WARRIOR. SAMURAI. LEGEND.
The remarkable life of history’s first foreign-born samurai, and his astonishing journey from Northeast Africa to the heights of Japanese society.
The man who came to be known as Yasuke arrived in Japan in the 16th century, an indentured mercenary arriving upon one of the Portuguese ships carrying a new language, a new religion and an introduction to the slave trade. Curiously tall, bald, massively built and black skinned, he was known as a steadfast bodyguard of immense strength and stature, and swiftly captured the interest, and thence the trust, of the most powerful family in all of Japan. Two years later, he vanished.
Yasuke is the story of a legend that still captures the imagination of people across the world. It brings to life a little known side of Japan – a gripping narrative about an extraordinary figure in a fascinating time and place.
The remarkable life of history’s first foreign-born samurai, and his astonishing journey from Northeast Africa to the heights of Japanese society.
The man who came to be known as Yasuke arrived in Japan in the 16th century, an indentured mercenary arriving upon one of the Portuguese ships carrying a new language, a new religion and an introduction to the slave trade. Curiously tall, bald, massively built and black skinned, he was known as a steadfast bodyguard of immense strength and stature, and swiftly captured the interest, and thence the trust, of the most powerful family in all of Japan. Two years later, he vanished.
Yasuke is the story of a legend that still captures the imagination of people across the world. It brings to life a little known side of Japan – a gripping narrative about an extraordinary figure in a fascinating time and place.
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Reviews
Yasuke is so breathtaking and revelatory that one would be believe the story to be fiction if it weren't true! The in-depth research into this historical re-telling is vast, comprehensive and enlightening. The narrative style is as razor-sharp and captivating as a katana's blade, drawing in the reader and giving them a 'first-hand' account of [an] extraordinary life
A rich portrait of a brutal age
A gripping tale of politics, war and religion that reads like an adventure story
[An] excellent work of Japanese history
Yasuke gripped me from the opening sentence - a unique story of a unique man, and yet someone with whom we can all identify
Lockley and Girard bring [Yasuke] 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
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!
Eminently readable . . . The solid scholarship on and imaginative treatment of Yasuke's life make this both a worthwhile and entertaining work