Forty-Seven Ronin Story

Rating:
Summary: Courage incarnate
Review: An amazing story of patience, courage and revenge. Many of the themes in this book are sorely needed by our modern society.

Rating:
Summary: The ultimate example of bravery, honor, and sacrifice
Review: As a student of martial arts and Japanese history, I found this story, which is little known outside of Japan to be a most impressive example of the ideals of the elite warrior class of Japan known as Samurai. It probably ranks as one of my favorite books about history ( and i have read many). Unlike other historical situations where men were faced with death, these men had a choice between life and death and they chose death with honor. It also provides fascinating insight into the feudal Japanese society under the Tokugawa shogunate and the influences of Confucianism and Buddhism on Japanese society. While it may be fictionalized or embellished in places, the book is based on a true incident which occured in 1701. The loyal retainers of Lord Asano were given the choice of a free life with the loss of reputation suffered when their lord was wrongly forced to commit seppuku. Instead, the men chose to seek vengeance and restore honor to their clan. Loss of face was more than they could endure. The men sought their revenge after a two year facade of drunkeness, unruly behavior and poverty. Ultimately, the corrupt court official responsible for Lord Asano's death was beheaded by the loyal retainers and they paid their respects at Lord Asano's grave before turning themselves in for court martial. All forty-seven men were given the privilege of commiting seppuku, for which they were grateful since imprisonment or execution is considered disgraceful.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Japanese culture, history or martial arts. It is one of the most impressive examples of men who refuse to compromise their honor or integrity at any cost..

Rating:
Summary: A rich and rewarding classic.
Review: As you can tell from all the other wonderful reviews, the "Forty-Seven Ronin" is an inspiring story offering profound insight into the Japanese ideals of honor and loyalty. The pacing of the story is almost like the motion of a kendo master: subtle and precise until the sudden swift strike, and then still again. Like Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" and Musashi's "Book of Five Rings", it is a must-read cultural classic.

Rating:
Summary: A rich and rewarding classic.
Review: As you can tell from all the other wonderful reviews, the "Forty-Seven Ronin" is an inspiring story offering profound insight into the Japanese ideals of honor and loyalty. The pacing of the story is almost like the motion of a kendo master: subtle and precise until the sudden swift strike, and then still again. Like Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" and Musashi's "Book of Five Rings", it is a must-read cultural classic.

Rating:
Summary: The ultimate example of duty, honor and sacrifice
Review: [e-mail] from California, USA , 03/04/98, rating=10: Please accept my revised review which I have edited for errors. As a student of martial arts and Japanese history, I found this story, which is little known outside of Japan to be a most impressive example of the ideals of the elite warrior class of Japan known as Samurai. In Japanese, it is entitled "Chushingura" which translates as "Vengeance" The Forty-Seven Ronin Story probably ranks as one of my favorite books about history ( and I have read many). Unlike other historical situations where men were faced with death, these men had a choice between life and death and they chose death with honor. The warriors were driven by allegiance to their code of chivalry known as "Bushido" which emphasizes a fanatical loyalty to their lord, tempered by the serenity and wisdom of Confucianism and Buddhism. The book provides fascinating insight into the feudal system known as "bakufu" under the Tokugawa shogunate and the influences of Confucianism and Buddhism on Japanese society. While it may be fictionalized or embellished in places, the book is based on a true incident which occurred in 1701. The loyal retainers of Lord Asano were given the choice of a free life with a loss of reputation suffered when their lord was wrongly forced to commit seppuku. Instead, the men chose to seek vengeance and restore honor to their clan. The loss of face caused by the death of their lord was more than they could endure and the men sought revenge after a two year facade of drunkeness, unruly behavior and poverty. Ultimately, the corrupt court official responsible for Lord Asano's death was beheaded by the loyal retainers and the men dutifully paid their respects at Lord Asano's grave before turning themselves in for court martial. All forty-seven men were given the privilege of committing seppuku, for which they were grateful since imprisonment or execution was considered disgraceful. The loyal retainers were buried with their lord at a temple called Sengaku-ji which is located just outside of the city of Tokyo. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Japanese culture, history or martial arts. It is one of the most impressive examples of men who refuse to compromise their honor or integrity at any cost..

Rating:
Summary: stunning
Review: Extremely disciplined and clear writing; I was delighted to discover it was still in print!

Rating:
Summary: Amazing story about honor
Review: I have to say that this was by far one of the best books i have read to date. This books reveals the story of the great Samarai's. Finished this book in a only a few days as i could not put it down because it was so good. Highly reccomended for anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing story about honor
Review: I have to say that this was by far one of the best books i have read to date. This books reveals the story of the great Samarai's. Finished this book in a only a few days as i could not put it down because it was so good. Highly reccomended for anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Japanese Folktale
Review: I highly recommend this read for anyone. It is the original story of true loyalty and vengance. I was surprised at how few versions of this story are actually written (at least in the US). Keep in mind this is one written version of a popular folktale - much like many popular Robin Hood stories. There are few actual written historical accounts of the true events and what goes on in the story is not to be taken as historically accurate. It is a good yarn and the author has done an excellent job of weaving together this story. You feel Oishi's quiet outrage every step of the way on his quest to avenge his Lord Asano. Parts of the plot of this story have been retold in several popular American movies typically in the form of the son trying to avenge the death of his father rather than the retainer trying to avenge the death of his master (Star Wars anyone?). Needless to say it is a timeless classic tale of Honor, Loyalty, and Revenge.

Rating:
Summary: Great martial arts book
Review: I read this as part of the required reading list for the International Okinawan Kobudo Assoc. and it instantly became one of my favorites! A great story with deep martial arts related meaning.