The Samurai's Tale

by Erik Christian Haugaard

Book Overview

When the powerful Lord Takeda's soldiers sweep across the countryside, killing and plundering, they spare the boy Taro's life and take him along with them. Taro becomes a servant in the household of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395549701
• ISBN13: 9780395549704
• Release Date: October 1990
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

A Samurais Tale

Its a really good book to read outdoors in a trees shade, i highly recommend

The Samurai's Tale

The Samurai's Tale is the story of Taro, later known as Murakami Harutomo. His entire is family is killed except for him. He is taken in as a kitchen worker for Lord Akiyama Nobutomo. After witnessing the death of his master Togan, Lord Akiyama makes him a stable boy. From a stable boy he becomes a messenger for his lord. After that he becomes a warrior. He works his way up the ranks and becomes a samurai and one of the most trusted retainers of Lord Akiyama. However, he loses his master to Lord Oda Nobunaga. Now he is a ronin and knows he must take revenge for his master.This book is one of the best books I have ever read. It has lots of action and feeling in it. I especially liked the part about the siege of Irwamura Castle. It shows Lord Akiyama's brilliance as a military strategist. I would recommend this book to anyone because it is a very interesting book with real facts about Medieval Japan.

The Story of the Young Samurai

The Story Of The Young Samurai The Samurai's Tale by Eric C. Haugaard is an interesting and well-written book and appeals to anyone who enjoys an adventure. After his family gets killed and the estate gets ruined, young and devastated Taro is captured and made into a servant under Lord Akiyama. He starts out as a young stable boy and grows into a very skilled warrior. When Taro is forced into war he must leave behind his close friends and the girl that he loves. The action-packed novel describes the long adventure of Taro and Lord Akiyama's army battling the stronger army of their rival, Oda Nobuaga. I would recommend this book because it is action-packed and teaches the reader about some of the life styles of servants in Japan. An example of some of the action in this book is when the young warrior Taro is on his horse in the mountains and checking for bandits, he suddenly sees a samurai who is his enemy. Taro then draws his sword and starts to fight and then stabs his enemy and kills the samurai. An example of when the reader sees the life styles of a servant is when Taro is a stable boy and you see the living conditions of a stable boy in Japan. The living conditions are pretty harsh because he doesn't get nearly enough food and he works for nothing. He also sleeps in the freezing cold on beds that aren't good to sleep on. There are many fascinating parts in the story that make the book interesting and enjoyable. Even though this book is action packed and informative at some points of the book the book is really slow moving. For example in the beginning of the book it takes a while for the action to start piling on. Also in many places in the book, for many pages, Taro is just thinking to himself. Except this is not a good enough reason to not read the book because there is still so much action that it doesn't really matter if there are a couple of slow moving parts because these slow moving parts are almost always informative. So if you like a good adventure and lots of action, then read the book The Samurai's Tale!

highly entertaining

The SamuraiThis book offers excellent input into the lives and Culture of the upper classes of ancient Japan. The Samurai, begins with a young boy, the son of an honored military hero. News of his fathers death has just reached the household, along with the news that the victorious army is approaching their home. Unaware of the danger, the boy is shocked and disgusted when his mother forces him into the clothes of a servant and orders him and his nursemaid to hide in the cellars of their manor. For a day and a night they reside there, with no idea of outside goings ons. Then suddenly they hear voices from outside the room and are soon discovered. Pulled back into the light of day, they are led throughout the house that was once their own. Lying on the blood soaked floor he sees the butchered forms of his mother and her servants. He stares, unmoving in his shock until he is pulled away. Without explanation he is taken from the house and marched far away, to the house of a lord where he than serves, constantly attempting to recover the lost respect that his name once held. Slowly, and with a series of masters and events, he gets what he most desires, while discovering that it mattered not. A fine novel, it is highly recommended. This book offers an informative and entertaining view of life in ancient Japan.