A history of the samurai : legendary warriors of Japan / Jonathan López-Vera ; translated by Russell Calvert.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

López-Vera, Jonathan, author.

Contributor:

Calvert, Russell, translator.

Language:

English

Spanish

Subjects (All):

Samurai--Japan--History.

Samurai.

Japan--History, Military--To 1868.

Japan.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (288 pages, 32 unnumbered pages of plates) : illustrations, maps

Place of Publication:

Tokyo ; Rutland, Vermont ; Singapore : Tuttle Publishing, [2020]

Language Note:

In English and Spanish.

Summary:

A History of the Samurai tells the complete story of Japan's legendary warrior class from beginning to end-an epic tale of intrigue, bloodshed and bravery that is central to an understanding of the Japanese character and of Japanese history. It describes in detail the core Samurai philosophy of Bushido, 'the way of the warrior' a complex code of conduct embracing ideals of honour and loyalty that continues to govern the Japanese way of life today. Historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera offers a compelling look at these enigmatic warriors including: The lives of famous Samurai-Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman, Tomoe Gozen, the woman who became a Samurai, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the last Shogun and many more. The tragic tale of the 47 Ronin who chose honour over their own lives and were forced to commit ritual suicide after avenging their fallen master. The philosophy of Bushido, 'the Way of the Warrior, ' the code of conduct that embraced the ideals of honour and loyalty and governed the Samurai way of living. The decline of the Samurai and their transformation from rough, battle-hardened warriors to highly educated philosopher-poets. Illustrated with 125 archival prints and photos, the nobility and grandeur of the Samurai is brilliantly showcased in this book. Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in the Samurai's world, as historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera traces the fascinating story of the rise and fall of these enigmatic warriors throughout Japanese history.

Contents:

1. The emergence of the Samurai

The first warriors

The first Samurai

The Samurai control the court

2. The Genpei Wars

Young Samurai in exile

First phase: conflict breaks out

Second phase: Internal struggle for the Minamoto Leadership

Third phase: Yoshitsune wins the war

3. The first Samurai government

Typing up loose ends

Yoritomo's Bakufu

The death of Yorimoto

The waning and fall of the Kamakura Shōgunate

4. The Mongol invasion attempts

The Great Continental Threat

First assault, 1274

Second assault, 1281

5. A century of Civil War

From the fall of Kamakura to the outbreak of war

The Ōnin War: no winner and many losers

Beginnings of the Sengoku Period: the age of great names

6. Contact with Europe

Portuguese in Japan

The arrival and spread of Harquebuses

Weapons for souls : the Catholic Mission in Japan

7. The unification of Japan

Late Sengoku period: fever more powerful rivals

Oda Nobunaga planted the rice

...Toyotomi Hideyoshi cooked it

...and Tokugawa Ieyasu ate it

The invasion of Korea

Possible motives and preparations

First invasion and truce

Second invasion and outcome

9. The Tokugawa Shōgunate

Ieyasu, laying down the foundations of the dynasty

Hidetada and Iemitsu: stabilizing the system

The Samurai and the organization of the new country

10. The Keichō Diplomatic Mission

The project

From Japan to Rome: great expectations

From Rome to Japan: Empty-handed

11. The end of the Samurai

Domestic dynamite: the waning of the Bakuhan

External detonator : the new western threat

Explosion : the wrecking of the Bakufu

Meiji : the construction of a new Japan

Epilogue : the Samurai myth.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-4629-2134-5