Asia Books

Vietnam When the Tanks Were Elephants is one of the rare books written by Americans that genuinely attempt to capture some of Vietnam's realities. In this historical novel Tom Barnes shows his sincere desire to see Vietnamese and a tumultuous period of Vietnamese history from a Vietnamese perspective: the challenge was enormous even for Barnes who lived for five years in Vietnam and who married a Vietnamese lady back in 1977.

Even for a Vietnamese scholar steeped in his/her country's culture and history, writing about the Tay Son period represents a frightful challenge: It was a very short period which saw the final decline of the Le Dynasty, the ruin of the dominating yet vulnerable House of the Trinh Lords in the North, and the rapid decay of the House of the Nguyen Lords in the South, the lightning ascent and collapse of the revolutionary House of the Tay Son, and the unification of the country by Nguyen Anh, the founder of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Like many Vietnamese, Barnes has been mesmerized by the men and women, heroes and villains, braves and cowards, victims and victimizers, winners and losers, kings and bandits of those days, all larger than life, who thrust themselves into the scene, said a few words, made a few gestures, then disappeared in the fumes of generalized bloodshed.

I guess what Barnes wanted to achieve was to bring those men and women to life, mold them individually into less evanescent, more solid and more real figures than those we've received from partial and forgetful chroniclers of that time. Whether he succeeded in his attempt is not as important as the attempt itself. Ultimately one can only admire his courage and his integrity in accepting the challenge.


Andre Van Chau, author of The Miracle of Hope and A Liftime in the Eye of the Storm

This is an excellant scholarly history of events in Vietnam not known to many westerners. It describes the clash of the armies of the southern farmers against the forces of the Imperial government in what is known as the Tay Son Rebellion and took place during the same time period as the American revolution. It is as rich in characterization and detail as Tolstoy' War and Peace, but is infinitely more readable. Barnes makes the story interesting by presenting it in a series of descriptions and commentaries by eight narrators, all Vietnamese except for a Spanish missionary priest and a Chinese general. It is very useful to have capsule biographies of narrators and named characters, a glossary of Vietnamese terms and a chronology of the Tay Son Rebellion.

Those interested in military affairs of the period will find much to learn. Some use of muskets and artillery is mentioned but the principal arms were swords, spears and archery. Frequent use was make of elephants in combat and horses were employed, but infrequently as cavalry. Vietnam then (as now) is terrain suited for infantry warfare and the bulk of the struggle between the opposing forces employed those tactics. Because of the many rivers and long seacoast, however, some use was made of naval forces.

The use of deception, bribery and cruelty as elements to achieve success in the power politics practiced in this atmosphere are not unlike those described by Machiavelli in "The Prince." Realistic depictions of these affairs give this work a sobering air of Asian reality, tempered by the humanity of the narrators.

It is rare to find history presented in this fashion, at once readable and informative. I highly recommend this book and caution that it is best not read at one sitting. Take the time necessary to savor its richness and complexity.

Most of us, the stay-at-homes and world travelers alike, seem to have some inborn fascination with things Oriental. That fascination gets a great feeding in Thomas Barnes' "Vietnam when the Tanks were Elephants".

This is the lively story of real events and people in a 31-year war among rivals for the rule of Vietnam, 1771-1802, told through fictionalized narratives by members of the various sides. The narratives join to make a rich tapestry of the war itself and the personalities who shaped it, their intrigues and betrayals, their acts of cruelty and moments of tenderness, their courage, their folly, their greed - and the sometimes inexplicable consequences.

The story is of the Orient, of minds formed by Oriental thought and traditions; but it is also universal. Here is war-time decision-making as it has been throughout world history, plans shaped by leaders' personal foibles or strengths, campaigns undone by the unforeseen event. Here are men who take power and cannot handle it; here is a great man struck down by no fault of his own. Here are tactics similar to those the U.S. learned in Vietnam. And here the elephants are, like tanks, scary and formidable but vulnerable.

