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Samurai
by Mitsuo KureFor 700 years Japanese civilization was dominated by a single warrior caste. This project looks at arms, armor and costumes of Samurai men and women over the centuries with specially commissioned photography of reenactors wearing museum-quality clothing.
Samurai
by Mitsuo KureSamurai: An Illustrated History brings the violent, tumultuous, and, at the same time, elegant world of the medieval Japanese samurai to life.This book of Japanese history traces the story of a unique historical phenomenon: a period of 700 years-equivalent to the entire stretch of Western history between the reigns of the Crusader king Richard the Lionhearted and of Queen Victoria at the height of the British Empire-during which an enclosed civilization was dominated by a single warrior caste.The historical narrative of samurai history is supported by explanations of samurai armor, weapons, fortifications, tactics, and customs, and illustrated with nearly 800 fascinating color photographs, maps, and sketches, including ancient scroll paintings and surviving suits of armor preserved for centuries in Japanese shrines.From the 12th to the 19th centuries the history of Japan was effectively the history of the samurai-the class of professional fighting men. At first they were no more than lowly soldiery employed by the court aristocracy of Kyoto, but the growing power of the provincial warrior clans soon enabled them to brush aside the executive power of the imperial court and to form their own parallel military government. Though individual dynasties came and went in cycles of vigor and decadence, the dominance of the samurai as a class proved uniquely resilient.Through centuries of warfare, rebellion, and treachery, through invasion and overseas expeditions, the ever-shifting alliances of samurai warrior families struggled relentlessly for land and power. The great Japanese warrior clans were founded by ruthless adventurers, rose to extend over province and whole regions of the country, and fell in utter ruin. At last, from the bloodbath of the Sengoku Jidai-the "age of battles" beginning in the late 15th century-there emerged three extraordinary leaders who pursued the vision of unifying Japan under a single ruler: Oda Nobunaga, his lieutenant and successor Toyotami Hideyoshi, and finally Tokugawa Ieyasu, who fought, plotted and butchered his way to the ultimate prize.Early in the 17th century the victorious Tokugawa shoguns took the deliberate decision to isolate Japan completely; an until U.S. Navy Commodore Matthew C. Perry anchored off their coast nearly 250 years later the extraordinary medieval world of the samurai was preserved as if in amber. Mitsuo Kure's account ends with the painful birth of modern Japan under the stimulus of that shocking encounter, which finally destroyed the institutions created by the samurai shoguns.
Samurai 1550-1600
by Angus Mcbride Anthony BryantThis title details the culture, weapons, armour and training of the elite samurai warrior class in the fascinating Age of Battles period (1550-1600). This was a period of vital importance not only because of the political effects of the chaos but also due to the changes in warfare that occurred. In 1542 the Portuguese introduced the matchlock musket into Japanese warfare, and this book traces the effect that this important innovation had on the samurai. Life outside the field of battle is also examined, making this an unmissable book for those interested in this brave warrior caste.
Samurai Armies 1467-1649
by Stephen TurnbullThe Sengoku Jidai or "Age of Warring States" is the time of the samurai - Japan's military aristocracy. A period of endemic warfare where the absence of unifying central control led to constant struggles between the daimyo (or "Great Names") who sought to protect and extend the influence of their respective families through political and military means. However, it was also a time of great military change, as technology advanced rapidly, and the introduction of European gunpowder revolutionized infantry tactics and fortification technology. This title provides a highly detailed technical account of the samurai armies of Japan's Sengoku Jidai from the outbreak of the Onin War in 1467 to the publication of the final revised schedule for supplying troops to the Tokugawa Shogunate - by that time the government of united Japan - in 1649. It examines the complicated nature of family and clan that governed so much of the initial organization of the armies, how this changed over the period and how the battlefield tactics developed over a series of major encounters such as Nagashino and Sekigahara. Packed with rare photographs, maps, organizational charts and detailed text written by samurai expert Stephen Turnbull, this book is a unique insight into the organization of the armies of the samurai and is essential reading for anyone interested in the subject.
