Warriors of Japan as Portrayed in the War Tales - Softcover

Varley, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0824816013 ISBN 13: 9780824816018

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press, 1994

Synopsis

A leading cultural historian of premodern Japan draws a rich portrait of the emerging samurai culture as it is portrayed in gunki-mono, or war tales, examining eight major works spanning the mid-tenth to late fourteenth centuries. Although many of the major war tales have been translated into English, Warriors of Japan is the first book-length study of the tales and their place in Japanese history. The war tales are one of the most important sources of knowledge about Japan's premodern warriors, revealing much about the medieval psyche and the evolving perceptions of warriors, warfare, and warrior customs.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

The war tales (gunki-mono) of Japan recount the stories of warriors and their battles from the tenth century, when a warrior class first emerged in the provinces of Japan, until the seventeenth century. A blend of history and fiction, the war tales are one of the most important sources of knowledge about Japan's premodern warriors. In Warriors of Japan a leading cultural historian of premodern Japan draws a rich portrait of warrior life and society in ancient and early medieval times. Through this study, the reader enters the lives of the warriors, observing how they fought, what they believed, what their weapons, armor, and other battle accoutrements were, what customs and personal relationships governed their lives, who their heroes were. Although many of the major war tales have been translated into English, Warriors of Japan is the first book-length study of the tales and their place in Japanese history. It is a major contribution to the cultural history of the ancient and medieval periods, revealing much about the medieval psyche and the evolving perceptions of warriors, warfare, and warrior customs. Readable as well as scholarly, Warriors of Japan will appeal to the general reader with an interest in Japan as well as to Japan specialists, teachers, and students.

From the Inside Flap:

"This lively and engaging study by one of the foremost cultural historians in the field examines Japan's evolving samurai culture--warrior personality, values, mores, and battlefield customs--from the mid-tenth to the late fourteenth century, as it was reflected in literature...A well-written, entertaining, insightful, and valuable treatment of evolving impressions of warriors [that] reveals much about medieval Japanese culture. Paul Varley has researched his topic both widely and deeply to produce another winner." --Monumenta Nipponica

"Varley writes with the clarity and panache which we have come to expect from him and the result is a rich tapestry which provides many insights into warrior life in the Japanese middle ages. Students will learn a lot from this fine book." --Royal Asiatic Society Journal

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0824816013
• ISBN 13: 9780824816018
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 292