In all this he uses a piercing insight into human nature that unlocks castle gates, opens men's minds, and captures women's hearts. Born the son of a farmer, he takes on the world with nothing but his bare hands and his wits, turning doubters into loyal servants, rivals into faithful friends, and enemies into allies. Yet it is the scrawny, monkey-faced Hideyoshi - brash, impulsive, and utterly fearless - who becomes the unlikely savior of this ravaged land. But the keystone of this triumvirate is the most memorable of all, Hideyoshi, who rises from the menial post of sandal bearer to become Taiko - absolute ruler of Japan in the Emperor's name.' 'When Nobunaga emerges from obscurity by destroying an army ten times the size of his own, he allies himself with Ieyasu, whose province is weak but whose canniness and loyalty make him invaluable. At the opposite pole is the cold, deliberate Ieyasu, wise in counsel, brave in battle, mature beyond his years. At one extreme is the charismatic but brutal Nobunaga, whose ruthless ambition crushes all before him. Warrior-monks in their armed citadels block the road to the capital castles are destroyed, villages plundered, fields put to the torch.' 'Amid this devastation, three men dream of uniting the nation. And the setting is brilliant: 17th century Japan is almost more 'classically medieval' than a lot of the 'classically medieval' stuff that forms most fantasy backgrounds.Īnyone else read these? I'll definitely be chasing down the next few volumes.'In the tempestuous closing decades of the sixteenth century, the Empire of Japan writhes in chaos as the shogunate crumbles and rival warlords battle for supremacy. And the characters are all very good fun. It is a bit melodramatic, and I wish the action scenes were more detailed - but what it lacks in finesse it makes up for in gore. And, as you might expect, a great deal of swordplay. Very pleased to find this - pulpy but fun - fictionalised version of his life.ĭefinitely some fantastic elements to it, at least some supernatural / spiritual twists in book one.

I've always been fascinated by Miyamoto Musashi since I read a brief bio of him in high school - one of history's most epic badasses. From what I gather from the introduction (and some Wikipedia snooping), it was first serialised in the 1930s, then later gathered into a mega novel (and broken down into a 5-part series when translated to English).

I just picked up the first ( The Way of the Samurai) and got a kick out of it.

Taiko yoshikawa