It is useful for Western readers, especially Americans, to be jarred into some sense of the wealth of history in the rest of the world. The struggles depicted here started before the American and French Revolutions and continued after them, but how many in the West would have known about them without Mr. Barnes' book?

The book moves fast; it is not dull history. Nor is it a novel; it is fictionalized non-fiction. Some may object to its many changes of point-of-view characters. But such changes are standard fare in movies; and for that matter, the "Iliad" also shifts its focus frequently and to good effect.

I cannot imagine that anyone other than the unique Mr. Barnes could have written this book. He drew on Vietnamese historical studies that he himself translated. Just as "The Name of the Rose" bespoke Umberto Eco's scholarship, so "Vietnam when the Tanks were Elephants" evinces Mr. Barnes' erudition. He has a profound knowledge of Southeast Asia and is fluent in several of its languages. With that expertise he combines a personal experience of life and war in Vietnam (he is a veteran of many dangerous years there as a U.S. Foreign Service officer) that gives the book its extra insights into how things really happen.

This book could and should be made into a terrific mini-series. Meanwhile, it's a great read.

The Tay Son rebellion in Vietnam in the late 1700's was contemporary with the French and our revolutions and equally traumatic. Anyone interested in learning about Vietnam before our involvement will find this well written historical novel by Mr. Barnes to be fascinating.

Mr. Barnes is a thorough Vietnam hand, truly fluent in the language and with extensive experience in the country. He served there in our Foreign Service a number of assignments, almost all of the time outside of Saigon. He also served in Thailand and Laos, doing well with those languages too. His wife is Vietnamese and an able collaborator in his research.

The Tay Son brothers from Central Vietnam led their rebellion first against the Nguyen rulers of the south, killing off all the family except one prince who fled to Thailand. They then marched north to eliminate the Trinh rulers there. The division between the Nguyen and the Trinh was almost the same line as between South and North Vietnam during our war. Both were supposedly serving the Le Dynasty titular rulers of all of Vietnam. The Tay Son brothers after their victories fell out among themselves, and the dynasty collapsed as the surviving Nguyen prince returned to reconquer using Thai and French support. As King Gia Long he founded a renewed Nguyen Dynasty, which in turn was to fall to the French and then ultimately to the Communists.

It is a tangled bit of history, with many actors, much treachery, and copious amounts of blood. Mr. Barnes has followed the real history closely using the tool of a novel with first person narrations by the principal participants, and with descriptions of gruesome (and real) executions and the sex that comes with kings marrying for political reason and also having fun with winsome concubines.

Enjoy a good read and interesting history. You will know Vietnam much better.

The 18th Century Tay Son Rebellion placed southern peasants on Vietnam's imperial throne. The southerners overthrew Vietnamese dynasties and repulsed a massive Chinese invasion. The Tay Son's influence encompassed the entire Indochina Peninsula and extended into China and Siam. Tay Son is as significant an event in modern (i.e., the last half millennium) Vietnamese history as is the Civil War in the U.S. Surprisingly, despite the intensity of American interest in Vietnam since the war to which Americans refer as the "Vietnam War" and Vietnamese as the "American War," Tay Son has received little attention here.

Thomas J. Barnes, a retired American diplomat who spent five years in Vietnam during the war, here corrects that deficiency. In Vietnam - When the Tanks were Elephants, he has produced a scholarly work -- a historical novel on the period of Tay Son. Tom Barnes carries the reader along with the pace of a Tom Clancy adventure. He employs eight principals in the events to tell his tale: protagonists and antagonists in the rebellion - emperors and a queen, lords, Vietnamese and Chinese generals, scribes and a Spanish Dominican missionary. Evoking Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Barnes' narrators present first-person accounts. Each contributes a distinctive and engrossing perspective.

