Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan [Paperback]

Karl Friday (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0804726965 | ISBN-13: 978-0804726962

Tracing the evolution of state military institutions from the seventh to the twelfth centuries, this book challenges much of the received wisdom of Western scholarship on the origins and early development of warriors in Japan.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A long overdue revision of court-warrior relationships from the seventh through twelfth centuries. . . . Friday’s book has significantly altered the way Western scholars will view the history of early Japan.” —Journal of Asian Studies

“Friday raises issues that all teachers and scholars must take into account.”—American Historical Review

From the Back Cover

“A long overdue revision of court-warrior relationships from the seventh through twelfth centuries. . . . Friday’s book has significantly altered the way Western scholars will view the history of early Japan.” —Journal of Asian Studies
“Friday raises issues that all teachers and scholars must take into account.”—American Historical Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804726965
• ISBN-13: 978-0804726962
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,193,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Be Careful., June 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan (Paperback)

I had to read this book and write a review on it for my Japanese History course at school. However, after starting the book I soon realized that I was in over my head. The detail of this book is amazing and his sources and citations are top notch. The author also includes a glossary that comes in handy. However, if you are not an Asian scholar or have some type of deep seated interest in the subject, you might want to reconsider. This book is extremely advanced and left me having to read several pages over and over until I caught everything. My biggest gripe with the book is the author's way of introducing the Japanese language into the book. While writing the author would have what the Japanese word is for a selected word, i.e. warrior. However after having seen the Japanese word the author would then replace the english word for the Japanese one. I would not get far before I had no clue what the words meant, and I lost track of the argument the author was making because I was looking at the glossary repeatedly or looking through previous pages. No doubt the book is well researched and the author knowledgeable, but novices beware.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Punchy and Packed, March 15, 2007

By 

Bu-Chan (Aotearoa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan (Paperback)

Karl Friday's "Hired Swords" is a fairly brief book, though it packs a tonne of information into the 177 pages of main text, (not including endnotes, index and all the rest).

Friday focuses on the Heian Period in Japan, mainly from the late 7th century to the 11th and 12th centuries. The book deals with the military structures and how they changed through the Heian Period. This includes the policing functions of some military units, as well. Rather than accepting the common perception that the Heian court was an ineffectual group of flunkies more interested in poetry than practical realities, Friday presents quite a different view. Instead of attributing the rise of private military groups to Court indifference, Friday posits that the changes made were deliberate changes by the Court to streamline the military, increase its efficiency and meet changing needs throughout the period.

Friday provides copious endnotes, adding more detail to what is given in the text. He has referenced his work well, leaving no doubt that he has thought this through thoroughly.

I completely enjoyed this book without reservation, and I gained a lot from it. It was easily read, I found it accessible, and I was hooked until the last page. I can recommend this book wholeheartedly as a must for anyone interested in the developments of Heian military organisation. and how it fed into the rise of the Samurai some centuries later.

0 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and well researched book, February 3, 2004

By 

Dr. A. Bernard (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan (Paperback)

An excellent reading on the subject of Japan's military history in the ancient period.