Dan Cowden > Recent Status Updates

Less activity and more thinking in this volume -- but it is clearly setting up a very dynamic fifth volume. This book, instead, focuses much more on the conflict between the philosophies of the primary cast and the factions they represent. In that sense, this volume is a more intriguing book than the previous ones, letting opposing philosophies take center stage rather than opposing armies.

This one took some getting-into (I started it in 2013, then abandoned it for a 18 months or so) but it's been a great read since I picked it up again. While Choshu in the Meiji Restoration focuses entirely on one province's actions, this book does a better job of providing an overview of national events, too.