Let the squeamish be forewarned that Barnes' chronicle of deeds and misdeeds, crimes and punishment, is graphic. Votaries of Robert Van Gulik's Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee will recollect his themes in Barnes' similar attention to the full workings of the wheel of justice. Beheadings, drawings and quarterings, and all the grisly like -- barbarisms to modern sensibilities, but commonplace in the context of the age -- are portrayed vividly in all their gruesomeness. Nor are the narrators shy to confess their concupiscence. Episodes of libidinousness are interspersed into accounts of history-making events.

Compressing the epic events of 31 years into eight narratives within the covers of a 321-page book could lead to confusion in the hands of a less attentive author. Barnes, however, assists his readers with appendices comprising casts of characters, a chronology, and glossaries of foreign words and phrases. The last permits the narrators to speak realistically. Vietnamese interlocutors, for example, use exclamations and colloquialisms of their tongue, lending authenticity to their accounts.

Set aside half a day or a long evening for this book because you won't want to put it down. The reading of it is a delight and an education. You will come away from it with an enhanced comprehension of not only a significant slice of history, but an enriched insight into the universality of human nature.

The story really has good descriptions(I know because I've been to the light house in the book)and it really makes a picture in your mind of what it would of been like back then!This is one of my favorite books so I would definitely recommend it!

The story, Walk Across the Sea, by Susan Fletcher, takes place at a town near the ocean. White people thought themselves superior to others, especially the Chinese. Chinese were often looked down upon and shunned, mainly because of their religious beliefs. The lighthouse keeper's daughter, however, was different from other white people. Believing her father's talks about Chinese people in the beginning of the story, the girl, Eliza Jane, meets a Chinese boy around her age. After the Chinese boy saves her goat, Eliza becomes interested in the boy's behavior. Soon, she learns that everyone may not be as they seemed.
This story was rather interesting in a way. The time of the story show how the characters act and think. The story also shows how different some characters are, such as Eliza's father and mother. ("Something moved inside me, like a sudden shift in the wind.") Eliza was also, in a way, different from other white people. She befriended and showed kindness toward the Chinese boy. ("`You'll do him no harm? I have your word on it?'") I was also amazed by the twist of the story when the story reveals that the father truly worries about the Chinese boy.
Of all of the stories I have read, I have never found one that was perfect. This story is no different. When the Chinese people were driven out of the village by angry white people, I could feel the same shock and anger Eliza felt. The story, however, has a few more bad parts. One boy, Amos, accidentally broke Eliza Jane's nose while trying to find the Chinese boy. Afraid that he might get in trouble, the boy lied to his father about breaking Eliza's nose. To make matters worse, Amos blames the fault on the Chinese boy! ("I had a mind to shout at him, to tell him to put her down...") On the other hand, I did not like how Eliza acted toward the Chinese boy when they first met. When the boy yelled a warning, Eliza thought he was trying to scare her off so he could steal her goat. Therefore, when the boy was holding the goat, Eliza thought that he was taking the goat from her, when what really happened was that the boy saved the goat from a wave. Even so, that was not the worst part of the story. ("`Get you from me,' he said. `I can't be near you now. Get out of my sight!'") As a father, Eliza's father was expected by me to listen and talk to Eliza about her Chinese friend, and maybe even understand why she was protecting him. As a result, I was shocked and disappointed in her father when he told her that he did not even want to talk to her! Thankfully, there was nothing worse than this part of the story.
("Terrible things can happen in this world-things you can't explain away. It's not safe here, Andrew John. I can't promise you'll be safe. But there are miracles, too-like you. And love. And glories well beyond our knowing.") The ending, where Eliza talks to her baby brother about life and the Chinese boy was my favorite part. It ties everything together and concludes the story about friendship.

