The Samurai: History, Bushido, and the Way of the Sword

By William Ashcroft

Book Overview

In The Samurai , William Ashcroft traces the long and storied history of Japan's famous warrior class, detailing the great battles, legendary figures, and key developments that shaped the samurai over the centuries, alongside an exploration of bushido - the Way of the Warrior - and the art of swordsmanship. Ashcroft's concise history expertly charts the emergence of the samurai during the early imperial age, their rise to national dominance, and eventual dissolution upon the founding of the modern Japanese state. Over a thousand years of history is traversed, featuring such subjects as seppuku, the daring feats of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, the last stand of Kusunoki Masashige, the tumultuous Sengoku Jidai ("Age of the Country at War"), the famous Vendetta of the Forty-Seven Ronin, and the Satsuma Rebellion - the last samurai uprising and the last civil war in Japanese history. Ashcroft's essay on the historical development of bushido is accompanied by an extensive selection of insights from Yamamoto Jocho's influential treatise, The Hagakure , with an original treatment of by the author. In the final section, The Samurai delves into the subject of kenjutsu (swordsmanship) and the life and works of renowned swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi. This includes an an orginal, abridged treatment of the Book of Five Rings , Musashi's discourse on swordsmanship, martial strategy, and philosophy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DGD8QHMW
• ISBN13: 9798338524817
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 204 Pages
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.5" x 5.1"