Favorite Sengoku/Samurai novel?

**John Mayer** · May 15, 2013, 11:04 AM

I've been looking for some and can't really seem to find any outside of Clavell's Shogun, which I plan to read.

Any suggestions? Really looking for something where we read about some soldier in an army or something.

**Sharpe** · May 15, 2013, 12:51 PM

Shogun by James Clavell, it follows the rise of a fictional Daiymo from the view of a British sailor. Fantastic read.

Eiji Yoshikawa's Miyamoto Musashi series is brilliant as well. He starts off as a soldier it follows his story.

**barry12** · May 20, 2013, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by Sharpe

Shogun by James Clavell, it follows the rise of a fictional Daiymo from the view of a British sailor. Fantastic read.

Eiji Yoshikawa's Miyamoto Musashi series is brilliant as well. He starts off as a soldier it follows his story.

Shogun is one of the all time greats - isn't the main character, Toranaga, actually based on Tokugawa Ieyasu?

Good to hear you've read it, could you recommend anything else in that calibre? Would you rate Eiji Yoshikawa's Miyamoto Musashi as highly?

**Basileos Leandros I** · May 20, 2013, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by barry12

Good to hear you've read it, could you recommend anything else in that calibre? Would you rate Eiji Yoshikawa's Miyamoto Musashi as highly?

I second what Sharpe said above, phenomenal. I love the book so much I recommend it twice.

**barry12** · May 21, 2013, 05:34 AM

Originally Posted by Basileos Leandros I

I second what Sharpe said above, phenomenal. I love the book so much I recommend it twice.

Originally Posted by Sharpe

I must check this out.

As good if not better - a phenomenal read, I was totally engrossed in all five books.

For me he created such a vivid picture of Japan and with these fascinating, often aloof characters. I would recommend it to anyone, probably my favourite series of books.

Thanks guys, I will definitely check these out, if it is HALF as good as Clavell's Shogun, then it will be time well spent!

I'd never read anything about Japan in that era before Shogun. What struck me about Clavell's book was the alien aspect of Japanese society, the sheer shock for the Englishman at arriving on such a barbaric yet strangely honourable island... It was almost like a fantasy book for me, such was my level of knowledge about Japan at the time...

Really looking forward to reading another perspective on that era. Thanks for the recommendations.

**Welsh Dragon** · May 16, 2013, 02:48 PM

I've just recently started reading the Sano Ichiro novels by Laura Joh Rowland which I'm really enjoying. They're crime fiction/mysteries set during the Tokugawa Shogunate, the main character is a "teacher, samurai and reluctant police officer" and she incorporates various aspects of life in Japan of the era (e.g. the first novel centres around what appears to be a Shinju or ritual double suicide, and the second ties into Bundori war trophies.) You can find details of the series and a link to the authors website here: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/r/laura-joh-rowland/

**John Mayer** · May 17, 2013, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by Welsh Dragon

I've just recently started reading the Sano Ichiro novels by Laura Joh Rowland which I'm really enjoying. They're crime fiction/mysteries set during the Tokugawa Shogunate, the main character is a "teacher, samurai and reluctant police officer" and she incorporates various aspects of life in Japan of the era (e.g. the first novel centres around what appears to be a Shinju or ritual double suicide, and the second ties into Bundori war trophies.) You can find details of the series and a link to the authors website here: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/r/laura-joh-rowland/

Looks pretty interesting, thanks.

**Welsh Dragon** · May 17, 2013, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by John Mayer

Looks pretty interesting, thanks.

You're welcome.

**Liu Zheng** · May 18, 2013, 01:35 PM

There's also Cloud of Sparrows which is pretty good, but the setting is more like FOTS (1861)

**Dokuganryu** · May 19, 2013, 10:50 AM

You could always read the Tale of Genji by Murasaki, while not strictly a samurai or sengoku novel (it's set during the Heian Period) it does give a picture of the crazy shenanigans some of the nobles in the Imperial court got up to

**King Kristopher** · May 19, 2013, 09:47 PM

Well "Across the Nightingale Floor" by Lian Hearn is set in a fantasy world similar to the Sengoku era. I enjoyed it and you might too if you can take a step back from history and enjoy the setting itself.

**Welsh Dragon** · May 20, 2013, 04:16 AM

I'm making a note of all of these, so keep 'em coming please.

**Liu Zheng** · May 20, 2013, 05:05 AM

Originally Posted by Welsh Dragon

I'm making a note of all of these, so keep 'em coming please.

Furutani's trilogy: Death at the Crossroads, Jade palace vendetta and Kill the Shogun
I've only read the first one and it was pretty good.

**Basileos Leandros I** · May 20, 2013, 06:46 AM

Musashi is phenomenal, one of my absolute favourite novels. Yoshikawa makes the prose so easy to read it's like watching an exceptional movie.

There's also Taiko, also from Eiji Yoshikawa, following Toyotomi Hideyoshi's story with all of the major historical characters involved.

If you're into a more philosophical part, go buy Musashi's own book, Go Rin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings). Highly recommended.

**Sharpe** · May 20, 2013, 09:42 AM

There's also Taiko, also from Eiji Yoshikawa, following Toyotomi Hideyoshi's story with all of the major historical characters involved.

I must check this out.

Good to hear you've read it, could you recommend anything else in that calibre? Would you rate Eiji Yoshikawa's Miyamoto Musashi as highly?

As good if not better - a phenomenal read, I was totally engrossed in all five books.

For me he created such a vivid picture of Japan and with these fascinating, often aloof characters. I would recommend it to anyone, probably my favourite series of books.

**Sharpe** · June 01, 2013, 11:37 AM

Check out "The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan"

Informative and entertaining.

**Man o' War** · June 01, 2013, 02:43 PM

Novel wise forget everything until you've read James Clavells' Shogun.

Whilst it's listed as fiction it's really the story of Will Adams the English pilot and his effect on the Japanese nobility.

**~~RubiconDecision~~** · June 02, 2013, 06:53 PM

You might like these by Laura Joh Rowland. I think I read the Ronin's Mistress.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Joh_Rowland
Musashi is a great book. I re-read that probably every couple of years as it's a long book. I would bet 90% of all guys would enjoy the story.
http://www.amazon.com/Musashi-Eiji-Y...8409706&sr=8-1
For something light (8700 pages but not a novel!), the Lone Wolf and Cub Japanese manga was serialized over many issues. You probably could pick up a collection without too much trouble. It's hard to believe it came out in 1970. It was translated into English in the early 1980s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_Wolf_and_Cub