SKU: 18806939596

The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori

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The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo TakamoriThe dramatic arc of Saigo Takamori's life, from his humble origins as a lowly samurai, to national leadership, to his death as a rebel leader, has captivated generations of Japanese readers and now Americans as well his life is the inspiration for a major Hollywood film, The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. In this vibrant new biography, Mark Ravina, professor of history and Director of East Asian Studies at Emory University,

The dramatic arc of Saigo Takamori's life, from his humble origins as a lowly samurai, to national leadership, to his death as a rebel leader, has captivated generations of Japanese readers and now Americans as well - his life is the inspiration for a major Hollywood film, The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. In this vibrant new biography, Mark Ravina, professor of history and Director of East Asian Studies at Emory University, explores the facts behind Hollywood storytelling and Japanese legends, and explains the passion and poignancy of Saigo's life. Known both for his scholarly research and his appearances on The History Channel, Ravina recreates the world in which Saigo lived and died, the last days of the samurai.

The Last Samurai traces Saigo's life from his early days as a tax clerk in far southwestern Japan, through his rise to national prominence as a fierce imperial loyalist. Saigo was twice exiled for his political activities -- sent to Japan's remote southwestern islands where he fully expected to die. But exile only increased his reputation for loyalty, and in 1864 he was brought back to the capital to help his lord fight for the restoration of the emperor. In 1868, Saigo commanded his lord's forces in the battles which toppled the shogunate and he became and leader in the emperor Meiji's new government. But Saigo found only anguish in national leadership. He understood the need for a modern conscript army but longed for the days of the traditional warrior.

Saigo hoped to die in service to the emperor. In 1873, he sought appointment as envoy to Korea, where he planned to demand that the Korean king show deference to the Japanese emperor, drawing his sword, if necessary, top defend imperial honor. Denied this chance to show his courage and loyalty, he retreated to his homeland and spent his last years as a schoolteacher, training samurai boys in frugality, honesty, and courage. In 1876, when the government stripped samurai of their swords, Saigo's followers rose in rebellion and Saigo became their reluctant leader. His insurrection became the bloodiest war Japan had seen in centuries, killing over 12,000 men on both sides and nearly bankrupting the new imperial government. The imperial government denounced Saigo as a rebel and a traitor, but their propaganda could not overcome his fame and in 1889, twelve years after his death, the government relented, pardoned Saigo of all crimes, and posthumously restored him to imperial court rank.

In THE LAST SAMURAI, Saigo is as compelling a character as Robert E. Lee was to Americans-a great and noble warrior who followed the dictates of honor and loyalty, even though it meant civil war in a country to which he'd devoted his life. Saigo's life is a fascinating look into Japanese feudal society and a history of a country as it struggled between its long traditions and the dictates of a modern future.



Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 11/24/2003
ISBN: 9780471089704
Pages: 265
Weight: 1.29lbs
Size: 9.36h x 6.26w x 0.96d

Review Citations: Booklist 12/01/2003 pg. 636
Library Journal 12/01/2003 pg. 139
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SKU: 18806939596

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Thinksport SPF 50+ Mineral Sunscreen with Zinc is a reliable, high‑protection option that feels lightweight and non‑greasy on the skin. It applies smoothly without leaving too much white cast for everyday use, and I love that it’s mineral‑based with zinc for strong UVA/UVB defense. Great for active days outdoors. Highly recommend for sensitive skin and safe sun coverage!
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Does not leave a white cast, feels very light on the skin. Scanned on Yuka and was a 86/100 green zone! It’s so hard to find a sunscreen that isn’t trying to poison you, scanned all the sunscreen at Walmart and were rated a 1/100 through 6/100. Which brought me to Amazon. Thinksport has my vote on goodness and healthiness, would buy again!
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I've become a little obsessed with sunscreen over the last past 5 years. I have olive skin and developed melasma after my first pregnancy. I learned the hard way that chemical sunscreens don't help if you have melasma - and they actually make the dark spots even worse. Also the active ingredients in chemical sunscreens (like Oxybenzone and Octinoxate) are absorbed by your skin, and may cause allergies, hormonal imbalance and be toxic overtime. After learning that, I started wearing only mineral sunscreen (active ingredient is zinc and/or titanium dioxide). These are not absorbed and works by creating a physical barrier that reflects the sun (some studies suggest that some nanoparticles of zinc may be absorbed by your skin, so to be really, really safe you should look for non-nano particles). After trying a few brands, I realized the sunscreens with only zinc in their formulas worked better than the blends with titanium dioxide, but this is just my personal preference I guess. And the higher the percentage of zinc, the better. Most pure mineral sunscreens out there are 10-ish % zinc, SPF 30, 40 min water resistant - which is ok. Thinksport goes beyond that: It's 20% non-nano zinc, SPF 50+, 80 min water resistant. It really can't get any better than that! The lotion is not extremely thick when compared to other sunscreens I've tried and I find it pretty easy to apply. As every zinc sunscreen, it does leave a little fine white cast, but honestly Thinksport is not bad at all! It smells nice, lightly citrusy - and the smell vanishes soon. And, it's not overpriced. Best I've tried so far.
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I am a swim instructor at an outdoor pool and this stuff DOES work. I can apply it at the beginning of a 5 hour shift and while I have experienced light tanning it has protected against burning completely without reapplication. The white cast is significant though I don't mind it aesthetically, I know its there for protection . It does rub off on things though so consider yourself warned. Major Con: it is incredibly drying, and the soap needed to scrub it off is A LOT. That coupled with chlorine is a lot for my skin . Still on my sunscreen journey.
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