Samurai Armies 1550-1615
by Stephen Turnbull Richard HookIn 1543 three Portuguese merchants entered a turbulent Japan, bringing with them the first firearms the Japanese had ever seen: simple matchlock muskets called arquebuses. They proved a decisive addition to the Japanese armoury, as for centuries the samurai had fought only with bow, sword and spear. In 1575, during the Battle of Nagashino, one of the greatest original thinkers in the history of samurai, Oda Nobunaga, arranged his arquebusiers in ranks three deep behind a palisade and proceeded, quite literally, to blow his opponent's cavalry to pieces, marking the beginning of a new era in Japanese military history.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Samurai Arms, Armour & the Tactics of Warfare: The Collected Scrolls of Natori-Ryu (Book of Samurai #2)
by Antony CumminsTHE FIRST-EVER STUDY OF SAMURAI ARMS, ARMOUR AND TACTICS IN THE WORDS OF AN AUTHENTIC SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY SAMURAI MASTER STRATEGIST Part of the acclaimed Book of Samurai series, which presents for the first time the translated scrolls of the historical Natori-Ryū samurai school of war, this volume offers an exceptional insight into the weaponry and armour of the samurai era, as well as tactical advice for use on and off the battlefield. Two secret scrolls by the samurai tactician Natori Sanjūrō Masazumi are presented here: Heieki Yōhō, which offers advice for every possible martial situation, from moving troops to besieging a castle to fighting on the open battlefield; and Heigu Yōhō, which explores samurai arms and armour in unparalleled detail. Illustrated with 130 line drawings of arms and armour, strategic diagrams and beautiful samples of Japanese calligraphy, this is essential reading for students of martial arts, warrior culture and the samurai path. This book was written by the seventeenth-century samurai tactician Natori Sanjūrō Masazumi, also known as Issui-sensei, who was to become the most influential grandmaster of the Natori-Ryū school of war. It gives us an unprecedented insight into what the samurai knew about their own specialization – armour and warfare. By listening to a genuine samurai, we can discover a huge amount about the thoughts, ideals, codes and even the feelings of this much admired, but often misunderstood, warrior class. Heieki Yōhō, the first scroll translated in this book, gives leadership advice for use on and off the battlefield. From turning thieves or cowards to good service, to practising ‘external listening’ in order to obtain information from as many sources as possible, to penetrating the deeper motives of those who slander or praise others, the ideas discussed are thought provoking and paint a vivid picture of samurai Japan at war. Heigu Yōhō, the second scroll, gives a rare and precious glimpse into samurai arms and armour, including details of their construction, regulations associated with the wearer’s status, and the fascinating ceremonies, mythology and Buddhist doctrine that underlay their use. With 130 line drawings that clarify the text, this is the ultimate resource for all those interested in the wisdom and practice of the historical samurai.
Samurai Commanders
by Stephen Turnbull Richard HookThis second volume about Japan's samurai commanders covers the generals of the later years of the Age of the Warring States (Sengoku period), a period when only the most able leaders survived. This was a time when the prowess of a commander was measured as much by his strategic and organizational abilities as by his individual fighting skills and he was expected to give as great a show of strength in the council chamber as on the battlefield. This book discusses the lives, battles and wider roles of talented commanders such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi - great men who stood out prominently due to their elaborate suits of armour and helmets, their stunning personal heraldry and their great armies.
Samurai Heraldry
by Stephen Turnbull Angus McbrideThe dazzling spectacle presented by the armies of medieval Japan owed much to the highly developed family and personal heraldry of samurai society. From simple personal banners, this evolved over centuries of warfare into a complex system of flags worn or carried into battle, together with the striking 'great standards' of leading warlords. While not regulated in the Western sense, Japanese heraldry developed as a series of widely followed practices, while remaining flexible enough to embrace constant innovation. Scores of examples, in monochrome and full colour, illustrate this fascinating explanation of the subject by a respected expert on all aspects of samurai culture.
