Download or read book Samurai The Japanese Warrior s Unofficial Manual written by Stephen Turnbull and published by Thames & Hudson. This book was released on 2012-04-01 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Combines the latest research with contemporary lives, descriptions, and reconstructions to provide a dramatic picture of what it was like to be a samurai. So you think you’d like to be a samurai? It’s 1615 and the samurai, Japan’s elite fighting class, are at the zenith of their powers. Trained in every manner of combat, from sword fighting and archery to karate and jujitsu, the samurai warrior is the emperor’s last line of defense against the lewd and sordid barbarians of Japan and beyond. This handy manual tells you everything you need to know about maintaining the honor of the samurai class both on and off the battlefield. • How to master the Way of the Warrior • Whom you should kill, and what to do with the heads afterward • What the cultured samurai does between battles • How to storm or lay siege to a castle • How to conduct a tea ceremony with Zen-like composure • How to prepare for entry into the White Jade Pavilion after your death

Download or read book Legionary The Roman Soldier s Unofficial Manual written by Philip Matyszak and published by Thames & Hudson. This book was released on 2009-06-29 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An insider's guide: how to join the Roman legions, wield a gladius, storm cities, and conquer the world Your emperor needs you for the Roman army! The year is AD 100 and Rome stands supreme and unconquerable from the desert sands of Mesopotamia to the misty highlands of Caledonia. Yet the might of Rome rests completely on the armored shoulders of the legionaries who hold back the barbarian hordes and push forward the frontiers of empire. This carefully researched yet entertainingly nonacademic book tells you how to join the Roman legions, the best places to serve, and how to keep your armor from getting rusty. Learn to march under the eagles of Rome, from training, campaigns, and battle to the glory of a Roman Triumph and retirement with a pension plan. Every aspect of army life is discussed, from drill to diet, with handy tips on topics such as how to select the best boots or how to avoid being skewered by enemy spears. Combining the latest archaeological discoveries with the written records of those who actually saw the Roman legions in action, this book provides a vivid picture of what it meant to be a Roman legionary.

Download or read book Gladiator The Roman Fighter s Unofficial Manual written by Philip Matyszak and published by Thames & Hudson. This book was released on 2011-04-15 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An entertaining yet factual insider's guide: how to become a gladiator, hone your fighting skills, and thrill the crowds in the Colosseum. So you think you’d like to be a gladiator? Find out how to get thousands to idolize you as the strongest, meanest fighter in the Roman empire. Win fame and fortune in one of Rome’s most glamorous locations, in the presence of the emperor himself. Who wouldn’t kill for a job like that? This handy guide tells you everything you need to know before you step out to fight for your life in front of a roaring crowd: Why you should become a gladiator How to join the most glamorous—yet lethal—profession on earth Who will try to kill you, and with what Which arena of the empire is the right one for you When and how often you will fight What happens before, during, and after a duel Combining the latest research with modern reconstructions, Gladiator helps you experience firsthand the spectacular yet brutal life and death of the most iconic figure of ancient Rome.

Download or read book Samurai written by Stephen R. Turnbull and published by PRC Publishing. This book was released on 2004 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Four vellum sections build up the layers of armor worn by the samurai, and text by a world-recognized expert on the subject, provide an inimitable look at the mysterious ancient Japanese warrior class. Every image and page offers fascinating insight, from an overview of early Japan and the emperor system to the specifics of weaponry. The story begins as the samurai come into being in the 800s, and defines exactly what they are. Tales of the great battles and feuds, and commentary on the politics of the time, bring these compelling soldiers to life. The comprehensive information covers such issues as the samurai's ranks and grades, way of life, retainers, loyalty (bushido), and training. An absolutely compelling guide.

Download or read book Ancient Wars c 2500BCE 500CE written by Professor Dennis Showalter and published by Amber Books Ltd. This book was released on 2013-09-16 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Ancient Wars c.2500BCE-500CE – in the Encyclopedia of Warfare Series – shows the conflicts that raged for two millennia as the first governments emerged and states began to develop. Starting with the earliest battles known to history, this is a chronological guide to conflict on every continent, from the Macedonian Empire to the fall of Rome.

Download or read book Medieval Wars 500 1500 written by Professor Dennis Showalter and published by Amber Books Ltd. This book was released on 2013-09-16 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Medieval Wars is a listing of all key medieval battles from 500 to 1500CE from around the globe, with maps showing the critical encounters of the period. Ideal for military students and historians, this volume is part of the Encyclopedia of Warfare series.