Ever since she was three years old, Eliza Jane McCully has lived in the lighthouse at Crescent City, California, where her father is the keeper. Now thirteen, Eliza has many responsibilities, helping her father to keep the light burning, and eagerly awaiting the birth of her new baby sibling. One day while chasing her stubborn goat across the pathway to the island, she is caught by a wave. A Chinese boy saves her goat and warns her about the wave just in time. Eliza is confused, because her father has taught her that the Chinese are evil heathens. An unexpected tragedy causes Eliza to doubt her own beliefs as well as questioning her father's. When the townspeople run the Chinese out of Crescent City, Eliza watches in horror, unable to do anything. But when the boy who rescued her comes to her for help, Eliza must make the ultimate decision. Is she is brave enough to openly defy her father? I highly reccomend this novel to readers who enjoy historical fiction.

genre: historical fiction
setting: 1886, Crescent City CA and its lighthouse
1st person account of Eliza, 15 yrs, protagonist

Eliza struggles to come to terms with the contrast/mystery between a merciful God and the loss of a prematurely born sibling together with rampant community prejudice toward Chinese immigrants.

Fletcher's description of lighthouse technology and administration and tidal cycles is captivating for someone who has been landlocked most of his life.

What makes the story is the unmasking of fear and loathing toward Chinese immigrant laborers who came to America to bridge our country from Atlantic to Pacific with the building of the railroad and to incur exploitation for the sake of sustaining loved ones back home.

This is the account of the expulsion of Chinese residents from Crescent City, CA due to fears of job loss by white, Christian families. It is part of my own legacy--Chinese residents were massacred and railroaded out of Rock Springs, WY, my own native state, around the same time.

Fletcher makes good use of artifacts and dialogue of the period to firmly ground the story. The one shortcoming--Chinese characters are underdeveloped. It's an engrossing story.

* title of book chapter

18th century California was a time of prejudice. Walk Across the Sea, centers around independent Eliza Jane, a young teenage girl who lives with her parents in a northern California lighthouse. When a mysterious Chinese immigrant boy saves her goat from the California waters, she tries to find him to pay him back. She soon learns that prejudice surrounds the Chinese by the people of her town. Along the way helping her is her brave and helpful friend Sadie, her open minded and kind neighbor, Dr Wilton and her pet goat Parthenia. This story has a mix of friendship, prejudice, religion, compassion, and morality. This out of the ordinary story shows prejudice back then and gives lessons on how we can be rid of prejudice today. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested about life in general. Walk Across the Sea makes you think about things that you normally wouldn't think about in life. You learn you always have to been open minded and very conscious of other people and their beliefs. If you want to read a different story, Walk Across the Sea is for you! I also recommend ALL books in the Dear America, My Name Is America, and Royal Diaries Series.

Don't be shocked of the thickness of the book. I still have my (paperback) copy from '95,and flipped when I saw the price on Amazon.Com. Exellent book,and very deep and thorough information on (Sengoku Jidai era) 16th century Japanese history. This book is for the serious history student,and I mean money no object. Book talks about the military government of Kamakura, Muromachi, and Edo Bakufu's.

This book is best suited for readers looking into specific topics of the vast Japanese Medieval history. For those, who is looking for another affordable alternative to the excellent "Cambridge History of Japan" series, I would recommend this book. It devotes a section to the Mongol Invasion and the Decline and Fall of the Kamakura Bakufu. This was culled from the Cambridge History of Japan and is very informative. The book is thorough and it should be among your collection of Sengoku Jidai books.

Warrior rule in Japan is a compilation of essays by well-known authors on history of Japan: Jeffrey P. Mass, Ishii Susumi, John Whitney Hall and Harold Bolitho. This is a serious academic book on history of institutional development of Bakufu (the warrior government, or, as it is widely known, the Shogunate) in Japan from the times of Minamoto Yoritomo through Tokugawa Bakufu). In contrast to books by, for example Steven Turnbull, who wrote extensively on military strategies, tactics, campaigns and concentrated among other things on personalities of samurai leaders, this author goes into the in-depth analysis of the development of Bakufu as an institution and describes governance of Japanese society, gives some insight into economic and judicial powers of its branches.

