Samurai: A Concise History

About the samurai from their origins to their disappearance. The idea of the sword-wielding samurai, beholden to a strict ethical code and trained in deadly martial arts, dominates popular conceptions of the samurai. As early as the late seventeenth century, they were heavily featured in literature, art, theater, and even comedy. This book describes samurai life, work, philosophy, and warfare as it changed over time from the eighth to the nineteenth century and dispels myths about the samurai one might encounter in popular culture