ThisseminalworkbyhistorianAlexanderBennettpresentsabroadoverviewoftheJapanese“WayoftheWarrior“asitisexpressedinscoresofclassicalJapanesetextswrittenbyfamousSamuraithemselves.Bennett’sanalysisofthesewritingsshowsthattheessentialmeaningofBushido,theSamurai’scodeofconductandethics,evolvedsignificantlyovertime--fromthe12thcenturywhenthewarriorclasswaselevatedtobecomeanelitegroup,tothe19thcenturywhentheSamuraiclasswassuddenlydisbanded.BushidoExplainedtakesavisualapproachtopresentingimportantconceptsandterminology,helpingreaderseasilynavigatethecomplexworldoftheSamurai.Thetextiswritteninahighlyaccessiblestyle,withsidebarspresentinginterestingconcepts,factsandimportantSamuraifigureswhowerecentraltoBushido’sevolution.ThedifferenttypesofBushido--whichvarybyregion,timeperiodandSamurairank--arepresentedwithover300informativediagramsandillustrations.Nootherbookofferssuchawide-ranging,yetclearanalysisofBushido--debunkingmythsandmisconceptionsaboutwhotheSamuraitrulywere.BushidoExplainedpresentsapreciseoverviewofSamuraiidealsandcultureinalogical,chronologicalorder.AuthorAlexanderBennett--aprofessorofJapanesehistory,martialartsandBudotheoryatKansaiuniversityinJapan--usesthisinformationandteachingmethodsinhisJapaneseStudies:IntroductiontoBushidoclass.Now,readersallovertheworldcansitinontheuniquelesson.