Samurai Revolution
by Romulus HillsboroughJapan's dramatic rise from a political backwater to a great power; an inside look at the men and their times that shaped a nation.Samurai Revolution tells the fascinating story of Japan's transformation from a backward country of feudal lords and samurai under the control of the shogun into a modern industrialized nation under the unifying rule of the Emperor. Japan's modern revolution spanned the third-quarter of the nineteenth century; knowledge of this history is essential to understand how and why Japan evolved into the nation it is today.Samurai Revolution is divided into two books in one complete volume. Book I chronicles the series of tumultuous and bloody events between 1853 and 1868, collectively called the Meiji Restoration, the "dawn of modern Japan," when the shogun's government was overthrown and the Emperor was restored to his ancient seat of power. Book 2 covers the first turbulent decade of the restored monarchy in which the new Imperial government worked desperately to consolidate its power and introduce innovations that would put Japan on equal footing with Western powers that threatened to dominate it. The government clashed with disgruntled samurai who felt left behind amid the whirlwind of changes toward modernization. Highlighted is the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, a failed samurai-led uprising that brought the end of the samurai way of life.As the first comprehensive history and analysis in English examining all the key players in this epoch drama, Samurai Revolution is the result of over twenty-five years of research. Throughout the book the author quotes extensively from the journals, memoirs, histories, and letters of Katsu Kaishu, a prolific writer, founder of Japan's modern navy, and later supreme commander of the shogun's military, who earned the epithet "the shogun's last samurai." These original translations give an insider's view, which along with the grand historical narrative provide readers with an unparalleled insight into this most momentous period in Japanese history.
Samurai Revolution
by Romulus HillsboroughJapan's dramatic rise from a political backwater to a great power; an inside look at the men and their times that shaped a nation.Samurai Revolution tells the fascinating story of Japan's transformation from a backward country of feudal lords and samurai under the control of the shogun into a modern industrialized nation under the unifying rule of the Emperor. Japan's modern revolution spanned the third-quarter of the nineteenth century; knowledge of this history is essential to understand how and why Japan evolved into the nation it is today.Samurai Revolution is divided into two books in one complete volume. Book I chronicles the series of tumultuous and bloody events between 1853 and 1868, collectively called the Meiji Restoration, the "dawn of modern Japan," when the shogun's government was overthrown and the Emperor was restored to his ancient seat of power. Book 2 covers the first turbulent decade of the restored monarchy in which the new Imperial government worked desperately to consolidate its power and introduce innovations that would put Japan on equal footing with Western powers that threatened to dominate it. The government clashed with disgruntled samurai who felt left behind amid the whirlwind of changes toward modernization. Highlighted is the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, a failed samurai-led uprising that brought the end of the samurai way of life.As the first comprehensive history and analysis in English examining all the key players in this epoch drama, Samurai Revolution is the result of over twenty-five years of research. Throughout the book the author quotes extensively from the journals, memoirs, histories, and letters of Katsu Kaishu, a prolific writer, founder of Japan's modern navy, and later supreme commander of the shogun's military, who earned the epithet "the shogun's last samurai." These original translations give an insider's view, which along with the grand historical narrative provide readers with an unparalleled insight into this most momentous period in Japanese history.
Samurai Strategies: 42 Martial Secrets from Musashi's Book of Five Rings
by Boye Lafayette De Mente Michihiro MatsumotoSimilar to The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Book of Five Rings by Musashi Myamoto, Japan's most famous warrior and combat strategist, provides valuable lessons for anyone facing challenging circumstances--from business, war, and sports to fields of art, love, and politics.<P><P>The samurai culture, created over a period of nearly seven hundred years by Japan's ruling class of warriors and epitomized in The Book of Five Rings, still influences every facet of the Japanese way of thinking and doing things. Many Japanese, consciously and unconsciously, pattern their attitudes and behavior on the thinking and behavior of Musashi, including sacrificing themselves to ideals, and continuously striving to achieve perfection.Boyé Lafayette De Mente has extracted the fundamentals of Musashi's martial tactics and explains them here in a context for use in the modern world. These strategies for winning are as valid today as they were in 17th century Japan and provide valuable insights for anyone in any field to endeavor.This hardcover edition of Samurai Strategies features a new introduction by the author, and additional commentary in each chapter by renowned Japanese author and samurai expert Michihiro Matsumoto.
