Samurai: An Illustrated History - Rilegato

Kure, Mitsuo

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0804832870 ISBN 13: 9780804832878

Casa editrice: Tuttle Pub, 2002

Riassunto

Samurai: An Illustrated History brings the violent, tumultuous, and, at the same time, elegant world of the medieval Japanese samurai to life.

This Japanese history book traces the story of a unique historical phenomenon: a period of 700 years—equivalent to the entire stretch of Western history between the reigns of the Crusader king Richard the Lionhearted and of Queen Victoria at the height of the British Empire—during which an enclosed civilization was dominated by a single warrior caste.

The historical narrative of samurai history is supported by explanations of samurai armor, weapons, fortifications, tactics, and customs, and illustrated with nearly 800 fascinating color photographs, maps, and sketches, including ancient scroll paintings and surviving suits of armor preserved for centuries in Japanese shrines.

From the 12th to the 19th centuries the history of Japan was mainly the history of the samurai—the class of professional fighting men. At first, they were no more than lowly soldiery employed by the court aristocracy of Kyoto, but the growing power of the provincial warrior clans soon enabled them to brush aside the executive power of the imperial court and to form a parallel military government. Though individual dynasties came and went in cycles of vigor and decadence, the dominance of the samurai as a class proved uniquely resilient.

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L'autore:

Mitsuo Kure graduated from medical school in 1972 and became a surgeon based in Tokyo. His lifelong interest in samurai began at an early age when he began constructing historically accurate models of samurai figures. Later, with the assistance on Togo Ryu, a well-known Japanese historical novelist, he began to reconstruct full-size samurai armor and started what is now one of the premier re-enactment groups in Japan. His group is currently one of the leading organizers of samurai battle re-enactments in Japan.

Mitsuo Kure graduated from medical school in 1972 and became a surgeon based in Tokyo. His lifelong interest in samurai began at an early age when he began constructing historically accurate models of samurai figures. Later, with the assistance on Togo Ryu, a well-known Japanese historical novelist, he began to reconstruct full-size samurai armor and started what is now one of the premier re-enactment groups in Japan. His group is currently one of the leading organizers of samurai battle re-enactments in Japan.

Product Description:

"Samurai: An Illustrated History" brings the violent, tumultuous, and, at the same time, elegant world of the medieval Japanese samurai to life. With a general introduction that examines the origins of the samurai and their rise to power, Samurai presents a chronological coverage of samurai history detailing the main battles, personnel, and general themes. Additional chapters are studies of samurai armor and weaponry, fortifications, and the changes in strategy and armor upon the introduction of firearms and cannon. All chapters are illustrated by photographs of battle re-enactments meticulously conducted by the enthusiastic historical re-enactment societies of Japan, and by line drawings of fortifications and armor. Samurai vividly details the long bloody era of the samurai, when sons killed their fathers, brothers attacked their brothers, wives betrayed their husbands and hosts their guests, and the forces of the samurai rulers destroyed those of the emperors and the monasteries. The samurai fought for property, lands, and money, and only rarely for honor--Samurai tells that compelling story with vigor.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Tuttle Pub
• Data di pubblicazione: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0804832870
• ISBN 13: 9780804832878
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 192