The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori
by Mark Ravina
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mark RavinaEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-02-07
ISBN: 0471705373
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Wiley
Book Reviews of The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori
Book Review: Dry reading, not much to do with the movie
Summary: 1 Stars
I was interested in reading this book to gain some background information about the characters depicted in Tom Cruise's "The Last Samurai." This book contains a great deal of historical information, but the reading is dry as dust. The basic chronology of events are told with little expanded detail to lend interest. Unless you are deeply interested in the details of Japan's historical political intrigues, or a compulsive book-finisher like me, this will be a slow read. A bewildering array of names, dates, and events make it hard to keep track of who, what, and why. The opening of the first chapter is the most engaging - read it again after you've finished the book. I think Saigo's story has the elements of being quite an epic - evidently he is quite revered in Japan. Perhaps another book will help to flesh out the story and tell it in a more engaging way.
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