Ben, Hubbard Das große Buch der Samurai

The golden age of the elite Japanese warriors. The samurai are a legend. They stand for superior skills in battle, honour, loyalty to the death and, last but not least, the ritual suicide seppuku. This book describes the rise of the samurai to Japan's leading class, their Golden Era and its end in the 19th century, their alliances and power struggles, oaths of loyalty and betrayals. It teaches everything important about the armour and weapons of the samurai, from the famous katana to wakizashi, longbow, naginata and yari to the arquebus, which was brought to the country by the Portuguese. More than 200 magnificent illustrations, photographs and maps transport the reader into a fascinating era that flourished in Japan, largely isolated from the rest of the world, and continues to have an impact today. The author Ben Hubbard was born in New Zealand and now lives in London. A journalist and author, he has written numerous non-fiction books, including on Vikings and the European Middle Ages.