Product Description

From the Publisher The samurai were the most skilled elite group of combatants the world has ever seen. Their name means "one who serves." Years of training, discipline, and self-sacrifice combined with advanced weaponry and unprecedented tactical acumen created a force unmatched over centuries of Japanese history. Samurai explores the essence, truth, and wisdom of these remarkable warriors. It features renowned samurai warriors, their weapons, armor, and military strategies and illuminates their unwavering Bushido philosophythe strict code of honor requiring absolute loyalty to their master above all else, and ritual suicide in preference to dying a dishonorable death. This book explores the spirit, body, and minds of these sublime paladins who long ago passed into legend, but still live on today.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1423291 in Books
• Published on: 2006
• Binding: Hardcover
• 205 pages

Customer Reviews

Breathtaking
this is, itself, a beautful book. It tells a great deal about the way of the samurai, theres a chapter on Bushido, another on armor and another of weapons. there were drawings of them to, so you got to understand beter what they mean. there were even little short stories of famous samurai. This book takes my breath away, ans inspires me.

Handsomely printed and informative
This is a handsomely printed book, made to look antique. It is lavishly illustrated with drawings, prints and pictures. The text gives an overview of the history of the Samurai, their philosophy of life (and death), their daily life, armor and clothing, weaponry and tactics. It also includes brief biographies of many important Samurai. If the book were larger, the illustrations and antique nature of the pages and cover would make it a coffee table book.

The text occupies only half of the 200 pages of this book, so none of the topics mentioned above are discussed in great detail. This book is most useful for the illustrations and the definitions of the terms associated with the Samurai, which are given throughout the book and summarized in a 12-page glossary at the back. If you want to know what a chomage is (a top knot of hair) or a kissaki (sword tip) or the difference between a katana and a tachi (both are swords), then you will find this book informative. You will also like this book if you are interested in the pictures and illustrations, but if you want a scholarly, in depth, treatment the Samurai, then this book may not meet your expectations.