"Warrior rule" is a serious reading for a serious scholar. Due to abundance of Japanese terms, it is not easy to read. However, without getting an exposure to the subject of this book, it is not possible to understand, what really stood behind many military campaigns and moves famous people of those turbulent times and feel the atmosphere of samurai age. The life of famous daimyo was not 100 per cent war, but also administration, politics, influence, economics, rituals, law and justice.

In addition, Harold Bolitho provides a general outline of the concept of Han, or local government, or the government of a daimyo, his area of administration and source of power and structure of loyalties. One learns here concepts of local samurai, fudai (or hereditary retainers, although this concept is quite described by other authors as well), shugo, jito and other concepts necessary to learn history of this legendary age.

This book is a must buy for those who are interested in medieval Japan, but can not afford the Cambridge History of Japan. This book consists of a articles written by such luminaries as Jeffrey Mass and John Whitney Hall. Taken together, their articles trace the political history of Japan from the Genpei War to the formation of the Bakuhan system under the Tokugawa. Essentially, it traces the political eveolution of medieval Japan.

This is a great alternative for those who wants to get the extensive "The Cambridge History of Japan Vol.3" Most of the contents were culled from the later. I find this book very helpful, and concise. It offers alot of good information of the Kamakura Bakufu and the invasion of the Mongols. Plus it's priced moderately. A must for students of the Sengoku Jidai.

I was completely amazed at this book. Robert Wolff beautifully illustrates the reality that has only been presented as fiction in books like "Mutant Message Down Under" by Marlo Morgan, and idealized for the future in Daniel Quinn's "Ishmael" series. It gives one hope to know that not all humans live out of harmony with their surroundings, and indeed, each other. I was impressed by his candid portrayals of the various adventures he has had, and the honesty with which he presents his misconceptions, mistakes, and cultural blunders. It makes me hope that one day, books from great minds such as his will be included in high-school required reading curriculums, so that maybe a new great thinker will learn from the past, and give us hope for the future.

If you are interested in learning more about primitive societies prior to civilization, thinking outside the box of western or eastern culture, observing civilization from a unique perspective, this book is for you. As an empathetic anthropologist, Robert Wolff was open-minded enough to really observe and listen to the people he was employed to "help" rather than impose his societies' values on them. He tells their story, and in so doing creates a window to a life style and a society that, otherwise, would have vanished without notice. I once posessed 15 copies of this book, all of which have likewise vanished to friends' libraries.

If you are interested in learning more about primitive societies prior to civilization, thinking outside the box of western or eastern culture, observing civilization from a unique perspective, this book is for you. As an empathetic anthropologist, Robert Wolff was open-minded enough to really observe and listen to the people he was employed to "help" rather than impose his societies' values on them. He tells their story, and in so doing creates a window to a life style and a society that, otherwise, would have vanished without notice. I once posessed 15 copies of this book, all of which have since vanished to friends' libraries.

If this book was a drug the FDA would make it Class 3. It is that powerful and will have that strong an effect on your life.

While it is described as account of a Malaysia tribe, it is, more importantly, a window into another way of thinking about WHAT IT IS TO BE HUMAN. That is also the name the book was originally given by it's author. Robert Wolff opens our eyes to see and think about possibilities for being human that our western world's schools and media do not teach, do not suggest.

Every person I know who has read this books says it changes the way they walk through the world, the way they see, the way they know.

It discusses ideas that impinge upon parapsychology, shamanism, Carlos Castaneda's works, intuition, healing...

The book is a precious gift that will make you feel joy and sadness-- joy from knowing the possibilities of being human, and the beauty of the Sng'oi, sadness, because the Sng'oi were reported to be "absorbed" by the Malaysian culture several years ago. They are gone.

Read the book and see if you can find a way to begin seeing as they did, and find a part of them in your heart.

