Vendor
	Foundry Claire Harris
Original language
English
Categories
Memoirs

AFRICAN SAMURAI

Thomas Lockley Geoffrey Girard

The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan

The remarkable life of history's first foreign-born samurai and his astonishing journey from Northern Africa to the heights of Japanese society.

When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already traveled much of the known world. Kidnapped as a child, and trained into a boy soldier in India, he had ended up an indentured servant and bodyguard to the head of the Jesuits in Asia, with whom he visited India, China and the budding Catholic missions in Japan. From the volatile port city of Nagasaki to travel on pirate-infested waters, he lived it all and learned more every day. His arrival in Kyoto, however, literally caused a riot. Most Japanese people had never seen an African man before, and many of them viewed him as the embodiment of the black-skinned (in local traditions) Buddha or a local war god or demon. Among those who were drawn to his presence were Lord Nobunaga, head of the most powerful clan in Japan, who made Yasuke a samurai in his court. Soon, he was learning the traditions of Japan's martial arts, fighting in battles and ascending to the upper echelons of Japanese society.

In the four hundred years since, Yasuke has been known in Japan largely as a legendary, perhaps mythical, figure. Now, combining all the primary sources for the first time, African Samurai presents the never-before-told biography of this unique figure of the sixteenth century, one whose travels between countries, cultures and classes offers a new perspective on race in world history and a vivid portrait of life, faith and war in medieval Japan.

Available products
Book Published 2018-04-30 by Hanover Square Press
Book Published 2018-04-30 by Hanover Square Press

Comments

A gripping tale of politics, war and religion that reads like an adventure story. Very little has been known about Yasuke, the remarkable African samurai of medieval Japan. Lockley has done a terrific job in bringing his tale to life.

The time has come for history to embrace the amazing story of Yasuke. African Samurai underscores what can only be defined as global blackness. The story of Yasuke's journey into the politics and culture of feudal Japan is filled with excitement, danger and many questions. How was this man who spent his childhood near the Nile able to follow the river of geography to India, China and eventually Japan? In African Samurai words flex their muscles and pay tribute to a man of physical strength and combat skills. This book is about a warrior fighting in a world of changing religious beliefs. The writing is seductive and the reader sees the world through Yasuke's eyes. There is much to learn about the wonder of his life. His story is a sharp blade cutting into invisibility.

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, it moves smoothly and surely through what's known of Yasuke's life, enriching the narrative with well-considered discussions of many other topics, from global trade routes to warrior culture in Japan. Exciting and informative!

This fact-checked portrait of an often-mythologized warrior with manga and anime variations is an exciting and illuminating tale of action and intrigue.

Rarely do I read a book that challenges my worldview of history, but African Samurai certainly alters my understanding of African and Japanese history. Yasuke, a sixteenth-century African travels to India and on to Japan where he becomes an accomplished samurai. Beyond the African stereotypes as either slaves or mythic noble savages, Yasuke emerges as an important and incredibly overlooked force in history -- warrior, explorer, polyglot. African Samurai gripped me from the opening sentence -- a unique story of a unique man, and yet someone with whom we can all identify.