The Samurai Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Guide to Japan's Elite Warrior Class

415 pages of Detailed Entries from A to Z

Explore 171 in depth topics such as:

• Samurai weapons and armor, including the fearsome katana sword
• Famous Samurai including Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman; Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate; and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a uni?er of Japan and notorious persecutor of Christians in the 16th century
• The Battle of Sekigahara, the largest battle ever to take place in Japan, and the Boshin War, which led to the fall of the shogunate and restoration of imperial power
• The Bushido code--the legendary Samurai code of chivalry and honor

Primary Source Documents: Photographs, Artifacts, and More

This book perfectly showcases the fascinating history of these enigmatic warriors. The 171 entries are illustrated with over 125 archival images including 70 in full-color!

Image shown: Three samurai engaged in archery practice by an unidentified photographer, ca. 1860.

Primary Source Documents: Photographs, Artifacts, and More

Image shown: Photo of samurai from Satsuma domain planning strategy during the Boshin War (1868–69)

Primary Source Documents: Photographs, Artifacts, and More

Image shown: Sections from a handscroll painting on silk of a daimyo procession to Edo, ca. 1700