The Samurai - A New History of the Warrior Elite

From a leading expert in Japanese history, this is one of the first full histories of the art and culture of the Samurai warrior. The Samurai emerged as a warrior caste in Medieval Japan and would have a powerful influence on the history and culture of the country from the next 500 years. Clements also looks at the Samurai wars that tore Japan apart in the 17th and 18th centuries and how the caste was finally demolished in the advent of the mechanized world.

"People in general recognize samurai lore as a series of epic happenings and the figure of the samurai as a romantic warrior. That was also my case. When I finished the book, I was very thankful for the greater knowledge I ended up having of the class, but also a bit sad when I realized I had lost the transcendental idea that samurais were noble men that followed, for the most part, the "bushido" code, the way of the sword. In the end I found a very pleasurable reading and as a fan of samurais myself, much glad with everything I learned, which spans through all Japan's history. As I mentioned before, it's possible that the reader's lose some of the idea of romanticism and code of honor to the samurai - Clements always try to put up some real facts, and reality can be grim, mostly for people who had war as a way of life - but nonetheless will finish the book enlightened and perhaps admiring the samurai and its history not only because of pre-conceived ideas of romantic lore but as true men that didn't fear to change history and helped molded Japan into what it is known today."