| Record Number |
910687 |
| ISBN |
9784805316597 (hardback) |
| Author |
Blair, Gavin. author. |
| Title |
An illustrated guide to samurai history and culture : from the age of Musashi to contemporary pop culture / Gavin Blair ; foreword by Alexander Bennett. |
| Publisher/Date |
North Clarendon, VT : Tuttle Publishing, [2022] |
| ©2022 |
| Pagination etc. |
239 pages : illustrations (chiefly colour) ; 27 cm. |
| Contents note |
"Originally published as Samurai - Dall'ukiyoe alla cultura pop by Nuinui SA, 2021" -- Copyright page at end of book. |
| The samurai mystique / foreword by Alexander Bennett -- Origins of the samurai: the rise of a warrior class -- Battle of the clans: the Taira and the Minamoto -- Samurai versus the Mongols: the kamikaze "divine wind" -- Tools of the trade: swords, bows, spears, firearms, castles and armor -- The Sengoku period: an age of ceaseless war -- Legendary samurai: from Musashi to Yoshitsune -- Female samurai -- Myth and reality -- Bushi in peacetime: samurai, Zen and the arts -- Influence on today's martial arts -- Samurai on film -- The samurai in manga, anime and video games -- The legacy of the samurai in modern Japan and beyond. |
| Summary Note |
"The Samurai are continuously celebrated as the greatest warriors the world has ever seen. They ruled Japan for centuries, finally uniting the nation after a prolonged period of brutal war and bloodshed. Though famed for their loyalty, honour, and chivalry, they could also be treacherous, bloodthirsty, and merciless. This book tells the story of their rise and eventual demise through carefully curated images, both historical and contemporary, with an engaging and authoritative text by Gavin Blair--a noted commentator on all things Japanese. It exposes the myths surrounding the Samurai and reveals their many secrets, while examining their enduring influence on global culture in anime, manga, books, and video games"-- |
| Language note |
Translated from the Italian. |
| Subject |
Samurai -- Japan |
| Samurai -- Japan -- History |
| Added Author |
Bennett, Alexander writer of foreword. |
| Shelf Location |
952.02 BLAI |
