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Japonius Tyrannus: The Japanese Warlord Oda Nobunaga Reconsidered
Oda Nobunaga (1534-82) is one of the best-known figures in Japanese history. However, no standard biography existed on this warlord who was the prime mover behind Japan's military and political unification in the late 16th century. Japonius Tyrannus fills the gap in our knowledge about Nobunaga, and the chronological narrative provides a thorough analysis of his political and military career.
292 pages, Leather Bound
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 1, 2014
I was excited to read a biography of Oda Nobunaga, but this book did not live up to my expectations. Perhaps that is not entirely the author's fault. in general, the book was hard to follow. The author switched between calendar systems and did not always write chronologically. The inclusion of far too many minor characters contributed to that as well, especially considering that many of the Japanese names were (for me at least) hard to keep track of. This all being said, the author was seemingly unbiased in his treatment of Oda Nobunaga and I did walk away having learned quite a bit.
September 15, 2015
I had been dying to read this book for years but was unable to find a copy anywhere due to it being out of print. In the end I took to Amazon and paid an exorbitant price to purchase a secondhand copy, and I’m not sorry I did.
This is probably one of the most informative books about Oda Nobunaga you can find written in English. The author’s writing style is simple and direct so anyone can read this book and get something from it. I do think it might be a good idea for readers to have a basic knowledge of the Sengoku era and who the major players were before reading it though.
Most of the information that is presented came from old documents and letters that are still only available in archaic Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and French so being able to read a comprehensive English compilation was a godsend. The book includes a comprehensive list of the published sources he used, as well as direct quotes from many of the main characters, all of the different names and titles Nobunaga’s retainers went by (many of these guys changed their names after being promoted or winning battles), and maps of 16th century Japan.
However, this book is an analysis of Oda Nobunaga the man, and as such the writer did not focus on the intricate details of various battles, but then again that kind of information is perhaps available elsewhere. Which brings me on to the things that left me dissatisfied.
First, I felt that the sections that covered 1581 to 1582 were way too short. I find it unbelievable that he devoted only 2 pages to the Honnoji incident. This was the very period I was trying to obtain detailed information about, so I felt a bit short-changed. Also, there was no real exploration of the motives of Akechi Mitsuhide at all. His conclusion that Mitsuhide was motivated by ambition flies in the face of the numerous accounts that say otherwise.
Additionally, in his desire to counter the biased accounts of Nobunaga written by the Jesuits and Nobunaga’s former retainers, the author sometimes chose to interpret the unfolding of events in a way that made it seem like he was either playing devil’s advocate or being contrary just for the sake of being contrary. Finally, this is a bit of a nit-pick but I wish that the kanji characters used to represent the names of Nobunaga’s retainers and other important characters were also noted somewhere within this book for easier corroborating of information.
This is probably one of the most informative books about Oda Nobunaga you can find written in English. The author’s writing style is simple and direct so anyone can read this book and get something from it. I do think it might be a good idea for readers to have a basic knowledge of the Sengoku era and who the major players were before reading it though.
Most of the information that is presented came from old documents and letters that are still only available in archaic Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and French so being able to read a comprehensive English compilation was a godsend. The book includes a comprehensive list of the published sources he used, as well as direct quotes from many of the main characters, all of the different names and titles Nobunaga’s retainers went by (many of these guys changed their names after being promoted or winning battles), and maps of 16th century Japan.
However, this book is an analysis of Oda Nobunaga the man, and as such the writer did not focus on the intricate details of various battles, but then again that kind of information is perhaps available elsewhere. Which brings me on to the things that left me dissatisfied.
First, I felt that the sections that covered 1581 to 1582 were way too short. I find it unbelievable that he devoted only 2 pages to the Honnoji incident. This was the very period I was trying to obtain detailed information about, so I felt a bit short-changed. Also, there was no real exploration of the motives of Akechi Mitsuhide at all. His conclusion that Mitsuhide was motivated by ambition flies in the face of the numerous accounts that say otherwise.
Additionally, in his desire to counter the biased accounts of Nobunaga written by the Jesuits and Nobunaga’s former retainers, the author sometimes chose to interpret the unfolding of events in a way that made it seem like he was either playing devil’s advocate or being contrary just for the sake of being contrary. Finally, this is a bit of a nit-pick but I wish that the kanji characters used to represent the names of Nobunaga’s retainers and other important characters were also noted somewhere within this book for easier corroborating of information.
May 17, 2023
Hm. I guess this was not for me. I liked it contentwise, there were a lot of new little facts and sources I hadn't heard of before. But it was just so boring to read I ended up skimming through some passages. The author even says he prides himself in being very objective with this book and I guess congratulations are in order because he did just that. Fact after fact after fact. It's just that the perception of the individual and incidents are a big part of what makes biographies interesting to me? Oh well.
August 5, 2021
Oda Nobunaga is among one of the greatest men to have lived. He led an incredibly interesting life. The Sengoku Jidai is rich in epic battles, betrayals and cunning manipulation of the court.
However, this book does not capture any of that. It strips the epicness of the Sengoku Jidai and presents it in the driest way possible. There is no mention of Nobunaga's battle tactics, hardly any mention of key players such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Akechi Mitsuhide nor Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The author himself also has very little of his own thoughts to add to the subject. he very much relies on what other Japanese historians have already put forth. Only on select subject matter does he input his own thoughts.
I would have given this one star, but his use of sources is quite good. I enjoyed the input of translated material in the text giving the reader the option to see the primary material as much of it has yet to be translated into English.
Overall, I did not know it was possible to present the Sengoku Jidai in such a dry manner. Am not in a hurry to ever re-read this book.
However, this book does not capture any of that. It strips the epicness of the Sengoku Jidai and presents it in the driest way possible. There is no mention of Nobunaga's battle tactics, hardly any mention of key players such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Akechi Mitsuhide nor Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The author himself also has very little of his own thoughts to add to the subject. he very much relies on what other Japanese historians have already put forth. Only on select subject matter does he input his own thoughts.
I would have given this one star, but his use of sources is quite good. I enjoyed the input of translated material in the text giving the reader the option to see the primary material as much of it has yet to be translated into English.
Overall, I did not know it was possible to present the Sengoku Jidai in such a dry manner. Am not in a hurry to ever re-read this book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews