Samurai Rising : the Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune
by Pamela S. Turner
Charlesbridge, 2016. Biography, 236 p.
Yoshitsune was one of Japan's most famous Samurai. He was a bold, reckless, fierce and cunning warrior. This engaging biography recounts his life during the complicated warlord culture of 12th century Japan. Turner does a good job of making the arcane time period accessible. One way she does this is by using analogies to modern life, like when she compares Yoshitsune to a star quarterback, but his older half brother was like the owner of the team. Her biography is carefully researched, and she mentions her sources in the text and in an author's note at the end. Medieval Japan was a cruel and violent place, and Turner doesn't shellac any of the graphic details of her heroes' exploits. This is not a good choice for the squeamish at heart, but history buffs, or even teens who like high action computer games, will probably love it.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We welcome your comments, but reserve the right to choose which ones are posted.