Samurai Tales: Courage, Fidelity and Revenge in the Final Years of the Shogun
by Romulus Hillsborough Kiyoharu OminoSamurai Tales is about the legendary men from the samurai class who fought for the helm of power in 19th century Japan.<P><P> These are stories of courage, honor, fidelity, disgrace, fate, and destiny set in the bloody time of political change and social upheaval in the final years of the Shogun. Samurai Tales is, to quote author Romulus Hillsborough, "accurate portrayals of the heart and soul of the samurai, the social and political systems of whom have, like the Japanese sword, become relics of a distant age, but the likes of whose nobility shall never again be seen in this world." In recounting what he terms "the great epic which was the dawn of modern Japan," Hillsborough delves deeply into the psyche of the men of the samurai class. This book would serve well on the bookshelves of martial artists, those interested in samurai culture, or those interested in Japanese history.
Samurai War Stories: Teachings and Tales of Samurai Warfare
by Antony Cummins Yoshie MinamiEnter the world of seventeenth-century Japanese warfare and the warrior elite, the Samurai. Samurai War Stories: Teachings and Tales of Samurai Warfare is a collection of three major texts, published in an English translation for the first time. These works include writings on three distinct military strata: the Samurai; the Ashigaru or foot soldier; and women in war. Including guidelines, tactics, commentaries and advice written by Samurai of the period, as well as intricate illustrations. Narratives of actual battles and sieges are included in the texts, such as the famous Battle of Sekigahara. This collection is an invaluable resource that sheds new light on the world of the legendary Japanese warrior.
Samurai Weapons
by Don CunninghamWeapons, particularly bladed ones such as swords, are enjoying a renaissance of interest from every source, from collectors to laypeople. The samurai, a glorified figure in Japan and the West, employed a variety of weapons, not least of which was the sword. Samurai Weapons details how and why their arsenal included not only the sword of popular lore, but also a variety of other tools, including concealed weapons, improvised fighting tools, fans, truncheons and pole arms.The author succinctly describes the society of Japan, how and why the samurai class arose, and the place that samurai held in that society through the centuries, focusing in particular on the various weaponry, how these weapons were used and why. In addition, Samurai Weapons highlights the influence these weapons and fighting styles had on many different schools of Japanese martial arts.
Samurai Weapons
by Don CunninghamWeapons, particularly bladed ones such as swords, are enjoying a renaissance of interest from every source, from collectors to laypeople. The samurai, a glorified figure in Japan and the West, employed a variety of weapons, not least of which was the sword. Samurai Weapons details how and why their arsenal included not only the sword of popular lore, but also a variety of other tools, including concealed weapons, improvised fighting tools, fans, truncheons and pole arms.The author succinctly describes the society of Japan, how and why the samurai class arose, and the place that samurai held in that society through the centuries, focusing in particular on the various weaponry, how these weapons were used and why. In addition, Samurai Weapons highlights the influence these weapons and fighting styles had on many different schools of Japanese martial arts.
Samurai Wisdom
by Thomas ClearyOne of the best known translators of the wisdom of Asia, Thomas Cleary now adds a new book to his samurai canon with Samurai Wisdom, new translations of five classic works on bushido. His previous works, Code of the Samurai and Soul of the Samurai, focused on the practical aspects and the more spiritual, Zen side of the samurai, respectively. Samurai Wisdom, authored by the scholar Yamaga Soko or his disciples, provides the core ideals and lessons that taught the samurai how to lead a proper life under the martial philosophy of bushido.Yamaga's writings inspired the transformation of the samurai from a feudal warrior class to a group with great intellectual, political and ethical leadership and influence. The classic works translated in Samurai Wisdom, despite being over 400 years old, are as timeless and applicable today as Sun Tzu's famous work, The Art of War.
