In addition to providing excerpts from classic tales of Japan’s warrior past, this volume draws on a wide range of lesser-known but revealing sourcesincluding sword inscriptions, edicts, orders, petitions, and lettersto expand and deepen our understanding of the samurai, from the order’s origins in the fifth century to its abolition in the nineteenth.

Taken together with Thomas Donald Conlan’s contextualising introductions and notes, these sources provide a rare window into the experiences, ideals, and daily lives of these now-sentimentalised warriors. Numerous illustrations, a glossary of terms, and a substantial bibliography further enhance the value of Samurai and the Warrior Culture of Japan, 4711877 to students, scholars, and anyone interested in learning more about the samurai.