“Areadable,compassionateaccountofanextraordinarylife.“--TheWashingtonPostTheremarkablelifeofhistory’sfirstforeign-bornsamurai,andhisastonishingjourneyfromNortheastAfricatotheheightsofJapanesesociety.Warrior.Samurai.Legend.WhenYasukearrivedinJapaninthelate1500s,hehadalreadytraversedmuchoftheknownworld.KidnappedasachildinNortheastAfrica,heservedasabodyguardtotheheadoftheJesuitsinAsia,travelingtoIndiaandChina,andeventuallyarrivinginJapan,whereeverythingwouldchange.MostJapanesepeoplehadneverseenanAfricanmanbefore.Somebelievedhewasagod.Otherssawhimastheblack-skinnedBuddha.AmongthosedrawntohimwasLordNobunaga,headofthemostpowerfulclaninJapan,whomadeYasukeasamuraiinhiscourt.Soon,YasukewaslearningthetraditionsofmartialartsandascendingtheupperechelonsofJapanesesociety,wherehewouldliveontobecomealegendforthecenturiestocome.