Download or read book The Last Samurai written by Mark Ravina and published by Wiley + ORM. This book was released on 2011-03-29 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The dramatic arc of Saigo Takamori's life, from his humble origins as a lowly samurai, to national leadership, to his death as a rebel leader, has captivated generations of Japanese readers and now Americans as well - his life is the inspiration for a major Hollywood film, The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. In this vibrant new biography, Mark Ravina, professor of history and Director of East Asian Studies at Emory University, explores the facts behind Hollywood storytelling and Japanese legends, and explains the passion and poignancy of Saigo's life. Known both for his scholarly research and his appearances on The History Channel, Ravina recreates the world in which Saigo lived and died, the last days of the samurai. The Last Samurai traces Saigo's life from his early days as a tax clerk in far southwestern Japan, through his rise to national prominence as a fierce imperial loyalist. Saigo was twice exiled for his political activities -- sent to Japan's remote southwestern islands where he fully expected to die. But exile only increased his reputation for loyalty, and in 1864 he was brought back to the capital to help his lord fight for the restoration of the emperor. In 1868, Saigo commanded his lord's forces in the battles which toppled the shogunate and he became and leader in the emperor Meiji's new government. But Saigo found only anguish in national leadership. He understood the need for a modern conscript army but longed for the days of the traditional warrior. Saigo hoped to die in service to the emperor. In 1873, he sought appointment as envoy to Korea, where he planned to demand that the Korean king show deference to the Japanese emperor, drawing his sword, if necessary, top defend imperial honor. Denied this chance to show his courage and loyalty, he retreated to his homeland and spent his last years as a schoolteacher, training samurai boys in frugality, honesty, and courage. In 1876, when the government stripped samurai of their swords, Saigo's followers rose in rebellion and Saigo became their reluctant leader. His insurrection became the bloodiest war Japan had seen in centuries, killing over 12,000 men on both sides and nearly bankrupting the new imperial government. The imperial government denounced Saigo as a rebel and a traitor, but their propaganda could not overcome his fame and in 1889, twelve years after his death, the government relented, pardoned Saigo of all crimes, and posthumously restored him to imperial court rank. In THE LAST SAMURAI, Saigo is as compelling a character as Robert E. Lee was to Americans-a great and noble warrior who followed the dictates of honor and loyalty, even though it meant civil war in a country to which he'd devoted his life. Saigo's life is a fascinating look into Japanese feudal society and a history of a country as it struggled between its long traditions and the dictates of a modern future.

Download or read book Ninja written by Stephen R. Turnbull and published by Firebird Books Limited. This book was released on 1991 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Making of Modern Japan written by Marius B. Jansen and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-01 with total page 933 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Magisterial in vision, sweeping in scope, this monumental work presents a seamless account of Japanese society during the modern era, from 1600 to the present. A distillation of more than fifty years’ engagement with Japan and its history, it is the crowning work of our leading interpreter of the modern Japanese experience. Since 1600 Japan has undergone three periods of wrenching social and institutional change, following the imposition of hegemonic order on feudal society by the Tokugawa shogun; the opening of Japan’s ports by Commodore Perry; and defeat in World War II. The Making of Modern Japan charts these changes: the social engineering begun with the founding of the shogunate in 1600, the emergence of village and castle towns with consumer populations, and the diffusion of samurai values in the culture. Marius Jansen covers the making of the modern state, the adaptation of Western models, growing international trade, the broadening opportunity in Japanese society with industrialization, and the postwar occupation reforms imposed by General MacArthur. Throughout, the book gives voice to the individuals and views that have shaped the actions and beliefs of the Japanese, with writers, artists, and thinkers, as well as political leaders given their due. The story this book tells, though marked by profound changes, is also one of remarkable consistency, in which continuities outweigh upheavals in the development of society, and successive waves of outside influence have only served to strengthen a sense of what is unique and native to Japanese experience. The Making of Modern Japan takes us to the core of this experience as it illuminates one of the contemporary world’s most compelling transformations.

