Bushido Explained offers a good primer to how samurai thought across Japan’s different time periods. As the subtitle of the book states, it is a new interpretation for beginners. Bennett offers a broad, top view of samurai thought using diagrams and clear prose. While I wanted more details at times, Bennett sticks to offering a…
Category: Book Reviews
Japanese Book Guide : 27 Books You Ought to Read about Japan
Here’s a collection of books to help expand your knowledge about Japan. I’ve referred to these books for my various writing projects. This list skews toward history because that’s my thing. You will also find English translations of landmark Japanese literary works, which everyone interested in Japan ought to read. The Art of the Samurai…
Berserk Deluxe Volumes 3 & 4
In Berserk Deluxe volumes 3 and 4, the criticisms I had with the previous volumes fall away. In these volumes, Griffith fades into the background. His influence remains as a background mover of the plot, but his fading gives space for Guts to take the spotlight. In my previous reviews, I wrote about how Guts…
The Book of Bushido by Antony Cummins
The Book of Bushido by Antony Cummins summarizes the landscape of bushido history and thought. Cummins touches on the contradictions found in the various writings that form bushido. He explains that the ideas we call bushido weren’t a philosophical system. Rather, each region and time period had their own set of rules, ideas, and aspirations…
Berserk Deluxe Volume 2 Review
Berserk Deluxe Volume 2 covers the “Golden Age”, “Nosferatu Zodd”, and other arcs. As fans of the series told me, Berserk hits its stride with the “Golden Age”, but I didn’t find Guts to be the reason. Griffith steals the show in this arc. He presents a good foil for Guts. Griffith is a bundle…
Hagakure: the Art of the Samurai
The Hagakure appears obsessed with seppuku when you read through it. In the book, Yamamoto Tsunetomo collected myriad accounts of samurai from Saga domain along with various proverbs and lessons. Tsunetomo lived during the long peace of the Edo period as a custodian of Lord Mitsushige’s books. He worked from theory, which is why seppuku…