Product Description

In Little Need of Divine Intervention presents a fundamental revision of the thirteenth-century Mongol Invasions of Japan by revealing that the warriors of medieval Japan were capable of fighting the Mongols to a standstill without the aid of any "divine winds" or kamikaze. Conlan's interpretation of the invasions is supplemented with translations of the picture scrolls commissioned by Takezaki Suenaga, a warrior who fought against the Mongols. In addition, translations of nearly seventy administrative documents are provided, thereby enabling students of Japanese history reconstruct the invasions using contemporary sources. A rare copy of Takezaki Suenaga's Scrolls, reproduced in full, reveals hitherto unknown missing scenes. Furthermore, the scrolls' images can be now read in tandem with its narrative passages, translated in English for the first time. Please note that the entire book was intentionally printed from back to front, so that the reproduced scrolls unfold in Japanese order, from right to left. Thus the book's spine is on the right. This monograph will prove to be of great interest for students and scholars of medieval Japanese history, warrior culture, and the nature of Japan in an East Asian context.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #262388 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

About the Author
THOMAS CONLAN is Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies at Bowdoin College. He has recently published "The Nature of Warfare in Fourteenth Century Japan," in the Summer 1999 issue of the Journal of Japanese Studies, and is currently preparing a monograph about warfare in fourteenth-century Japan for publication. Current research topics include the judicial role of violence, and the political role of Esoteric Buddhism.

Customer Reviews

Great Help, But Only The Last 100 Pages
After having been given the task of researching the plausibility of the Mongol invasions of Japan, I checked out this book from the local library. The first one-third of the book is a translation of the manuscripts of a samurai after the invasions seeking rewards for his service. This was not very useful to my research but possibly the only English translation of this important work that is easily accessible. The next one-third is a translation of other works pertaining to the Mongol invasions. These works were not necessary for any mainstream analysis of these events. The final one-third consisted of the author's personal research on the counter of the popular Japanese sentiment of divine intervention. I found this to be helpful and insightful, yet too short. If more of the book had been devoted to the author's interpretations and conclusions, the book would have been a better read. From a purely reference point of view, this book is quite useful.