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ATDrake · 12-09-2014, 07:07 PM

Bargain @ $1.99 each from Osprey Publishing (couponable @ Kobo, likely price-matched in the other usual Canada & US venues, may or may not also be on sale in other regions):

Linkage for the lot of about 2 dozen sale titles going from pages 1-3 {if you're seeing the new-look Kobo browsing function}, mostly military-related (history & memoirs, etc.) titles, but also a couple of New Age spirituality things and some kind of car history and a few memory-enhancement learning tricks guides.

I especially recommend:

The Samurai and the Sacred: The Path of the Warrior by Dr Stephen Turnbull (Wikipedia), a Cambridge & Leeds University-educated historian, who specializes in Far East military history, and who is now also a lecturer at the latter institution. I have a number of his books in paper (possibly including this one, which I nevertheless snapped up in e-), and they are well-organized, entertaining and informative, and very readable, not just for the military history buffs (of which I freely admit to not being one), but also in general terms of providing good background on cultural history and societal practices for more general-interest readers who would like to know more about the target regions.

The samurai were celebrated warriors, but they were also deeply spiritual men whose religious beliefs sustained and inspired their forays into battle. In this entirely original work, Stephen Turnbull, a leading authority on Japanese history and author of more than 50 books, reveals the soul of the samurai in a thoughtful exploration of the religions and philosophies that motivated them. Drawing inspiration from all manners of belief systems – from Japan’s mainstream religions of Shinto and Buddhism, to Confucianism, Christianity, and Folk Religion – the samurai were fascinating men who often valued their honor above their lives.

THE SAMURAI AND THE SACRED is strikingly illustrated with lavish Japanese prints and vibrant photographs. A provocative study, it includes chapters on martial arts, modern militarism, the cult of the sword, revenge, suicide, hara kiri and kamikaze pilots. THE SAMURAI AND THE SACRED is a compelling read that provides insight into Japanese culture, philosophy, and warfare.

12-09-2014, 07:07 PM	#293
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	Bargain @ $1.99 each from Osprey Publishing (couponable @ Kobo, likely price-matched in the other usual Canada & US venues, may or may not also be on sale in other regions): Linkage for the lot of about 2 dozen sale titles going from pages 1-3 {if you're seeing the new-look Kobo browsing function}, mostly military-related (history & memoirs, etc.) titles, but also a couple of New Age spirituality things and some kind of car history and a few memory-enhancement learning tricks guides. I especially recommend: The Samurai and the Sacred: The Path of the Warrior by Dr Stephen Turnbull (Wikipedia), a Cambridge & Leeds University-educated historian, who specializes in Far East military history, and who is now also a lecturer at the latter institution. I have a number of his books in paper (possibly including this one, which I nevertheless snapped up in e-), and they are well-organized, entertaining and informative, and very readable, not just for the military history buffs (of which I freely admit to not being one), but also in general terms of providing good background on cultural history and societal practices for more general-interest readers who would like to know more about the target regions. The samurai were celebrated warriors, but they were also deeply spiritual men whose religious beliefs sustained and inspired their forays into battle. In this entirely original work, Stephen Turnbull, a leading authority on Japanese history and author of more than 50 books, reveals the soul of the samurai in a thoughtful exploration of the religions and philosophies that motivated them. Drawing inspiration from all manners of belief systems – from Japan’s mainstream religions of Shinto and Buddhism, to Confucianism, Christianity, and Folk Religion – the samurai were fascinating men who often valued their honor above their lives. THE SAMURAI AND THE SACRED is strikingly illustrated with lavish Japanese prints and vibrant photographs. A provocative study, it includes chapters on martial arts, modern militarism, the cult of the sword, revenge, suicide, hara kiri and kamikaze pilots. THE SAMURAI AND THE SACRED is a compelling read that provides insight into Japanese culture, philosophy, and warfare. Last edited by ATDrake; 12-09-2014 at 07:13 PM.