Samurai (Edge Books)

Caroline Leavitt is a Capstone Press author.

The illustrations, though admittedly attractive, nearly overwhelm the facts in this entry in the Edge Books: Warriors of History series. That's a shame, because Leavitt provides some brief but well-presented historical background on a subject too often sensationalized. She begins her history in the 1100s, when Japan's first general, Yoritomo Minamoto, gained control of the samurai, making him the most powerful man in the country. As his warriors continued fighting, they gained celebrity and rewards, becoming the only people in Japan allowed to wear swords. More interesting bits of history unfold as Leavitt skims across several hundred years, ending when Japan opened its borders to the Western world, and the samurai were "crushed in bitter defeat." There's just enough to whet the appetite here, but the cover is sure to draw in the curious, who can look to the bibliography and to the publisher's Web site to find out more. Stephanie Zvirin
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