Library's review
Honor, loyalty, and self-sacrifice defined the life of the samurai, fierce warriors who controlled Japan for more than seven centuries. The Ways of the Samurai explores the history of these dedicated fighters, from their roots as soldiers of the imperial court to their eventual rise to power
The legend of Yoshitsune, the hero who helped to restore the Minamoto clan to power.
The wanderings of the ronin, who lived independently from lords and clans.
The philosophy of samurai training, which involved mental concentration and focused energy in addition to physical strength.
The practices of the ninja, masters of spying and sabotage hired by honorable samurai to do the dirty work.
Examining each part of samurai culture from battles, weapons, and armor to homes, education, and religious influences, The Ways of the Samurai shares the secrets of a military society in which dignity mattered more than life itself.
Carol Gaskin is a writer, editor, and Web site producer who has written fifteen books and numerous articles on history and fiction. She lives in Sarasota, Florida.
Vince Hawkins is a professional military historian with more than 17 years of experience in historical resarch, writing,and analysis. zHe lives in Fairfax, Virginia.
Learn the Samurai code.
Only samurai were permitted to wear two swords.
Only sons of the samurai could become samurai.
Suicide was the acceptable solution when honor had been lost.
Looking inside another warrior's helmet was a grave insult.
Under bushido (the samurai code), samurai pledged justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, honesty, honor, and loiyalty.
From history to philosophy to daily lifestyle, find out what made the samurai the fearsome warriors whose legacy survives today.
For decades, people have been fascinated by the Samurai. Now, with THE LAST SAMURAI, a major film starring Tom Cruise set for release in January 2004, interest in the Samurai will be at its peak. But who are the Samurai? And what is it about the Samurai that sparks such enduring fascination? For more than 700 years Japan was dominated by a military caste - the samurai. To the Western mind these fearsome warriors - the masterless ronin and the assassin ninja - have always been a source of mystery and wonder, combining the idealism of chivalry with military fanaticism. THE WAYS OF THE SAMURAI digs beneath the myth and reveals a truth even more amazing about the men who practiced a discipline drawn from Zen and Confucian ethics - bushido, the way of the warrior. THE WAYS OF THE SAMURAI presents all aspects of a Samurai's life: from training and culture to armour and weapons. It also recounts the greatest warriors including Oda Nobunaga a man of humble birth who at the time of his death in 1582 controlled thirty of Japan's sixty-eight provinces and had earned the distinction in Japanese history of being the first of the three great unifiers of Japan; and Takeda Shingen, a warrior whose reputation was so great that, in order to keep rival clans from launching a war against the Takeda clan, news of his death was kept secret for more than a year. THE WAYS OF THE SAMURAI also includes accounts of the epic battles that raged during the 100-year period in Japanese history known as Sengoku-jidai, 'Age of the Country at War'.
This book seems to be more of a children's book. It's filled with storytime anecdotes that could be told as bedtime stories to kids interested after catching a special on the Discovery Channel about Japan and the Samurai.
It's easy to read, I finished it in a day, nice and short, and it's full of fun facts. The stories are told and that's that.
if you're looking for a nice, inexpensive overview of what the samurai s and ninjas were like, this is a nice place to start--nice pictures, accessible text, and not too violent for students.
This book attempts to discuss the samurai but it is written as it was intended for children to read. The chapter on ninja truly was one fixed with Hollywood like fiction, i.e. the ninja having a glider-like flyer that they used to drop bombs on a castle. Also powders taht caused their target to laugh and could not be stopped, sort of like the joker from Batman, and finally mentioned that a throwing star could kill their enemy while they hid among the crowd. Absolutely not true. The throwing star was not a weapon that killed people. It was used more for a 'stop the chase' weapon. I found this book to be poorly written and even more poorly researched in many areas. I truly would not recommend this book to anyone. I am sorry I even bought it.
Contents
1 The first samurai
2 War between warlords
3 The height of the samurai
4 Tales of the ronin
5 Daily life of the samurai
6 Ways of the warrior
7 The samurai's secret weapon: Ninja
8 Studying the martial arts
9 The samurai legacy
A selection of highlights of samurai history by Vince Hawkins
The Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima October 1561
The Battle of Nagashino June 29, 1575
A return to traditional ways
Glossary
Show More
greater than that of the emperor. In this revealing guide to samurai culture, authors Carol Gaskin and Vince Hawkins discuss:The legend of Yoshitsune, the hero who helped to restore the Minamoto clan to power.
