African samurai :

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library	BIO YASUKE	31478010123470	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Amesbury Public Library	952.024 LOC	32114002520311	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	952.02 LOC	31330008805792	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Billerica Public Library	952.024/LOCK 2019	33934004213469	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford Public Library	952.024/LOCK	31480011257083	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Dracut - Moses Greeley Parker Memorial Library	952.024/LOC	31482002868332	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groton Public Library	952.024 LOC	37003701835838	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	952.024 LOC	30470001713204	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Haverhill Public Library	952.024/LOCKLEY T	31479007004004	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library	952.024 LOC 2019	32124001900539	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Merrimac Public Library	92 YAS	32125001275327	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	952.024 LOC	32128003755999	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Reading - Flint Memorial Library	952.024 LOC	31550002340740	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	HISTORY / ASIA / JAPAN / LOC	32132003138370	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	952.024 LOC	31990004765447	Searching... Unknown

Warrior. Samurai. Legend.

"A readable, compassionate account of an extraordinary life." --The Washington Post

The remarkable life of history's first foreign-born samurai, and his astonishing journey from Northeast Africa to the heights of Japanese society.

When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already traveled much of the known world. Kidnapped as a child, he had ended up a servant and bodyguard to the head of the Jesuits in Asia, with whom he traversed India and China learning multiple languages as he went. His arrival in Kyoto, however, literally caused a riot. Most Japanese people had never seen an African man before, and many of them saw him as the embodiment of the black-skinned (in local tradition) Buddha. Among those who were drawn to his presence was Lord Nobunaga, head of the most powerful clan in Japan, who made Yasuke a samurai in his court. Soon, he was learning the traditions of Japan's martial arts and ascending the upper echelons of Japanese society.

In the four hundred years since, Yasuke has been known in Japan largely as a legendary, perhaps mythical figure. Now African Samurai presents the never-before-told biography of this unique figure of the sixteenth century, one whose travels between countries, cultures and classes offers a new perspective on race in world history and a vivid portrait of life in medieval Japan.

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Academic Lockley and novelist Girard (Mary Rose) combine their talents in this eminently readable but somewhat speculative biography of Yasuke, the only known African samurai. The few records that exist indicate he arrived in Japan in 1579 as bodyguard to the Jesuit Alessandro Valignano, the pope's "Visitor to the Indies." One Japanese account describes Yasuke as unusually tall and dark and thus of fascination to the Japanese of the time, so much so that when the Catholics met the great lord Oda Nobunaga, the general summoned Yasuke before summoning Valignano and later took Yasuke into his service as one of his samurai. The authors flesh out the scant data points with supposition about Yasuke's life before Japan (for example, the uncomfortable slog of sea travel he endured with Valignano), details about Japanese life in the 16th century (what it must have been like to look up at the town of Kuchinotsu from the beach; descriptions of clan flags), and more novelistic passages imagining Yasuke's actions and thoughts. The final third of the work considers the possible paths his life may have taken after records cease. The solid scholarship on and imaginative treatment of Yasuke's life make this both a worthwhile and entertaining work. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

Biography of an African slave who rose to fame and fortune in 16th-century Japan.Making his literary debut, Lockley (Nihon Univ. College of Law) teams up with Girard (Mary Rose, 2018, etc.) to create a fast-paced, novelistic history of Japan's feudal past, centered on the life of Yasuke, who arrived in Japan in 1579 as the indentured bodyguard and valet of Alessandro Valignano, a wealthy and influential Portuguese Jesuit missionary. Drawing on abundant sources, including archival material, the authors offer a panoramic view of politics, sex, religion, and war. They recount in horrifying detail the massacre of African families and kidnapping of boys by Arab, Persian, and Indian slave merchants that resulted in Yasuke's enslavement. Growing up in India as a boy soldier, he was "trained in violence, as well as comportment and service," making him an appealing servant for the Jesuits, who fanned out across Japan, determined to save souls. Over six feet tall, strong and muscular, Yasuke was an intimidating presence and protector as the Jesuits battled religious and political factions in a nation beset by endlessly warring factions. Blood and gore ooze from the pages as the authors describe ruthless slaughter, beheadings, disembowelment, rapes, and torture. Ninjas, who "killed only for money, and had no honor beyond what they were paid," were hardly the most vicious, and Yasuke proved himself a valiant fighter. Seeking favor with the mighty warlord Oda Nobunaga, Valignano handed over Yasuke as "a weapon bearer and novelty." Delighted, the warlord awarded Yasuke the elite status of samurai. "You are my black warrior," Nobunaga proclaimed. "The demon who will ride beside me into battle, the dark angel who protects me and my family." Because black skin, although unusual in Japan at the time, carried "entirely positive" connotations, Yasuke became revered, and his prowess became legendary. "People in the streets did not only gape at him," the authors write, "they bowed, heads to the earth, as they addressed him."A rich portrait of a brutal age. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

