's writings and compositions proved seminal in popularizing gamelan music in the West. In this lovingly-told memoir, McPhee unfolds a beguiling picture of a society like no other in the world--staggeringly poor in material terms, but rich beyond belief in spiritual values and joy. The young composer writes about his growing understanding of this astonishing culture where art is a preoccupation--and of all the arts, music reigns supreme. This is a book about passion, obsession and discovery, and of the journey of a supremely talented modern composer and writer. Much has been written about Bali, but this classic stands alone!

Conservation Biology brings together theory, applied research, basic research, and hundreds of real-world examples and stories from dozens of disciplines to teach students how to become practicing conservation biologists who protect and manage Earth's biodiversity. A major theme throughout the book is the active role that researchers, local communities, the general public, conservation organizations, and governments can play in protecting biodiversity, even while maintaining a high quality of life for humankind.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ The Life, Genius, And Poetry Of William Cowper; A Lecture James Murdoch Pollock

"A story of honor and bloody revenge." The legend of the 47 ronin is one of the most popular and best known stories about the samurai in Japan. It is often referred to as the country's "national legend" and is the most revered example of the samurai code of honor, bushido, put to the ultimate test. The story tells of a group of samurai who, in 1701, were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was compelled to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka. The ronin, led by Asano's chief councilor, Oishi Yoshio, avenged their master's honor by killing Kira, after waiting and planning for almost two years. In turn, the ronin were themselves forced to commit seppuku for committing the crime of murder. With much embellishment, this true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that people should preserve in their daily lives. The popularity of the almost mythical tale was enhanced by rapid modernization following the fall of the shogun during the Meiji era of Japanese history. Many versions of the events appeared and the story of the 47 ronin continues to be popular in Japan to this day. This book traces the history of the story through various retellings. It includes the first English version to appear in print, from Isaac Titsingh's "Illustrations of Japan," published in 1822, plus the second from "The Capital of the Tycoon" by Rutherford Alcock. It also includes in full "The Forty-Seven Ronins" from "Tales of Old Japan" by A. B. Mitford (plus his account of seppuku/hara-kiri), "The Loyal Ronins" by Shunsui Tamenaga, translated by Shiuichiro Saito and Edward Greey and "The Forty-Seven Ronin" by James Murdoch from "A History of Japan." This is a comprehensive collection which brings together some of the best known versions of the story and serves as a perfect introduction to the legendary tale of the 47 ronin. For more information please visit Purple Rose at www.purplerosebooks.com and view our other titles and new releases.