The wanderings of the ronin, who lived independently from lords and clans.
The philosophy of samurai training, which involved mental concentration and focused energy in addition to physical strength.
The practices of the ninja, masters of spying and sabotage hired by honorable samurai to do the dirty work.
Examining each part of samurai culture from battles, weapons, and armor to homes, education, and religious influences, The Ways of the Samurai shares the secrets of a military society in which dignity mattered more than life itself.
Carol Gaskin is a writer, editor, and Web site producer who has written fifteen books and numerous articles on history and fiction. She lives in Sarasota, Florida.
Vince Hawkins is a professional military historian with more than 17 years of experience in historical resarch, writing,and analysis. zHe lives in Fairfax, Virginia.
Learn the Samurai code.
Only samurai were permitted to wear two swords.
Only sons of the samurai could become samurai.
Suicide was the acceptable solution when honor had been lost.
Looking inside another warrior's helmet was a grave insult.
Under bushido (the samurai code), samurai pledged justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, honesty, honor, and loiyalty.
From history to philosophy to daily lifestyle, find out what made the samurai the fearsome warriors whose legacy survives today.
For decades, people have been fascinated by the Samurai. Now, with THE LAST SAMURAI, a major film starring Tom Cruise set for release in January 2004, interest in the Samurai will be at its peak. But who are the Samurai? And what is it about the Samurai that sparks such enduring fascination? For more than 700 years Japan was dominated by a military caste - the samurai. To the Western mind these fearsome warriors - the masterless ronin and the assassin ninja - have always been a source of mystery and wonder, combining the idealism of chivalry with military fanaticism. THE WAYS OF THE SAMURAI digs beneath the myth and reveals a truth even more amazing about the men who practiced a discipline drawn from Zen and Confucian ethics - bushido, the way of the warrior. THE WAYS OF THE SAMURAI presents all aspects of a Samurai's life: from training and culture to armour and weapons. It also recounts the greatest warriors including Oda Nobunaga a man of humble birth who at the time of his death in 1582 controlled thirty of Japan's sixty-eight provinces and had earned the distinction in Japanese history of being the first of the three great unifiers of Japan; and Takeda Shingen, a warrior whose reputation was so great that, in order to keep rival clans from launching a war against the Takeda clan, news of his death was kept secret for more than a year. THE WAYS OF THE SAMURAI also includes accounts of the epic battles that raged during the 100-year period in Japanese history known as Sengoku-jidai, 'Age of the Country at War'.
This book seems to be more of a children's book. It's filled with storytime anecdotes that could be told as bedtime stories to kids interested after catching a special on the Discovery Channel about Japan and the Samurai.
It's easy to read, I finished it in a day, nice and short, and it's full of fun facts. The stories are told and that's that.
if you're looking for a nice, inexpensive overview of what the samurai s and ninjas were like, this is a nice place to start--nice pictures, accessible text, and not too violent for students.
This book attempts to discuss the samurai but it is written as it was intended for children to read. The chapter on ninja truly was one fixed with Hollywood like fiction, i.e. the ninja having a glider-like flyer that they used to drop bombs on a castle. Also powders taht caused their target to laugh and could not be stopped, sort of like the joker from Batman, and finally mentioned that a throwing star could kill their enemy while they hid among the crowd. Absolutely not true. The throwing star was not a weapon that killed people. It was used more for a 'stop the chase' weapon. I found this book to be poorly written and even more poorly researched in many areas. I truly would not recommend this book to anyone. I am sorry I even bought it.
Contents
1 The first samurai
2 War between warlords
3 The height of the samurai
4 Tales of the ronin
5 Daily life of the samurai
6 Ways of the warrior
7 The samurai's secret weapon: Ninja
8 Studying the martial arts
9 The samurai legacy
A selection of highlights of samurai history by Vince Hawkins
The Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima October 1561
The Battle of Nagashino June 29, 1575
A return to traditional ways
Glossary
Show Less
ISBN
760770476
Publication
Barnes & Noble Books