"A readable, compassionate account of an extraordinary life." --The Washington Post
The remarkable life of history's first foreign-born samurai, and his astonishing journey from Northeast Africa to the heights of Japanese society.
Warrior. Samurai. Legend.
When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already traversed much of the known world. Kidnapped as a child in Northeast Africa, he served as a bodyguard to the head of the Jesuits in Asia, traveling to India and China, and eventually arriving in Japan, where everything would change.
Most Japanese people had never seen an African man before. Some believed he was a god. Others saw him as the black-skinned Buddha.
Among those drawn to him was Lord Nobunaga, head of the most powerful clan in Japan, who made Yasuke a samurai in his court. Soon, Yasuke was learning the traditions of martial arts and ascending the upper echelons of Japanese society, where he would live on to become a legend for the centuries to come.
"A readable, compassionate account of an extraordinary life." --The Washington Post
The remarkable life of history's first foreign-born samurai, and his astonishing journey from Northeast Africa to the heights of Japanese society.
Warrior. Samurai. Legend.
When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already traversed much of the known world. Kidnapped as a child in Northeast Africa, he served as a bodyguard to the head of the Jesuits in Asia, traveling to India and China, and eventually arriving in Japan, where everything would change.
Most Japanese people had never seen an African man before. Some believed he was a god. Others saw him as the black-skinned Buddha.
Among those drawn to him was Lord Nobunaga, head of the most powerful clan in Japan, who made Yasuke a samurai in his court. Soon, Yasuke was learning the traditions of martial arts and ascending the upper echelons of Japanese society, where he would live on to become a legend for the centuries to come.
"With fast-paced, action-packed writing, Lockley and Girard offer a
new and important biography and an incredibly moving study of
medieval Japan and solid perspective on its unification. Highly
recommended." --Library Journal (starred review)
"This fact-checked portrait of an often-mythologized warrior with
manga and anime variations is an exciting and illuminating tale of
action and intrigue. Fans of manga and anime will enjoy reading
this excellent work of Japanese history." --Booklist (starred
review)
"A readable, compassionate account of an extraordinary life." --The
Washington Post
"Eminently readable.... The solid scholarship on and imaginative
treatment of Yasuke's life make this both a worthwhile and
entertaining work." --Publishers Weekly
"A rich portrait of a brutal age." --Kirkus Reviews
"A gripping tale of politics, war and religion that reads like an
adventure story." --Dave Rear, author of A Less Boring History of
the World
"The time has come for history to embrace the amazing story of
Yasuke. In African Samurai words flex their muscles and pay tribute
to a man of physical strength and combat skills. The writing is
seductive and the reader sees the world through Yasuke's eyes.
There is much to learn about the wonder of his life, and his story
is a sharp blade cutting into invisibility." --E. Ethelbert
Miller
"This book is not only the best account in English of Yasuke, the
famous African samurai. It's also a delightful introduction to the
vibrant and multicultural world of Asian maritime history. Written
novelistically, with a light scholarly touch... Exciting and
informative!" --Tonio Andrade, author of The Gunpowder Age
"Rarely do I read a book that challenges my worldview of history,
but African Samurai certainly alters my understanding of African
and Japanese history. African Samurai gripped me from the opening
sentence -- a unique story of a unique man, and yet someone with
whom we can all identify." --Jack Weatherford, author of Genghis
Khan and the Making of the Modern World
"African Samurai sounds like a novel, a freaking amazing novel. But
Yasuke is real, and Lockley and Girard bring him and his world to
life with incredible research and style. Yasuke may have lived in
the 1500s, but he is a hero for our modern world. Seriously...when
is the movie?" --Bret Witter, #1 New York Times bestselling
co-author of The Monuments Men
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