The Shoguns (9784805320556)

Japan's Shogun era comes vibrantly to life with bloody battles, samurai sieges and sacked castles.

Samurai-for-hire eventually rose through the ranks to become the legendary Shoguns, amassing more power than the nobles they worked for. Jonathan Clements introduces you to this array of upstart warlords whose iron fists secured seven centuries of military government:

• Minamoto no Yoritomo: The OG Shogun, he revived the title in 1192 and pushed the puppet emperor into the wings.
• Oda Nobunaga: He plunges Japan into a series of civil wars, in addition to stabbing his own brother in the neck.
• Tokugawa Ieyasu: His victory at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 ushers in the blood-soaked era fictionalized in the Clavell novel and the acclaimed series.
• Hojo Masako: The "Nun Shogun," she was the wife of one shogun, the mother of two others, and one of the most powerful women of her time.

Color illustrations and photos bring the action vividly to life. Family trees and detailed clan charts keep all the connections—and shifting rivalries—clearly in front of you. The Battle of Sekigahara. The siege of Osaka Castle. The Shoguns places all the palace intrigue and epic clashes center stage in this definitive portrait of a feudal society defined by strict warrior loyalty and the bushido code.


About the Author:
Jonathan Clements is a National Geographic presenter and the author of A Brief History of Japan and Japan's Anime Revolution. He's a contributing editor of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and has worked on dozens of anime films as a translator, voice actor or dubbing director, including Grey: Digital Target, Sol Bianca, and Musashi: Dream of the Last Samurai. He has provided commentary tracks to films including Vexille, Golgo 13, and Weathering with You, and has been jury chairman at the Scotland Loves Anime film festival for the last decade.