Famous Japanese Swordsmen of the Period of Unification

Download or read book Famous Japanese Swordsmen of the Period of Unification written by William De Lange and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Period of Unification was the final great epoch in Japan's long period of civil strife. Finally, after more than two centuries of terrible turmoil, Japan found its way back to peace and order under three successive rulers. The final drive came in the fall of 1600, when Japan's eastern and western warlords faced each other in the decisive Battle of Sekigahara. Each and every man who called himself a warrior now faced the stark choice between the forces of division and those of unification." "Two such men were Ono Jiroemon Tadaaki and Yagyu Tajima no Kami Munenori. Tadaaki, a swordsman from the Kanto, had lost his family and home and become a ronin, a masterless samurai. Munenori hailed from the Home Provinces. His clan had lost its lands and castle, and had been reduced to lives as dependents. Having lost everything, both men staked their lives and futures on the victory of the eastern forces." "Their story, told against the greater historical backdrop of ruthless political intrigue and vast military campaigns, is a story of the tragedy of civil war experienced at the personal level - it is a story of loyalty, of betrayal, of seemingly insurmountable setbacks. Yet their courage in the face of overwhelming odds still stands as moving testimony to the kind of perseverance and dedication that can have no equal in times of peace."--BOOK JACKET.