The Samurai and the Sacred: The Path of the Warrior - Softcover

Turnbull, Stephen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1846032156 ISBN 13: 9781846032158

Publisher: Osprey Publishing, 2009

Synopsis

The fierce loyalty and self-sacrificing attitude of the Samurai have made them both a legend and a cult. Yet although their military prowess and skills in the martial arts have been studied exhaustively, an understanding of their belief system still eludes many. This original and exciting work examines the spiritual world of the samurai, from their attachment to Japan's mainstream religions of Shinto and Buddhism, to their involvement in Confucianism, Christianity and folk religion. Samurai expert Stephen Turnbull examines important topics such as Zen and the martial arts, modern militarism, the cult of the sword, revenge and suicide, hara kiri and the kamikaze pilots - the suicide bombers of their day. He also looks at the fascinating issue of Japanese religious terrorism, as well as the growing cult status of the Samurai both in Japan and in the West.

About this title

Review:

Praise for Stephen Turnbull's "Samurai - World of the Warrior" from Professor Richard Holmes
'A lively and compelling study of the samurai, the warrior elite of old Japan. Stephen Turnbull blends real scholarship with a flair for story telling to create a gripping account. It is good to see illustrations that rise to the high quality of the text to produce a book wholly worthy of the remarkable characters it describes.'

"In this book Samurai expert Stephen Turnbull examines important topics such as Zen & the marital arts, modern militarism, revenge & suicide, the cult of the sword, kamikaze pilot & hara kiri - the suicide bombers of their day." -"NeoPopRealism" (May 2008)
"Both spirituality and military history collections - as well as those strong in Japanese history in particular - will welcome "The Samurai and the Sacred," a fine study examining the spiritual world of the samurai from their involvement in Japanese mainstream religions to their feature in Christianity and folk religions. Samurai expert Stephen Turnbull offers a detailed look at Japanese religion and religious terrorism in a powerful study suitable for any serious Japanese spirituality buff." -"The California Bookwatch "(September 2009)

In this book Samurai expert Stephen Turnbull examines important topics such as Zen & the marital arts, modern militarism, revenge & suicide, the cult of the sword, kamikaze pilot & hara kiri -- the suicide bombers of their day. "NeoPopRealism (May 2008)"

Both spirituality and military history collections -- as well as those strong in Japanese history in particular -- will welcome The Samurai and the Sacred, a fine study examining the spiritual world of the samurai from their involvement in Japanese mainstream religions to their feature in Christianity and folk religions. Samurai expert Stephen Turnbull offers a detailed look at Japanese religion and religious terrorism in a powerful study suitable for any serious Japanese spirituality buff. "The California Bookwatch (September 2009)""

Book Description:

A comprehensive study into the spiritual world of the Samurai, from the cult of revenge and suicide, to Zen and martial arts.

About this edition

• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1846032156
• ISBN 13: 9781846032158
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224