Samurai Wisdom
by Thomas ClearyThis book presents new translations of five classic works on Bushido--the way of the Samurai warrior. These treatises, all authored by the scholar Yamaga Soko or one of his disciples, provide the core ideals and philosophy underlying Samurai conduct and way of life. Together they offer an in-depth, practical guide to building character and leading a proper life according to the precepts of Bushido. Yamaga's writings helped inspire the transformation of the Samurai from a feudal warrior class to become accomplished leaders of intellectual, political, and ethical influence.
Samurai Women 1184-1877
by Stephen Turnbull Giuseppe RavaEver since the Empress Jingo-kogo led an invasion of Korea while pregnant with the future Emperor Ojin, tales of female Japanese warriors have emerged from Japan's rich history. Using material that has never been translated into English before, this book presents the story of Japan's female warriors for the first time, revealing the role of the women of the samurai class in all their many manifestations, investigating their weapons, equipment, roles, training and belief systems. Crucially, as well as describing the women who were warriors in their own right, like Hauri Tsuruhime and the women of Aizu, this book also looks at occasions when women became the power behind the throne, ruling and warring through the men around them.
Samurai and the Warrior Culture of Japan, 471–1877: A Sourcebook
by Thomas Donald ConlanIn addition to providing excerpts from classic tales of Japan&’s warrior past, this volume draws on a wide range of lesser-known but revealing sources—including sword inscriptions, edicts, orders, petitions, and letters—to expand and deepen our understanding of the samurai, from the order&’s origins in the fifth century to its abolition in the nineteenth. Taken together with Thomas Donald Conlan&’s contextualizing introductions and notes, these sources provide a rare window into the experiences, ideals, and daily lives of these now-sentimentalized warriors. Numerous illustrations, a glossary of terms, and a substantial bibliography further enhance the value of this book to students, scholars, and anyone interested in learning more about the samurai.
Samurai in 100 Objects: The Fascinating World of the Samurai as Seen Through Arms and Armour, Places and Images (In 100 Objects Ser.)
by Stephen TurnbullA journey through the world and culture of these elite Japanese warriors, filled with facts and photos. From lowly attendants (samurai literally means &“those who serve&”) to members one of the world&’s most powerful military organizations, the samurai underwent a progression of changes to reach a preeminent position in Japanese society and culture. Even their eventual eclipse did not diminish their image as elite warriors, and they would live on in stories and films. This proud and enduring tradition is exemplified and explored by the carefully selected objects gathered here from Japanese locations and from museums around the world. These objects tell the story of the samurai, from acting as the frontier guards for the early emperors to being the inspiration for the kamikaze pilots. The artifacts, many of which are seen here for the first time, include castles, memorial statues, and paintings and prints associated with the rise of the samurai, along with their famous armor and weapons. The latter include the Japanese longbow, a thirteenth-century bomb, and the famous samurai sword—but not every artifact here is from the past. You&’ll also discover a cute little blue duck—found in a Japanese souvenir shop—complete with helmet, spear, and surcoat, dressed authentically as the brutal samurai Kat Kiyomasa, who was responsible for a massacre at Hondo castle in 1589.
Samurai to Soldier: Remaking Military Service in Nineteenth-Century Japan
by Melissa Haynes Benjamin A. Haynes D. Colin JaundrillIn Samurai to Soldier, D. Colin Jaundrill rewrites the military history of nineteenth-century Japan. In fifty years spanning the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate and the rise of the Meiji nation-state, conscripts supplanted warriors as Japan's principal arms-bearers. The most common version of this story suggests that the Meiji institution of compulsory military service was the foundation of Japan’s efforts to save itself from the imperial ambitions of the West and set the country on the path to great power status. Jaundrill argues, to the contrary, that the conscript army of the Meiji period was the culmination—and not the beginning—of a long process of experimentation with military organization and technology.Jaundrill traces the radical changes to Japanese military institutions, as well as the on-field consequences of military reforms in his accounts of the Boshin War (1868–1869) and the Satsuma Rebellions of 1877. He shows how pre-1868 developments laid the foundations for the army that would secure Japan’s Asian empire.
