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The Last Samurai : The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori by Mark Ravina (2003, Hardcover)

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Saigo hoped to die in service to the emperor.

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The dramatic arc of Saigo Takamori's life, from his humble origins as a lowly samurai, to national leadership, to his death as a rebel leader, has captivated generations of Japanese readers and now Americans as well - his life is the inspiration for a major Hollywood film, The Last Samurai , starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. In this vibrant new biography, Mark Ravina, professor of history and Director of East Asian Studies at Emory University, explores the facts behind Hollywood storytelling and Japanese legends, and explains the passion and poignancy of Saigo's life. Known both for his scholarly research and his appearances on The History Channel, Ravina recreates the world in which Saigo lived and died, the last days of the samurai. The Last Samurai traces Saigo's life from his early days as a tax clerk in far southwestern Japan, through his rise to national prominence as a fierce imperial loyalist. Saigo was twice exiled for his political activities -- sent to Japan's remote southwestern islands where he fully expected to die. But exile only increased his reputation for loyalty, and in 1864 he was brought back to the capital to help his lord fight for the restoration of the emperor. In 1868, Saigo commanded his lord's forces in the battles which toppled the shogunate and he became and leader in the emperor Meiji's new government. But Saigo found only anguish in national leadership. He understood the need for a modern conscript army but longed for the days of the traditional warrior. Saigo hoped to die in service to the emperor. In 1873, he sought appointment as envoy to Korea, where he planned to demand that the Korean king show deference to the Japanese emperor, drawing his sword, if necessary, top defend imperial honor. Denied this chance to show his courage and loyalty, he retreated to his homeland and spent his last years as a schoolteacher, training samurai boys in frugality, honesty, and courage. In 1876, when the government stripped samurai of their swords, Saigo's followers rose in rebellion and Saigo became their reluctant leader. His insurrection became the bloodiest war Japan had seen in centuries, killing over 12,000 men on both sides and nearly bankrupting the new imperial government. The imperial government denounced Saigo as a rebel and a traitor, but their propaganda could not overcome his fame and in 1889, twelve years after his death, the government relented, pardoned Saigo of all crimes, and posthumously restored him to imperial court rank. In THE LAST SAMURAI , Saigo is as compelling a character as Robert E. Lee was to Americans-a great and noble warrior who followed the dictates of honor and loyalty, even though it meant civil war in a country to which he'd devoted his life. Saigo's life is a fascinating look into Japanese feudal society and a history of a country as it struggled between its long traditions and the dictates of a modern future.

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, John
ISBN-10
0471089702
ISBN-13
9780471089704
eBay Product ID (ePID)
2481288

Product Key Features

Book Title
Last Samurai : the Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori
Author
Mark Ravina
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Topic
Asia / Japan, General, Political, Teaching Methods & Materials / Arts & Humanities
Publication Year
2003
Genre
Biography & Autobiography, Education, History
Number of Pages
288 Pages

Dimensions

Item Length
9in
Item Height
0.7in
Item Width
7in
Item Weight
20.1 Oz

Additional Product Features

Lc Classification Number
Ds881.5.S2r35 2004
Reviews
"Ravina's portrait of Saigo is well drawn and sympathetic..." ( Asian Affairs , November 2004) "...Reads like a thriller..." ( Good Book Guide , February 2004) "...Ravina's writing grips with the intensity of a great adventure story and vividly portrays the upheavals caused to a nation..." ( Yorkshire Evening Post , 24 January 2004) "...a pacy narrative that reads like a thriller, complemented by maps and photographs..." ( The Good Book Guide , January 2004)
Table of Content
NOTE TO THE READER. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. INTRODUCTION. 1. "POWERFULLY SENTIMENTAL" Saigo's Early Years in Satsuma. 2. "A MAN OF EXCEPTIONAL FIDELITY" Saigo and National Politics. 3. "BONES IN THE EARTH" Exile and Ignominy. 4. " TO SHOULDER THE BURDENS OF THE REALM" The Destruction of the Shogunate. 5. " TO TEAR ASUNDER THE CLOUDS" Saigo and the Meiji State. 6. "THE BURDEN OF DEATH IS LIGHT" Saigo and the War of the Southwest. NOTES. BIBLIOGRAPHY. SOURCES. INDEX.
Copyright Date
2004
Lccn
2003-006646
Dewey Decimal
952.03/1/092 B
Intended Audience
Trade
Dewey Edition
21
Illustrated
Yes

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