Download or read book Ninja written by Stephen Turnbull and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2017-11-30 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This history of the ninja uncovers the truth behind the image—from the exploits of medieval ninjas to their modern incarnation as pop culture icons. The ninja is a legendary figure in Japanese military culture, a fighter widely regarded as the world’s greatest expert in secret warfare. The word alone conjures the image of a masked assassin dressed in black, capable of extraordinary feats of daring; a mercenary who disposes of enemies by sending sharp iron stars spinning towards them. This is, of course, a popular myth, based on exaggerations and Hollywood movies. But the truth, as Stephen Turnbull explains in Ninja, is even more fascinating. A leading expert on samurai culture, Turnbull presents an authoritative study of ninja history based on original Japanese sources, many of which have never been translated before. These include accounts of castle attacks, assassinations and espionage, as well as the last great ninja manual, which reveals the spiritual and religious ideals that were believed to lie behind the ninja’s arts. Turnbull’s critical examination of the ninja phenomenon ranges from undercover operations during the age of Japan’s civil wars to the modern emergence of the superman ninja as a comic book character. The book concludes with a detailed investigation of the ninja in popular culture.

Download or read book The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature written by Haruo Shirane and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015-12-31 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature provides, for the first time, a history of Japanese literature with comprehensive coverage of the premodern and modern eras in a single volume. The book is arranged topically in a series of short, accessible chapters for easy access and reference, giving insight into both canonical texts and many lesser known, popular genres, from centuries-old folk literature to the detective fiction of modern times. The various period introductions provide an overview of recurrent issues that span many decades, if not centuries. The book also places Japanese literature in a wider East Asian tradition of Sinitic writing and provides comprehensive coverage of women's literature as well as new popular literary forms, including manga (comic books). An extensive bibliography of works in English enables readers to continue to explore this rich tradition through translations and secondary reading.

Download or read book Japan s Castles written by Oleg Benesch and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-02 with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Considering Castles and Tenshu -- Modern Castles on the Margins -- Overview: "from Feudalism to the Edge of Space" -- From Feudalism to Empire -- Castles and the Transition to the Imperial State -- Castles in the Global Early Modern World -- Castles and the Fall of the Tokugawa -- Useless Reminders of the Feudal Past -- Remilitarizing Castles in the Meiji Period -- Considering Heritage in Early Meiji -- Castles and the Imperial House -- The Discovery of Castles, 1877-1912 -- Making Space Public -- Civilian Castles and Daimyo Buyback -- Castles as Sites and Subjects of Exhibitions -- Civil Society and the Organized Preservation of Castles -- Castles, Civil Society, and the Paradoxes of "Taisho Militarism" -- Building an Urban Military -- Castles and Military Hard Power -- Castles as Military Soft Power -- Challenging the Military -- The military and Public in Osaka -- Castles in War and Peace: Celebrating Modernity, Empire, and War -- The Early Development of Castle Studies -- The Arrival of Castle Studies in Wartime -- Castles for town and country -- Castles for the empire -- From feudalism to the edge of space -- Castles in war and peace II: Kokura, Kanazawa, and the Rehabilitation of the -- Nation -- Desolate gravesites of fallen empire: what became of castles -- The imperial castle and the transformation of the center -- Kanazawa castle and the ideals of progressive education -- Losing our traditions: lamenting the fate of japanese heritage -- Kokura castle and the politics of japanese identity -- "Fukko": hiroshima castle rises from the ashes -- Hiroshima castle: from castle road to macarthur boulevard and back -- Prelude to the castle: rebuilding hiroshima gokoku shrine -- Reconstructions: celebrations of recovery in hiroshima -- Between modernity and tradition at the periphery and the world stage -- The weight of Meiji: the imperial general headquarters in hiroshima and the -- Meiji centenary -- Escape from the center: castles and the search for local identity -- Elephants and castles: odawara and the shadow of tokyo -- Victims of history I: Aizu-wakamatsu and the revival of grievances -- Victims of history II: Shimabara castle and the Enshrinement of loss -- Southern Barbarians at the gates: Kokura castle's struggle with authenticity -- Japan's new castle builders: recapturing tradition and culture -- Rebuilding the Meijo: (re)building campaigns in Kumamoto and Nagoya -- No business like castle business: castle architects and construction companies -- Symbols of the people? conflict and accommodation in Kumamoto and Nagoya -- Conclusions.

Download or read book An Introduction to Japanese Society written by Yoshio Sugimoto and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2010-06-22 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essential reading for students of Japanese society, An Introduction to Japanese Society now enters its third edition. Here, internationally renowned scholar, Yoshio Sugimoto, writes a sophisticated, yet highly readable and lucid text, using both English and Japanese sources to update and expand upon his original narrative. The book challenges the traditional notion that Japan comprises a uniform culture, and draws attention to its subcultural diversity and class competition. Covering all aspects of Japanese society, it includes chapters on class, geographical and generational variation, work, education, gender, minorities, popular culture and the establishment. This new edition features sections on: Japan's cultural capitalism; the decline of the conventional Japanese management model; the rise of the 'socially divided society' thesis; changes of government; the spread of manga, animation and Japan's popular culture overseas; and the expansion of civil society in Japan.

