Overview
Samurai Tales is about the legendary men from the samurai class who fought for the helm of power in 19th century Japan. 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. The final years of the samurai were an age of unprecedented turmoil and bloodletting in Japan. They heralded the end of nearly three centuries of rule under the Tokugawa Shogun. The rule of law was deteriorating, assassination and murder were rampant, and inner-fighting among the warrior class embroiled the nation. After the United States forced an end of over two hundred years of Japanese isolation, two contrasting philosophies were embraced by the samurai. On one side were those who would overthrow the shogun and restore the Emperor to power. Opposing the revolutionaries were the allies of the Tokugawa Bakufu, headed by the shogun. While the shogun's men clashed violently with the revolutionaries, as samurai they shared with each other an allegiance to an unwritten code of honor which governed the ways they lived and died. Theirs was a stoic system of morals which condoned suicide, vengeance and, in some cases, cold-blooded murder. 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.
Full Product Details
Author: Romulus Hillsborough ,
Kiyoharu Omino ,
Kiyoharu Omino
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Imprint: Tuttle Publishing
Dimensions:
Width: 13.30cm
, Height: 2.30cm
, Length: 20.30cm
Weight: 0.284kg
ISBN: 9784805313534
ISBN 10: 4805313536
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 04 August 2015
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
It's an interesting read full of swordsmanship, honor, beheadings, and colorful characters. -Martial Thoughts blog
It's an interesting read full of swordsmanship, honor, beheadings, and colorful characters. Martial Thoughts blog
""It's an interesting read full of swordsmanship, honor, beheadings, and colorful characters."" --Martial Thoughts blog
Author Information
Romulus Hillsborough is an acclaimed expert in the field of Japanese history and culture who lived in Japan for over fifteen years. He has appeared numerous times on television and radio including The History Channel and NHK television. Fluent in spoken and written Japanese, he is the author of Ryoma: Life of a Renaissance Samurai, Samurai Revolution, Samurai Assassins and The Shogun's Last Samurai Corps. Hillsborough lives in San Francisco, California.
