| Title | : | RYŌMA!: The Life of Sakamoto Ryōma: Japanese Swordsman and Visionary, Volume III |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 506 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1963 |
The novel has everything: a winning main character, an action-packed plot, swordfights, and romance, but it is also a fascinating, easy-to-digest history lesson about Japan's response to the shocking arrival of United States Commodore Matthew Perry's "Black Ships" off the shores of Japan in 1853. Shiba manages to juggle historical events of those days to tell a rollicking story, and he is helped tremendously by the engaging Sakamoto Ryōma, who starts out as an apolitical, low-ranking samurai from the countryside, a young nobody whose greatest wish is to improve his swordfighting skills in Edo. But Ryōma gets caught up in the drama of his times and, at first unwillingly but later with great gusto, he feels that it is his duty to help his country join other nations of the world. Shiba takes us through the chain of events that galvanize Ryōma and turn him into a popular national hero.
RYŌMA!: The Life of Sakamoto Ryōma: Japanese Swordsman and Visionary, Volume III Reviews
-
I had been waiting a few months for this volume to come out, little surprise that I chewed through it in 3 days even though it's a fairly lengthy volume.
The 3rd book in the series sees us through the key events and final triggers leading to the Meiji Restoration of Japan . We once again join Ryoma, the now legendary revolutionary figure, through the events that led to a secret alliance between the controversial Choshu and Satsuma domains who were for a long time hostile to each other. The establishment of the first company/naval trading company & navy in the form of Kameyama. The escalation of the conflict with the shogunate and the early "rebel" victories. History aside we see plenty of action as Ryoma deftly evades Shinsengumi, escapes capture by the magistrate's forces in an action-packed showdown at the Teradaya inn, goes through several romantic exploits and runs all over the place not only as a skilled fighter but also as a diplomat, entrepreneur, ship captain and strategist. An inspiring figure worth studying.
Time to settle in for the most likely year-long wait for the 4th and final volume in the series. -
8.5/10
-
There is no doubt in my mind that I have a deep connection with Mr Ryotaro Shiba and his writings. While I took my time in enjoying this novel, many of the sentiments that the author expresses are very dear to my heart. The author’s style, in the same, is logical and compassionate though prone to thrilling tangents. The reader comes away thoroughly entertained and as a part of the story — and also with plenty to ponder…
The sections where Mr Shiba described his own troubles in trying to trace down some unknown places where Sakamoto Ryoma had spent a day, weekend, or week in the 1860’s remind me very much of those rummagings through countryside to which I have subjected my friends — clearly less impressed than me — to find a stone from the 13th century or a circular coppice that must have been a motte. These snippets of information the author shared made me realize how much he must have tried to understand the subject of his work — Sakamoto Ryoma.
This attention to detail is dear — and yet precious! It is unlikely that any other biography could provide such clarity and detail without having the reader succumb to boredom. The author’s is never too far from a comment to connect one character or another — even if we are dealing with people Mr Ryoma met for a day — to the Japan (and indeed, the Western world in some cases) that the typical expected reader must have known.
In the end, while it might be Mr Shiba’s clear and logical style that praises the skill and wisdom of Mr Ryoma, the two become inseparable in the course of this book — and I heartily commend both!
This review was originally posted on my blog.
