{"product_id":"taiko-an-epic-novel-of-war-and-glory-in-feudal-japan-9781568364285","title":"Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the tempestuous closing decades of the sixteenth century  the Empire of Japan writhes in chaos as the shogunate crumbles and rival warlords battle for supremacy. Warrior monks in their armed citadels block the road to the capital; castles are destroyed  villages plundered  fields put to the torch.  Amid this devastation  three men dream of uniting the nation. At one extreme is the charismatic but brutal Nobunaga  whose ruthless ambition crushes all before him. At the opposite pole is the cold  deliberate Ieyasu  wise in counsel  brave in battle  mature beyond his years. But the keystone of this triumvirate is the most memorable of all  Hideyoshi  who rises from the menial post of sandal bearer to become Taiko--absolute ruler of Japan in the Emperors name.  When Nobunaga emerges from obscurity by destroying an army ten times the size of his own  he allies himself with Ieyasu  whose province is weak  but whose canniness and loyalty make him invaluable. Yet it is the scrawny  monkey-faced Hideyoshi--brash  impulsive  and utterly fearless--who becomes the unlikely savior of this ravaged land. Born the son of a farmer  he takes on the world with nothing but his bare hands and his wits  turning doubters into loyal servants  rivals into faithful friends  and enemies into allies. In all this he uses a piercing insight into human nature that unlocks castle gates  opens mens minds  and captures womens hearts. For Hideyoshis passions are not limited to war and intrigue-his faithful wife  Nene  holds his love dear  even when she must share it; the chaste Oyu  sister of Hideyoshis chief strategist  falls prey to his desires; and the seductive Chacha  whom he rescues from the fiery destruction of her fathers castle  tempts his weakness.  As recounted by Eiji Yoshikawa  author of the international best-seller Musashi  Taiko tells many stories: of the fury of Nobunaga and the fatal arrogance of the black-toothed Yoshimoto; of the pathetic downfall of the House of Takeda; how the scorned Mitsuhide betrayed his master; how once impregnable ramparts fell as their defenders died gloriously. Most of all  though  Taiko is the story of how one man transformed a nation through the force of his will and the depth of his humanity. Filled with scenes of pageantry and violence  acts of treachery and self-sacrifice  tenderness and savagery  Taiko combines the panoramic spectacle of a Kurosawa epic with a vivid evocation of feudal Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45666354298933,"sku":"ByrdShop_1568364288","price":69.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781568364285.jpg?v=1782429456","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/taiko-an-epic-novel-of-war-and-glory-in-feudal-japan-9781568364285","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}