Customer Reviews

Okinawa Island of Karate

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Author George W. Alexander obviously knows this subject well and has spent a great deal of time and energy compiling the information presented in this book. Unfortunately, even though the book is a veritable treasure trove of information about the origin, history, styles, techniques, and masters of Okinawan Karate, the book is written with little or no regard of literary style, the information is presented in a very unstructured (haphazard) format, and it is quite often incorrect and/or redundant. This book has all of the information you would expect from a definitive work on the subject without the writing style and presentation that make it an interesting and enjoyable read or easy-to-use reference. Mr. Alexander gets high marks for research effort but, he falls short on execution, clarity and presentation. There are numerous annoying typographical errors and pieces of information (mostly dates) that contradict each other. If Mr. Alexander were to hook up with a competent writer, professional editor and well-known publisher the next time around, I suspect he could pen the definitive reference guide on the topic. Unfortunately, this book's usefulness is hampered by its writing style, format, and plebeian editing.

I have been searched high and low for a complete book on Okinawan karate history. This book is a great introductory to where and by whom the different styles of karate on Okinawa came from. The writing style needs some work, but the content is excellent.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of Okinawan karate. I found the information very readable and informative. I did not have a problem with the literary style. In fact, I found it refreshing to find a history book with this subject matter that was not dry and boring.