Persimmon Wind: A Martial Artist's Journey in Japan [Paperback]

Dave Lowry (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Charles E. Tuttle Co.; 1st edition (March 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804831424
• ISBN-13: 978-0804831420
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,199,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, June 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Persimmon Wind: A Martial Artist's Journey in Japan (Paperback)

Several years ago, in "Autumn Lightning," Dave Lowry wrote of his experiences growing up as a young American whom had been informally "adopted" into the family of a Japanese martial arts teacher. It was a fascinating, semi-biographical account that delved into the true nature of the Japanese martial arts experience. Now, a number of years later, he has returned with a sequel-"Persimmon Wind-A Martial Artist's Journey in Japan." In "Persimmon Wind," Mr. Lowry details his first visit to Japan, to reunite with his old teacher of Japanese Shinkage Ryu swordsmanship. Despite his authorship of several fine books, including "Sword and Brush", this is easily Dave Lowry's finest work.

Lovers of fine biographies, martial arts enthusiasts, folks interested in Japanese culture--all will enjoy "Persimmon Wind." The biographical aspect of this work is entertaining. Dave Lowry's understanding of classical martial arts and ways is superb as well. He makes a point of explaining these arts in such a way that both experienced practitioners and the general public will be able to get something out of the text. And "Persimmon Wind" will evoke fond memories from anyone that have ever been to Kyoto, and it will fascinate those that have always dreamed of visiting the Japanese island nation.

The only weak point in the book is the publisher's failure to provide adequate proofreading. A surprising number of typos are found for a book issued by a mainstream publisher like Charles E. Tuttle.

This quibble aside, "Persimmon Wind" is a unique book-one that can be enjoyed by an unusually wide cross-section of readers. In short, it is much more than a typical "martial arts book."

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Who checked the publication?, December 2, 2001

By 

J. Chang (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Persimmon Wind: A Martial Artist's Journey in Japan (Paperback)

First, let me start by saying that I am a big fan of Mr. Lowry's work and I have thoroughly enjoyed all his writings that I've read to date. I have been amused, inspired, and moved by each book. When I ordered this "sequel" to Autumn Lightning, I was expecting more of the same. It's not. It's distinctly different in style and in character, whether that be due to advances in writing technique, artistry, or simple maturation. I enjoyed the book immensely. What I most definately did NOT enjoy was the numerous typos, misspellings, and plain lack of work done by the publishing house to review the results of their process. There are paragraphs where there are 3-4 mistakes within 4 or 5 lines. This is unacceptable. I sincerely hope a second edition corrects these grevious errors, because they detract from Mr. Lowry's work. I think he especially would be ironically appreciative of the errors because they are like rocks placed incorrectly in a suieseki landscape. As a writer, Mr. Lowry rates a 5...but the lackadaisical efforts of the publishing house reduces that rating to a 3.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent reading for the "Japanophile"., October 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Persimmon Wind: A Martial Artist's Journey in Japan (Paperback)

In the follow-up to his very worthwhile book "Autumn Lightning", Dave Lowry takes the reader to a Japan from centuries ago in an effort to explore his own roots in the Japanese Martial Arts. He accomplishes this in a sometimes long-winded and meandering way, but by the end of the book you feel like you were right along with him, walking ancient paths, visiting temples, cemeteries, and traditional martial arts halls. This is a good book for a martial artist interested in a time past, or anyone fascinated by the culture and history of feudal Japan.