SKU: 18806939596

The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori

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The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo TakamoriThe dramatic arc of Saigo Takamori's life, from his humble origins as a lowly samurai, to national leadership, to his death as a rebel leader, has captivated generations of Japanese readers and now Americans as well his life is the inspiration for a major Hollywood film, The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. In this vibrant new biography, Mark Ravina, professor of history and Director of East Asian Studies at Emory University,

The dramatic arc of Saigo Takamori's life, from his humble origins as a lowly samurai, to national leadership, to his death as a rebel leader, has captivated generations of Japanese readers and now Americans as well - his life is the inspiration for a major Hollywood film, The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. In this vibrant new biography, Mark Ravina, professor of history and Director of East Asian Studies at Emory University, explores the facts behind Hollywood storytelling and Japanese legends, and explains the passion and poignancy of Saigo's life. Known both for his scholarly research and his appearances on The History Channel, Ravina recreates the world in which Saigo lived and died, the last days of the samurai.

The Last Samurai traces Saigo's life from his early days as a tax clerk in far southwestern Japan, through his rise to national prominence as a fierce imperial loyalist. Saigo was twice exiled for his political activities -- sent to Japan's remote southwestern islands where he fully expected to die. But exile only increased his reputation for loyalty, and in 1864 he was brought back to the capital to help his lord fight for the restoration of the emperor. In 1868, Saigo commanded his lord's forces in the battles which toppled the shogunate and he became and leader in the emperor Meiji's new government. But Saigo found only anguish in national leadership. He understood the need for a modern conscript army but longed for the days of the traditional warrior.

Saigo hoped to die in service to the emperor. In 1873, he sought appointment as envoy to Korea, where he planned to demand that the Korean king show deference to the Japanese emperor, drawing his sword, if necessary, top defend imperial honor. Denied this chance to show his courage and loyalty, he retreated to his homeland and spent his last years as a schoolteacher, training samurai boys in frugality, honesty, and courage. In 1876, when the government stripped samurai of their swords, Saigo's followers rose in rebellion and Saigo became their reluctant leader. His insurrection became the bloodiest war Japan had seen in centuries, killing over 12,000 men on both sides and nearly bankrupting the new imperial government. The imperial government denounced Saigo as a rebel and a traitor, but their propaganda could not overcome his fame and in 1889, twelve years after his death, the government relented, pardoned Saigo of all crimes, and posthumously restored him to imperial court rank.

In THE LAST SAMURAI, Saigo is as compelling a character as Robert E. Lee was to Americans-a great and noble warrior who followed the dictates of honor and loyalty, even though it meant civil war in a country to which he'd devoted his life. Saigo's life is a fascinating look into Japanese feudal society and a history of a country as it struggled between its long traditions and the dictates of a modern future.



Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 11/24/2003
ISBN: 9780471089704
Pages: 265
Weight: 1.29lbs
Size: 9.36h x 6.26w x 0.96d

Review Citations: Booklist 12/01/2003 pg. 636
Library Journal 12/01/2003 pg. 139
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SKU: 18806939596

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4.3 ★★★★★
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David Dorrell
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Seems durable and well made.
Review of Interactive Crinkle Duck Dog Toy – No Stuffing Plush Squeaky Pet Toy (14"x8"), Tear-Resistant Reinforced Stitching, Odor-Free Chew Toy, Keeps Them Busy for Small, Medium & Large Dogs Brand: PawBang My little dog loves toys. She is very smart and loves to play either alone or with me. I would toss the toy and she will get it and fling it around, or fetch it back. This toy works fine. It has a squeaker that she can find and work, or I can push to catch her interest. The toy seems safe for dogs, does not have fluff fill, which an active chewer will work to get at and then scatter all over. This has crinkly filler that sounds and feels sort of like cellophane plastic. She has not shown too much interest in this toy yet, her favorite toys are heavy round type with a piece of cloth or “handle” she can grip in her teeth and fling, but that is not to say this toy wouldn’t attract another dog or attract her at a later date. They all seem to have certain favorites they gravitate to. The toy seems well made and durable.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2026
M
Mark
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
Dog and dog parent approved!
If you are tired of typical stuffed toys being ripped apart by your best friend, and then having to pick up the stuffing and/or squeaker parts, then you will appreciate this crinkle duck toy. The toy itself is 14 inches long, 8 inches wide, and relatively flat. It is filled with a material that crackles (similar to crumpling up a plastic bag) when played with by your dog. It is rather sturdy and easy to throw. When shown to my puppy, who is 7 months old and likes to rip the stuffing out of anything he can, he took it and ran. This toy provided him with the entertainment that he enjoys and, best of all, no stuffing to be found! While I cannot say your dog will not destroy this toy, my pup has been enjoying it without it ripping for a while now and I am happy that he is happy with the toy.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2026
J
Jeddy 3
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
Dog enjoys the durability and crinkling and I love the lack of stuffing
My miniature poodle was pretty excited about this toy. It has almost everything he loves in a toy: A squeaker, parts sticking out (wings and feet on this toy), a good size so he can shake it violently as if it were prey, and strong stitching so we can play tug o'war with him. He enjoyed the novelty of the crinkling, but ultimately he still seems to slightly prefer the stuffed toys, because there's just more to do as he rips them apart and makes a huge, gross mess of fluffy stuffing on the floor. 4 stars from the dog. For me? Five stars. Because it's tough, so I think it'll last a long time (has already lasted through many tug o'wars), and I don't worry about mess or potential accidental swallowing of polyester fluff-stuffing. So I'll round my rating up to 5.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2026
A
Adam S.
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
Highly recommend! My dog loved it!
My dog absolutely loves this toy! She is a big fan of that crinkle sound some toys make and the head of the duck has a little squeaker! My dog is 23lbs for reference so you guys can get an idea as to how large the dog toy is. I just played a some soft fetch with her in the house as well as tug of war and she is not prancing around with the cute duck in her mouth 🥲
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Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2026
S
Scientific Baking
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 4
Our dogs really like this toy
What a fun toy for our two dogs. It has a squeaker in the head, and the body makes a crinkle sound I think we will probably have to buy another one so that both dogs will have their own. We have discovered that dog toys with both a squeaker and crinkle become favorites of our dogs. Squeaking this toy several times bought both of our dogs running from the opposite side of the house. The duck dog chew toy is a bright yellow. It lays mostly flat. Even though our dogs are little, about 12 pounds each, they can easily carry this toy around. It is light enough and also large enough to work for any size of dog.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2026

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