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Books Features

New Medieval Books: A Shattered Realm

A Shattered Realm: Wars and Lives in Fourteenth Century Japan

Translated by Royall Tyler

ISBN: 9798323524037

This independently published book offers translations of several key sources from 14th and early 15th century Japan, shedding light on the fierce political struggles of the era. Many of these documents are being made available in English for the first time.

Excerpt:

The materials in this book, each with its own introduction, illustrate in various ways seventy years of chaos and strife. Some might count as literature, others as history or religion, but all evoke the disorders of those decades, through the reign of the shogun Yoshimitsu (1358-1408), as experienced by warriors, courtiers, and emperors. Among them are travel accounts, battle records, Hino Nako’s memoir, and a treatise on the cult of Hachiman, the tutelary diety of the Ashikaga shoguns – that is to say, of the greater Minamoto lineage that encompased the shoguns’ own.

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Who is this book for?

The primary audience for this book will be those interested in medieval Japanese history, particularly readers seeking translated sources. However, it also deserves a much broader readership among scholars of political and military history in general. Additionally, the book stands as an excellent example of how to compile a well-curated collection of translated historical documents.

The translator

Royall Tyler is retired professor and head of the Japan Centre in the faculty of Asian Studies at the Australian National University in Canberra. He has brought many medieval Japanese works to English audiences, including several that he published under his own company. This book is also self-published.

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You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

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