The Last Samurai -- Glory and Destruction

Author: Stephen Turnbull
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: For a long time, the samurai—this legendary "hero" group of ancient Japan—have been associated with the history of military warfare. However, in this gripping work, the renowned British historian and authoritative expert on samurai history, Stephen Turnbull, shifts his gaze beyond the bloody battlefields, painting for us a realistic picture of the samurai world. Many well-known themes such as seppuku (ritual suicide), ritualized revenge, and the Japanese sword, which are often expressed through violence and slaughter, are given artistic and poetic interpretations and manifestations in this book. The entire book is divided into several thematic chapters, showcasing the development history of the Japanese samurai class and the relationship between the samurai group and the surrounding world—a special relationship that still lingers in Japanese society to this day.