Samurai Mind
Автор: Группа авторов
Год издания: 0000
The Samurai Mind is a collection of five seminal Japanese texts that convey the essence of traditional samurai philosophy and ethics from very different, but complementary points of view. These texts range from the ferocious to the esoteric—with their common thread being the importance of mastering one's own mind as the key to overcoming opponents. They were written from the mid-18th to early 19th century, The authors were acknowledged master samurai warriors keen to address a broader audience beyond their circle of students and acolytes. Their aim was to explain their craft to the outside world, and they do so with great insight. The classic Japanese texts are: The Mysterious Skills of the Old CatSword TheoryA Treatise on the SwordJoseishi's Discussions on the SwordIgnorance in Swordsmanship[/i] Four of the five texts presented here are translated into English for the first time making The Samurai Mind an important addition to the literature on Japanese martial arts and a valuable resource for all martial artists. This samurai philosophy book is an informative look at the samurai of Japan with particular emphasis on the warrior's relationship with his samurai sword—the most fabled weapon in history—and on his need to cultivate mental discipline to achieve his goals.
Samurai warfare
Автор: Dr. Stephen Tumbull
Год издания:
Книга посвящена развитию огнестрельного оружия в эпоху самураев. Для большинства людей самураи ассоциируются только с мечами, а у них было довольно хорошо развито огнестрельное оружие в эпоху клановых войн. Вот об этом оружии и книга.
47 Ronin A Samurai Story from Japan
Автор: Jennifer Bassett
Год издания:
A level 1 Oxford Bookworms Library graded reader. Written for Learners of English by Jennifer Bassett.
When Lord Asano drew his sword on Lord Kira one spring day in 1701, it began a story that is now a national legend in Japan. Lord Kira lived, but Lord Asano died, and after his death, his samurai became ronin, samurai without a master. And so began their long plan for revenge on Lord Kira. Their loyalty to their dead master made them famous, and people in Japan remember them to this day. The story of the forty-seven ronin has been told and retold for 300 years – in plays, novels, and films. A major Hollywood film was made about the forty-seven ronin in 2013.
The Last Samurai. The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori
Автор: Mark Ravina
Год издания:
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.
The Saint of Dragons: Samurai
Автор: Jason Hightman
Год издания:
Exotic adventure and nonstop action explode as West meets East in this second breathtaking story of The Saint of Dragons.Dragons. They revel in human misery and leave a trail of pain and death wherever they go. They live alone, masquerading as their victims, unrecognisable to all but a select few.Simon St George is back, and still learning to live with his father – brash Aldric St George. But just as he is getting used to the security of a new family, as well as continuing to learn the business of dragonhunting, he finds out another shocking revelation – he IS NOT the last of the dragonhunters.