The book has been re-issued under the title Original Wisdom, so it is readily available without a wait.

This book is an autobiographical account of psychologist Robert Wolff's time among indigenous/aboriginal people, mostly in Malaysia. It's rich, exciting, fascinating, insightful, thoughtful, and an incredible exposure for those of us in the "modern" world to what life was like for our ancestors of the past 100,000 years and what life is today for those still-extant tribal people. This book, and Peter Farb's "Man's Rise to Civilization" are *the* two classics in this field.

Windows to Vietnam is truly a beautiful book. Scott Clarkson's photography and Veita Jo Hampton's poetry complement each other perfectly. Clarkson's photographs selectively, yet effectively, show us both a people and a nation that are positive-thinking, confident, optimistic, and ambitious. At the same time, the book pays homage to the character, the culture, the history, and the heritage of the Vietnamese people. Hampton, recently nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, in this book goes well beyond her proposal to Clarkson to allow her to "write to these photos": Her poetry looks not only at but deeply into, even beyond, the photographs and brings out details that are not readily visible in the photos, except perhaps to a poet's imagination and ability to "see" that which may not be evident to others. The metaphoric "Windows" in the title is most aptly chosen, as evidenced in "Carved Frames of Hue" (p. 55; photos pp. 48-57 and back of cover), as well as in other photographs and poems showing or alluding to windows and views. Clarkson's cover photo, "Friend on the Mekong," captures in a single shutter's click the face and figure of a man that reflects the strength, character, and heritage of the people of Vietnam. The poetry and the photographs stand as testimony to Hampton's view, quoted on the inside/back of the book's jacket, that the most effective communication is achieved through the "deliberate blending of words and pictures."

More than simply a work of art or collection of jewels, "Window to Vietnam" is an equisite experience. It combines visual delight with intangible imagery to render a deep understanding of a multi-dimensional country... its past, present and the marvelous confluence of both. This book is a "coffee table must!" But don't be surprised to find yourself taking it to bed.

I spent one month in Viêt Nam last year and although I shot more than 1800 pictures, may I say this is a wonderful and marvelleous book which has remembered me all my journeys. I recommend it to everybody who wishes to visit this amazing country.
I fell in love with Viêt Nam and their people. This is a different book; you have beautiful photographs far away from the ones you usually see in any publication shot by Scott Charles Clarkson; you read poems with a very special sensitivity written by Veita Jo Hampton and the Foreword written by Mark A. Ashwill is a must, before you start looking and reading the book.

Vietnam is surely one of the most photogenic places on earth and the images in this lovely coffee table gift book bring this vibrant country into your home. Delightful, large format color photographs celebrate the land and people of Vietnam - its vibrant colors, ancient way of life, and active lifestyle. These remarkable pictures are accompanied by poems which riff on the themes evoked by the images - an intriguing merger of past, present and future in Vietnam today. Anyone who loves Vietnam will enjoy this gorgeous gift book celebrating the country and its people. Allison Martin, Families with Children Adopted from Vietnam.

What an enchanting journey to Vietman! The words and pictures of Windows provide a unique exposure to the culture, sights, sounds, smells, economy and lifestyle of Vietnam today. As you enjoy the beauty and history of Vietnam that this wonderful book brings to life, one must admire how Vietnam bridges its ancient past to its future. With images created by an insightful poet and brilliant photographs that speak to you, the authors weave their talents throughout every page to create a masterpiece.

Impressive impressionistic poetic memoir, powwerful and free, obviously not for everyone especially english instructors.

a very personal look in a rather unusal life of the author.

Borne from nights of insomnia and kaleidascopic memories, The Winged Seed is a beautiful search for answers for the tumultous inner questions of the mind. Part poem, part waking dream, part remembrance, this haunting book will draw you in to the author's nights, where he is surrounded by the seeds of moments the past has left behind.

love it as you would a sleepless nite of rain and poetry one and the same.

leaving a small imprint, claire

the winged seed is probably the most poetic book i have ever read. li-young lee's quiet, condensed writing style is almost sedating. he is one of the most interesting people i've met and one of the best poets i've ever read. he is what many poets strive to be.