Samurai! [Illustrated Edition]
by Fred Saito Martin Caiden Saburo SakaiIncludes more than 12 photographs of the author and his exploits."Saburo Sakai is Japan's greatest fighter pilot to survive World War II, and his powerful memoir has proven to be one of the most popular and enduring books ever written on the Pacific war. First published in English in 1957, it gave Americans new perspectives on the air war and on the Japanese pilots who, until then, had been perceived in the United States as mere caricatures. Today, the books remains a valuable eyewitness account of some of the most famous battles in history and a moving, personal story of a courageous naval aviator.A living legend, Sakai engaged in more than two hundred dogfights, from the Philippines to Iwo Jima, and was the only Japanese ace never to lose a wingman in combat. By war's end he reportedly had shot down sixty-four Allied planes. Although this number cannot be confirmed, Sakai's exploits in the air were extraordinary by any standards. His most renowned accomplishment, an epic of aviation survival, occurred after action over Guadalcanal in August 1942. Partially paralyzed and nearly blind from multiple wounds, he managed to fly 560 miles to Rabaul and safely land his crippled Zero.Here, Sakai offers a full account of his experiences, modestly recalling his rise from an impoverished childhood to feats of mythic proportions. And because he shares his innermost thoughts with his readers, the book not only provides rare insights into the Samurai character but also describes with complete honestly the human emotions common to warriors of all causes."-Print Ed.
Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan (Warfare and History)
by Karl F. FridayKarl Friday, an internationally recognised authority on Japanese warriors, provides the first comprehensive study of the topic to be published in English. This work incorporates nearly twenty years of on-going research and draws on both new readings of primary sources and the most recent secondary scholarship. It overturns many of the stereotypes that have dominated views of the period. Friday analyzes Heian -, Kamakura- and Nambokucho-period warfare from five thematic angles. He examines the principles that justified armed conflict, the mechanisms used to raise and deploy armed forces, the weapons available to early medieval warriors, the means by which they obtained them, and the techniques and customs of battle.A thorough, accessible and informative review, this study highlights the complex casual relationships among the structures and sources of early medieval political power, technology, and the conduct of war.
Samurai: The Last Warrior: A History
by John ManThe definitive history of the Samurai, by acclaimed author of Ninja: 1,000 Years of the Shadow Warrior“One could ask for no better storyteller or analyst than John Man.” —Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem: The Biography The inspiration for the Jedi knights of Star Wars and the films of Akira Kurosawa, the legendary Japanese samurai have captured modern imaginations. 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. In Samurai, celebrated author John Man provides a unique and captivating look at their true history, told through the life of one man: Saigo Takamori, known to many as "the last samurai." In 1877 Takamori led a rebel army of samurai in a heroic "last stand" against the Imperial Japanese Army, who sought to end the "way of the sword" in favor of firearms and modern warfare. Man's thrilling narrative brings to life the hidden world of the samurai as never before.
Samurai: The World of the Warrior
by Stephen TurnbullThe world of the samurai - the legendary elite warrior cult of old Japan - has for too long been associated solely with military history and has remained a mystery to the general reader. In this exciting new book, Stephen Turnbull, the world's leading authority on the samurai, goes beyond the battlefield to paint a picture of the samurai as they really were. Familiar topics such as the cult of suicide, ritualised revenge and the lore of the samurai sword are seen in the context of an all-encompassing warrior culture that was expressed through art and poetry as much as through violence. Using themed chapters, the book studies the samurai through their historical development and their relationship to the world around them - relationships that are shown to persist in Japan even today.From the Hardcover edition.