Download or read book So You Want to be a Ninja written by Bruno Vincent and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2020-07-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An essential guide for wannabe ninjas—and fair warning for those brave, or foolish, enough to learn the craft. In this fantastic new addition to the So You Want to Be a... series Kate, Eddie, and Angus are obsessed with ninjas. After watching endless ninja competitions on YouTube, the plucky adventurers dream of dressing in black and making themselves invisible. With padded shoes to silence their steps and throwing stars hidden in their pockets, the friends travel back in time to 1789 Japan to discover what it takes to be a ninja. Under the guidance of the grand master, the trio learn the ninjutsu craft from two of Japan’s stealthiest ninjas—Hanzo, the bravest ninja of all time, and Chiyo, a kunoichi, or “female,” ninja, who is a master of disguise. With the help of these great masters, Kate, Eddie, and Angus learn the most tightly guarded secrets of ninjutsu, including how to throw a ninja star, how to use mind control, and how to break into a castle! Full of zany illustrations and inspired by the book Ninja, which is based on an original ninjutsu training manual, So You Want to Be a Ninja? is a highly entertaining and accurate account of ninjutsu that’s perfect for any child interested in martial arts or Japanese history.

Download or read book The Samurai Strategy written by Thomas Hoover and published by Thomas Hoover. This book was released on 2010-08-19 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bantam 1988'A financial thriller right out of the headlines.' Adam SmithA high-finance, high-tech thriller of Wall Street, murder, currency manipulation. A mysterious Japanese industrialist begins a massive 'hedging' in the US markets. Two weeks later, in Japan's Inland Sea, divers working for him recover the Imperial Sword, given to Japan's first Emperor by the Sun Goddess. Can a lone

Download or read book The Book of Bushido written by Antony Cummins and published by Watkins Media Limited. This book was released on 2022-02-08 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This detailed exploration of medieval Japan and the samurai is a must-have for anyone with a love of martial arts or Japanese history This is the go-to volume on bushido ("the way of the warrior"), drawing on a wide range of historical sources to paint a vivid picture of the samurai in action and separating the truth from the myth of samurai chivalry. It offers a long-overdue update to the attractive but inaccurate portrait of the samurai painted in Bushido: The Soul of Japan, which has been a bestseller ever since its publication in 1905, and the equally idealistic Hagakure (c.1716). In The Book of Bushido, Antony explores the reality of warrior behavior versus the idealistic depiction created for an Edwardian audience by the author of Bushido: The Soul of Japan. He reveals the truth of how the samurai really behaved and of what they considered to be a warrior ethos. He replaces the image of the perfect eastern warrior with the much more interesting reality of hardened, bloodstained military leaders with human failings and a complex set of ideas about the world, who engage in ritual, magic and ceremony, who lead their followers in war and peace and who, above all, are fighting a battle between addiction to power and morality. This is the story of bushido – the way of the samurai.

Download or read book True Path of the Ninja written by Antony Cummins and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2011-07-12 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: True Path of the Ninja is the first authoritative translation in English of the Shoninki--the famous 17th-century ninjutsu manual. Authors Antony Cummins and Yoshie Minami worked closely with Dr. Nakashima Atsumi, author of the most comprehensive modern Japanese version of the Shoninki, thus making this English translation the closest to the original scrolls. The information and insights found in this translation are invaluable for understanding the skills, techniques and mentality of the historical shinobi. Whether it involved tips for surviving in the wild, advice on intelligence-gathering techniques, or methods for creating chaos in the enemy camp, this ninja book unveils secrets long lost. Along with its practical applications, this book is an important guide to the mental discipline that ninjas must have to ensure success in accomplishing their mission. True Path of the Ninja covers the following topics: What a ninja is and what equipment he needs The skills of infiltration and information gathering How to disrupt and distract the enemy How to be mentally prepared to carry out ninja missions In addition to the translation of the Shoninki, this book also includes the first written record of the oral tradition "Defense Against a Ninja" taught by Otake Risuke, the revered sensei of the legendary Katori Shinto Ryu school of swordsmanship. Sensei reveals for the first time these ancient and traditional teachings on how the samurai can protect himself from the cunning wiles of a ninja. About this new edition: This second edition contains a new introduction by the translator and has been thoroughly updated to reflect developments that shed new light on the original Japanese text.