Didn't Mr Endo pass away in 1996?

Being a large fan of Shusaku Endo, when I saw this book with an interesting title, I decided to read it. I was very happily surprised. Not only is this excellently written story a very moving tale, but it is often very funny. Endo has used his talent to tell the story of an often foolish man named Gaston Bonaparte, a man with a passion for Japan. He travels to Japan and stays with a small Japanese family. While his old pen pal, the only son of the family, is very supportive of him, the only daughter does not like him at all. Things get even worse when he is abducted by an angry gangster, and eventually forced to make the greatest sacrifice of all. If you like dramatic, moving, and funny stories, make sure you read this one.

I first read Wonderful Fool in a high school English class, it was out of print so my teacher photocopied 60 copies of the entire book, and it was wel worth it. I loved both the story and the way it was told, with vivid colors and moods. Highly recommended

I just finished Wonderful Fool by Shusaku Endo, the fifth novel I have read by him. Like the others, this one was outstanding. He wrote very skillfully and deeply perceptively about human nature. Endo always chooses topics, it seems, which are uncomfortable, which draw up against the reader's "flesh" or that part of them that is worldly and selfish at the expense of others' wellbeing. (As a Japanese too he chooses topics which are particularly unflattering for the Japanese people like the crucifixtions of Portugese missionaries in Silence, the experimentation on POWs in The Sea and Poison, and the pornography industry and sex trade in Scandal. In Wonderful Fool his readers see some of the gangs, spend time with the prostitutes, and go around the slums of Tokyo with a hitman, but all as seen from a holy heart of love, it seems clear to me. Endo is not content to remain on the surface of things- his art is nobler than that and his love more burning than that. He brings his reader with him to touch the nerves that run so deep they cross beyond his cultural moment to the universal heart of mankind.

His characters always act from weakness and sorrow and struggle and failure. Gaston, the socially inept, the ugly, the slow-minded, reaching out to Japan with the most powerful thing in the world, love, but covered in a ball of rags.

Like Scandal this novel contained characters deeply effected by warcrimes that those close to them had participated in. The hitman Endo (Endo likes to make the criminal characters reflect identity with him in some way in some of his novels, naming the hitman Endo or making the main character of Scandal a Christian writer, like Endo, of a Life of Christ.) turns to a life of hatred and coldblooded murder when faced with his brother's having carried out orders to burn the occupants of a village and the brother's subsequent framing by his commanding officers. Gaston persistantly, doggedly, beyond all civil tepid-ity, urges Endo from a position of weakness not to go through with his plot of revenge on the officers. Gaston, despite his outer weakness and failure, is a real man, as the character Takamori discerns, because he takes a stand for the right thing despite his weaknesses that he could have so easily taken as excuses not to do what he should. It is integrity to the gospel that Endo has witnessed, bears witness to, keeps within himself. The "fool" is wonderful for this integrity, this sacred obedience, this longsuffering love, which endures blows and persecutions by the ones he is trieing to help, and which has takes the courage to recognize that he can and must help, that he must, despite all his weakness and absurdity in the eyes of the world, come to Japan for love. Hallelujah!

Endo ends by tieing Gaston's mysterious end into the early Japanese story, "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter."

Endo's novel is a marvelously winning and affecting story about the wanderings of a saintly Frenchman (and descendant of Napoleon) through the mean streets of post-war Tokyo.

You have maybe met someone like Gaston Bonaparte? The sort of man who apologizes when you step on his foot; who'd rather be cheated than think someone dishonest. Who is, naturally, held in a sort of weary pity by his family and in complete scorn by almost anyone else.

