The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori (Paperback) by Mark Ravina

from Chris_El

There is no Tom Cruise in this book. =) In fact, the story is much different as history usually is from Hollywood storytelling. What we do have is a story of what is was like to be born into the Samurai class in Japan and grow up rather poor. There is a mix of the big picture of the changing time...

from robintuttle

Fascinating look at the history of Japan during the last half of the 19th century. Primarily about the enormous social and cultural changes, political intrigues, civil wars and rebellions that occurred as Japan struggled to become a modern nation capable of competing and co-existing with the West...

from Shrike58

What has most stuck with me as an image of Saigo Takamori is the incongruity of his death, as a rebel against the state that he helped to create. The Saigo Takamori that the author depicts (often using Saigo's own words) is an individual of great moral probity and ethical culture, besides being a...