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A review by sydneystories
African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan by Geoffrey Girard, Thomas Lockley
5.0
5/5
Okay, wow. Wow wow, I mean WOW. Before I explode, let me review.
This nonfiction book centers on the life of Yaskue, one of the first Africans to ever go to Japan around the 1570s. Hired as a bodyguard for a Jesuit Christian, he finds himself feared and respected in the Land of the Rising Sun as a deity since the Christians had not yet taught the Japanese to be racist towards Black people. Bringing guns, lies, and the word of God, the Jesuits barter away their beloved bodyguard to Nobunaga, a terrifying warlord who came to rule Japan and bring it peace (amid some warcrimes, but you get to learn about that as you read.) Yaskue becomes Nobunaga's personal bodyguard, samurai and possibly friend over the years he serves with him. We learn of Yaskue's incredible strength, wit, resourcefulness, honor, and will to stay alive.
I loved this book, adored it, really and would recommend it to anyone who loves Japan as much as I do. Reading this was like reading a prequel to one of my favorite books of life, Shogun (by James Clavell) and seeing where history blurred the lines of fiction in Shogun and what did turn out to be real- and even recognizing a name I know from my favorite movie ever, Kill Bill has solidified this as a favorite book. Only now it's gotten me wanting to reread my blessed Shogun which clocks in at over 1200 pages. This book centers around Yaskue and everyone who affected his life.
This isn't a day by day diary of Yaskue and that would've been impossible anyways considering this is so far back (1570s) and not centering on a man richer than God. Yaskue didn't have a personal chronicler. Therefore, some history is lost so we learn a lot about the men who lived around Yaskue and how that affected our African warrior thus learning more about him. There is no way to talk about Yaskue's life without talking about Nobunaga, Valignano and so many others. Yaskue was a treasure to the Jesuit Christians and the Japanese. He was smart, resourceful, and honorable and I hope he died rich with a lot of wives and children.
I heard criticisms this is false, but history is false in a lot of ways since only rich (mostly white) people write it. So I can't tell you what of this actually happened because I'm not a historian or a time traveler but for me this is everything I've ever wanted in a book period, non fiction or not. I would recommend this regardless it's truthfulness, though with over 20 pages of biblographies I'm sure the authors made this as true as something can be when so much is lost to history.
Okay, wow. Wow wow, I mean WOW. Before I explode, let me review.
This nonfiction book centers on the life of Yaskue, one of the first Africans to ever go to Japan around the 1570s. Hired as a bodyguard for a Jesuit Christian, he finds himself feared and respected in the Land of the Rising Sun as a deity since the Christians had not yet taught the Japanese to be racist towards Black people. Bringing guns, lies, and the word of God, the Jesuits barter away their beloved bodyguard to Nobunaga, a terrifying warlord who came to rule Japan and bring it peace (amid some warcrimes, but you get to learn about that as you read.) Yaskue becomes Nobunaga's personal bodyguard, samurai and possibly friend over the years he serves with him. We learn of Yaskue's incredible strength, wit, resourcefulness, honor, and will to stay alive.
I loved this book, adored it, really and would recommend it to anyone who loves Japan as much as I do. Reading this was like reading a prequel to one of my favorite books of life, Shogun (by James Clavell) and seeing where history blurred the lines of fiction in Shogun and what did turn out to be real- and even recognizing a name I know from my favorite movie ever, Kill Bill has solidified this as a favorite book. Only now it's gotten me wanting to reread my blessed Shogun which clocks in at over 1200 pages. This book centers around Yaskue and everyone who affected his life.
This isn't a day by day diary of Yaskue and that would've been impossible anyways considering this is so far back (1570s) and not centering on a man richer than God. Yaskue didn't have a personal chronicler. Therefore, some history is lost so we learn a lot about the men who lived around Yaskue and how that affected our African warrior thus learning more about him. There is no way to talk about Yaskue's life without talking about Nobunaga, Valignano and so many others. Yaskue was a treasure to the Jesuit Christians and the Japanese. He was smart, resourceful, and honorable and I hope he died rich with a lot of wives and children.
I heard criticisms this is false, but history is false in a lot of ways since only rich (mostly white) people write it. So I can't tell you what of this actually happened because I'm not a historian or a time traveler but for me this is everything I've ever wanted in a book period, non fiction or not. I would recommend this regardless it's truthfulness, though with over 20 pages of biblographies I'm sure the authors made this as true as something can be when so much is lost to history.