The concept of the Samurai resembles that of the medieval knight. The Samurai were warriors who fought for Japan and their warlords over a period of hundreds of years, leading to the creation of an era of stabiility, peace and prosperity.

The Samurai traditions and code of honor are deeply engrained in the Japanese culture and influence it to this day-from the serene tea ceremony to the intense martial arts.

This book presents extracts from Samurai manuals, such as A Book of Five Rings, Code of the Samurai, Hagakure, and so on, as well as extracts from Samurai classical literature. All these combine to form a comprehensive picture of the Samurai.

The book is rich in full-color art reproductions, permitting a rare glimpse into Japan's splendid and heroic Samurai past.

Robert T. Samuel is a Westerner who fell in love with Japan and its culture, married a Japanese woman, and adopted Japanese customs. He is engaged in the translation of Japanese books into English, and has a huge collection of items connected with the Samurai books, pictures, swords, and other memorabilia.

This is his first book, and it presents the world of the Samurai to the West.

Contents

Timeline
A map
Bushi
Bushi women
Death is a central aspect
Hojo Soun's 21 articles
A man who was killed in a fight
Military service
the first thing one has to do in the morning
Equestrian skills
The Bakufu
The first shoguns
In order to progress in life
General Yogo's head
The art of bearing the armor
As an ordinary priest
The history of the Taia Sword
Art appreciation
During the Battle of Bungo
According to the way of the samurai
An eye-witness account of an act of seppuku
A lone, horseless samurai is not a samurai
Giri
Go beyond the accepted idea
Principles of warriors
If you want to take revenge
Military equipment
Daimyo house codes
A single word
Oda Nobunaga
The first guns
According to the priesst Ryoi
Fame
Kamikazi
Famous samurai
Warrior dolls
Cold or bad weather
Muraoka no Goro and Hakamadare: Never let your guard down
The warrior monks
Nakano Kazuma Toshiaki
Sakanoue no Haruzumi's humiliation
Brave men
The cool-headed Fujiwara no Yasumasa
Tazaki Geki
Taira no Munetsune: A man of few words
Ghost warriors
Yoshitsune's letter
One of Lord Mitsushige's pageboys
The tragic love of two enemies
A young man
Miyamoto Musashi: The Book of Five Rings
The samurai, the demon and the doll (A Shunga tale)

The history and manners of the samurai is very well documented, yet in the West it seems locked away, either for lack of translation or a hesitation to share. The Hollywood view of the Samurai has shaped the life of the fabled Japanese warrior in our minds. Expectations for this book was very high, but Robert T. Samuel has missed the bar, barely getting off the ground.

The art reproduction is very good, and does repeat at times, surely without need. What hurt this book is the editing, or apparent lack of the red pencil. Poor wording (translation?), double printed words or sentences, and the mish-mash representation of topics made the reading very laborious and tiring.

Minus the distractions from the text language and layout, learning of the warrior way and its teachers is invaluable for the imagination. Without any other source for the English reader, this will have to do. ( )

Concise Descriptions of the life and values of the Samurai with illustrations and some reproductions of Japanese prints