Bookverdict.com

Gr 7 Up—Minamoto no Yoshitsune, the 12th-century Heian hero who defeated the rival Taira clan only to be undone by another member of the Minamoto group, is a samurai legend. His rise from obscurity, reckless brilliance in battle, and gruesome end (which helped establish seppuku as part of the warrior code) are irresistible features of a life that ended at age 30. A near-contemporary chronicle, Heike monogatari, and a nemesis's history, Azuma kagami, reporting Yoshitsune's deeds were too thin for the popular imagination, which...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Turner (The Frog Scientist, rev. 9/09) is best known for her science books for children; here she delivers an excellent biography of Japan's legendary samurai Minamoto Yoshitsune. Because he lived more than eight hundred years ago and few reliable sources for the facts of his life exist, it's not the sort of biography that leaves you intimately acquainted with the subject. (Of course, the basic outline of Yoshitsune's life is present, and Turner has worked assiduously to add some ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

This excellent biography of Japan's legendary samurai has great appeal as military history. Turner's action-packed accounts of Yoshitsune's daring and courag...Log In or Sign Up to Read More