Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan [Paperback]

Oscar Ratti (Author), Adele Westbrook (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1991

In plentiful detail from a huge range of historical sources, Secrets of the Samurai plots the development, principles and effects of the samurai culture of feudal Japan. Authors Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook have furnished details on the weapons, techniques, strategies and principles of the samurai’s martial art, rescuing this vanishing lore for modern readers who may wish to incorporate it into their own martial arts training. Yet this best-selling book is predominantly a panoramic survey of the tumultuous early struggles of warlords contending for political ascendancy, shiftless samurai who terrorized the countryside, and those formidable warriors who protected the goods, well-being and values of their neighbors.

A definitive study, Secrets of the Samurai will fascinate anyone interested in this ancient tradition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Highly Recommended." -- Library Journal

"The only work of its kind." -- The San Diego Union

About the Author

Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook met at Columbia University in New York, where he was doing graduate work in classical languages and she studying philosophy. Both share a longtime interest in the thought and rituals of ancient civilizations. Experts on the Japanese warrior arts and ethos, they were also the authors of Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere.

Product Details

• Paperback: 484 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (July 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804816840
• ISBN-13: 978-0804816847
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #510,054 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars An Unreliable Book Containing Fantasy Material, February 20, 2007

By 

Barbara Nostrand "Barbara Nostrand" (Syracuse, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan (Hardcover)

I am writing this review, because people are erroneously using this book as a source for research into pre-modern Japan. It should not be used for this purpose. It belongs to a genre which I call "gosh golly" books. I will proceed to comments relating to previous reviews.

1. The illustrations are modern and appear to have been drawn by a western artist. What it does not contain is reproductions of premodern woodblock prints, paintings, &c. or photographs of actual artifacts.

2. While it has a large bibliography, the works are pretty much exclusively in English and appear to be popular rather than scholarly publications.

3. This book contains descriptions of Japanese "martial arts" such as "tessenjutsu" which do not appear in reliable Japanese literature.

4. This book contains descriptions of highly improbable "martial arts" such as the supposed ability for a seated practitioner to kill an armed opponent by shouting at him.

5. The historical descriptions in the book betray a woeful ignorance. For example, chapter 1 includes a claim that Buddhism is "monotheistic". This makes me wonder how the authors managed to use the correct Japanese words for the military class and the court nobility. Saddly, the scattering of accurate information in this book makes it even less desireable as it lends credance to the book's fantasy elements.

6. One commentor recommended the books by Stephen Turnbull. If you are interested in more scholarly treatments of Japan's medieval period, I recommend consulting books by Marius B. Jansen, Paul Varley, John Witney Hall, William Wayne Farris, and Jeffrey P. Mass. Heavenly Warriors by Farris specifically deals with the origin of the buke class going beyond earlier work by Mass.

7. If what you are looking for is battle paintings, pictures of military artifacts, &c. then you should cosider ordering books from the Mook Series published by Gakken. These can be ordered online from amazon.co.jp. A representative title in this series can be found by entering the following ISBN number into their search engine: 4056042489.

In short. If you are seriously interested in Japan, please buy better books.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Phantasmagoria, January 18, 2002

By 

David A. Stacey (Columbia, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan (Hardcover)

Samurai is a very good work on several levels. It contains very entertaining illustrations, good detail on obscure topics and based on excellent research. The authors brought to light many of the obscure ideas and overall feeling of the martial arts. This book is not full of legend but appears to stand on verifiable, historical facts. On the downside, it was too wordy. I spent extra time rereading the text to get the idea when a simple and direct way to get the point across would work. Critical ideas were not upfront and some chapters went on and on and in the end, said very little. In popular and in martial art writing, it is usually better to stay away from words like phantasmagoria, oscillate, and integrative. Recommended reading for the mature martial artist and for those cross-training into other branches of self-defense.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive & informative with good illustration, December 9, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (East Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan (Paperback)

While this book cannot cover all aspects of every Ryu, it is the most comprehensive guide to the subject yet encountered by this reader. Being an all inclusive guide to Nipponese martial arts means history, backround, & extras not expected. Some information is almost too comprehensive, descriptions of armour styles and stages being one. However, I enjoy reviewing this text often and find new nuggets every time. This Senpai recommends the book without reservation. After being loaned the book for some time, I bought the first one I found.