- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Osprey Publishing; illustrated edition edition (22 Oct 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1841767409
- ISBN-13: 978-1841767406
- Product Dimensions: 25.1 x 19.3 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
165,028 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #13 in Books > History > Countries & Regions > Asia > 1500-1900
- #34 in Books > History > World History > 1501-1750
- #90 in Books > History > World History > 1751-1900
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Review
"The best military history series published today--indispensable."
Product Description
The 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.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
The samurai were the legendary warriors of old Japan who led noble and violent lives governed by the demands of honour, personal integrity and loyalty. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
The samurai were the legendary warriors of old Japan who led noble and violent lives governed by the demands of honour, personal integrity and loyalty. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining,
By A Customer
This review is from: Samurai: The World of the Warrior (Special Editions (Military)) (Hardcover)
This is an excellent telling of the history of the samurai. Unlike other titles from the Osprey series, this book doesn't concentrate on the military aspects of the samurai such as their arms, armour and tactics. Instead, the main purpose of the book is to give you a glimpse of samurai culture. So we have sections on little known aspects of the samurai, such as the japanese navy and pirates. Other topics covered is the importance of ancestry, their use of hara-kiri suicide, the impact of guns on the Japanese psyche and the purpose of castles.
This book also picks out key moments during the last years of the samurai class. There is for example, a chapter on the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, while there's another on the White Tigers - a group of child revolutionaries who fought for the Shogun during the Meiji restoration. This period of samuari history tends to get ignored for the more exciting wars of the Sengoku Jidai, so it is a pleasure to read about these little known chapters of the Japanese past. My only wish was that they delved a bit deeper into these subjetcs. Those who are familiar with Dr. Turnbull's books will know that he is an expert on the subject, whose writing style is easy to understand. I'd recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the samurai, or Japanese history or culture in general.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Real Treat,
By
This review is from: Samurai: The World of the Warrior (Paperback)
No one knows Samurai like Stephen Turnbull, his books on the subject are many and varied and I really liked this one. As the title says, this book delves into the Samurai's world and you can learn a great deal about how they came to be and how they lived their lives. For those of you who want an encyclopedia type book about Samurai I recommend Stephen Turnbulls 'Samurai Source Book' wich is a mine of information. You can tell how much the author loves his subject and there is nothing more infectious than enthusiasm and Mr Turnbulls is in every page of The World of the Warrior. Last but certainly not least, the illustrations are fabulous.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Read,
By
This review is from: Samurai: The World of the Warrior (Paperback)
I actually bought this book for my father's birthday but I had a good flick through before wrapping it. All I can say is that Stephen Turnbull knows his stuff, then again I'm biased as he was one of my favourite lecturers at university. His passion for his subject can be seen in his writing and this makes his work an engaging read for anyone interested in the subject.
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