Samurai - Hardcover

Man, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593065042 ISBN 13: 9780593065044

Verlag: Bantam Press, 2011

Inhaltsangabe

The extraordinary story of the warrior Saigo Takamori, whose death marked the end of the Samurai era.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

John Man is a historian and travel writer with a special interest in Japan and China. His books have been published in over twenty languages. His previous books include The Great Wall, Xanadu, Attila and the bestselling Genghis Khan.

Aus dem Klappentext

With their elaborate armour, fierce swordsmanship and strict code of honour, the samurai are iconic warriors, their fame immortalized in films - from The Seven Samurai to Star Wars - novels, video games and martial-arts clubs.

This is the story of the real 'last samurai', Saigo Takamori. Born in 1827 in Japan's far south, Saigo's life was defined by the samurai ethos: by Bushido, the Way of the Warrior; by the right to bear swords; by death-defying bravado; by faithful service to his lord, the shogun and the semi-divine emperor; and, in defeat or ignominy, by 'cutting the belly' in ritual suicide.

Japan's closed society - which had rejected firearms for over two centuries - couldn't resist the turbulent forces of modernity. The arrival of American traders and the need for modern armies consigned the world of the individualistic, sword-wielding samurai to the past. But not before they made one last stand, with Saigo at the head of a rebel army.

But Saigo was no dyed-in-the-wool conservative. He was a scholar, poet, general and cabinet minister who embodied the essence of his society. His surprising life and self-imposed death turned him into one of Japan's greatest heroes. John Man has tracked Saigo's campaign, and shows him to be the key to understanding the emergence of modern Japan - and to explaining why the samurai continue to fascinate us today.

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Bantam Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2011
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0593065042
• ISBN 13: 9780593065044
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 320
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar