The First Samurai: The Life and Legend of the Warrior Rebel, Taira Masakado
"In his lucid and meticulously researched reconstruction of the tenth century rebel Taira no Masakado, Karl Friday illuminates the attitudes and institutions of tenth-century Japan, and explains the enduring appeal of this audacious man who strove to be emperor. Through the life of Masakado, Friday brings alive the patterns of early Japanese warfare, and the complex interaction between central and regional authority. The First Samuraiwill remain the definitive study of the legendary warrior and his age for years to come." - Thomas D. Conlan, Bowdoin College