The title may seem rather implausible, but Lockley and Girard dispel any doubts as they tell the remarkable story of this legendary, world-traveling African warrior in the war-torn islands of sixteenth-century Japan. Yasuke's journey progresses from slave soldier, Jesuit bodyguard, and court novelty to a samurai and respected vassal of Japan's most powerful warlord. Along the way, the reader learns a great deal about Yasuke's world, and what it meant to be a rare entity, a Black man in Japan. The authors also discuss how this was the age of exploration, in which European traders and missionaries sailed far and wide in search of markets and souls, and Japan provided both. Lockley and Girard deftly survey the cultural and geopolitical aspects of feudal Japan, providing historic facts underlying the popular fictional accounts of this age in everything from comic books to computer games. The authors make excellent use of primary sources, creating an engaging narrative, and use reasoned speculation when discussing Yasuke's later years after those sources end. This fact-checked portrait of a mythologized warrior often featured in manga and anime is an exciting and illuminating tale of action and intrigue.--James Pekoll Copyright 2019 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Yasuke has been a legendary character in the samurai mythos of Japan. The historical African warrior accompanied the Jesuits to Japan in the latter part of the 16th century, entering the service of Oda Nobunaga, a powerful feudal lord attempting to unify the country. While in Nobunaga's service, he became the first foreign-born samurai of Japan. Lockley (Nihon Univ., Sch. of Law, Tokyo) and Girard (Cain's Blood) use primary sources to piece together Yasuke's immersion into Japanese culture with a novelistic history that takes place at the height of one of Japan's most important cultural and political moments. While the authors may take some liberties with Yasuke's narrative, they do so with attention to their source material and the culture of the time. The story involves several figures alongside Yasuke, including samurai, ninjas, and Catholic missionaries. VERDICT With fast-paced, action-packed writing, Lockley and Girard offer a new and important biography and an incredibly moving study of medieval Japan and solid perspective on its unification. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 10/15/18.]-John Rodzvilla, Emerson Coll., Boston © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Prelude: Yasuke de gozaru	p. 13
Part 1 Warrior
C1 A Welcome to Japan	p. 19
C2 Only the Grace of God	p. 38
C3 The Ghosts of Africa	p. 50
C4 Seminary Life	p. 60
C5 The Terms of Employment	p. 75
C6 The Witch of Bungo	p. 89
C7 Pirates and Choir Boys	p. 99
C8 A Riot on Monday	p. 115
C9 Tenka Fuba	p. 132
C10 Feats of Strength	p. 147
Part 2 Samurai
C11 Guest of Honor	p. 159
C12 Treasures Old and New	p. 172
C13 The Way of Warriors	p. 194
C14 His Lord's Whim	p. 204
C15 Oda at War	p. 219
C16 The Dead are Rising	p. 230
C17 Collecting Heads	p. 242
C18 Fuji-san	p. 260
C19 Battle Cry	p. 272
C20 The Honno-ji Incident	p. 289
Part 3 Legend
C21 Japan, Tomorrow	p. 307
C22 The Guns of Okitanawate	p. 319
C23 Possible Paths	p. 331
C24 Yasuke Through the Ages	p. 358
Afterword	p. 381
Author Note	p. 395
Notes	p. 403
Index	p. 457

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