Endo addresses in this novel what it is that world values and what it does to a man who who is apart from those values. While the rest of the world cannily pursues it's own ends (survival, or better, and reproduction) Gaston is --quite unintentionally--pursuing that proffession which is revered in name but entirely held in contempt in actual practice. Gaston is maybe not a man who is good for much, certainly not in the world's eyes -but sainthood has ever been the most egalitarian of vocations.

There is a powerful case made for man's free will implicitly in this, but also in the novel's character, Endo, who is the opposite and the reflection of Gaston. He too though, is pursuing his end regardless of even himself -to the extent of refusing to take antibiotics for a tuberculosis infected lung.

Perhaps the novel's most poignant theme is it's message that even at our most debased and broken, God has not forgotten or given up on us. Endo's illustration of this is original and startling; Gaston chooses to follow after Endo at a cost and in a way that could only be called insane by anyone the world would call sane.

Endo's writing is simple and elegant and executed in an exciting, almost cinematic manner. It keeps the reader turning the pages through the book's all too short duration. If I had to say something critical about this book, I might mention that the writing is not as smooth as some of Endo's later works -it lacks subtlety at moments and there are plot possibilites which are raised and not pursued. That is just nothing though, to the whole of how wonderful this book really is.

well i was looking Around the library and saw the book...then mah friend kath was all in a hurry so i just grab it..then i read the book i couldn't put it down because it was so good...i love it...this is the first book that i ever love....the book is mix with love story n adventure...hahhahhah

This is my all time favorite book. The very first day i got it, i didn't put it down until i was done with it late that night. The vivid descriptions of a forbidden love was so touching, it kindled a new flame for an obbsession with romance. Even my e-mail was influenced by the rememarkable book. I recommend this book for any girl (or guy) that wears their heart on their sleve and can use a little sweet mushyness in thier life!

I enjoyed "The Year of My Indian Prince" a lot. It is about a girl that is stuck in a TB (Tuberculosis) center where she is receiving treatment. Meanwhile, she meets up with a handsome prince from (where else) India. They become buddies... etc. The plot is interesting but I was a bit skeptical at first. The title reminded me of another story. The Summer Of My German Soldier. Do you see the simularities?

Teen April is ready for a fine year in 1945, but instead is diagnosed with tuberculosis and confined to a long bed rest in a TB hospital. Her friendships with an exotic Indian prince who begins to court her and a seriously ill roommate struggling with health decisions changes her life as much as illness in this poignant story which is hard to put down.

This book was about 16 year old April who is diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB). To get well again, she must live in a TB hospital where she must undergo various treatments. April soon meets Ravi, an Indian prince, and he show interest in her. As April's condition worsens, April and Ravi's love for each other gets stronger.

This was really an amazing book! It is also based on the author's actual life experiences. For me, I could not put the book down, I was hooked. I would reccomend this to everyone, especially those who are in the mood for reading about a truly sweet romance.

This is a brilliant, concise gem of a book that brings certain sights of Kyoto to life unlike any travel guide. When I visited many of the places described here, I'd no idea that any of this remarkable history had occurred.

I think this book is an essential addition to any serious Japan library, and as it is a slim text - I think it'd be a welcome and portable companion on a reader's visit to Kyoto.

Keene's study of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, who many historians call the worst shogun in Japanese history, is remarkable for its central theme: that this man was actually one of the greatest Japanese persons ever.

Keene does a decent job of recounting the historical context of Yoshimasa's life: it was an era of unending war and brutality when famine and sickness ravaged the peasantry and rich aristocrats vied for power in the most brutal fashion - beheadings, suicide and betrayal were commonplace. These same aristocrats also lead lives of dissipation - spending their lives drinking and "sporting" while the masses suffered and Kyoto was razed time after time.

But where Keene shows his brilliance is in his interpretation of the life of this failed shogun who embraced religion and the arts as an escape for the 'impure world' and in the process invented many Japanese cultural forms.

When Yoshimasa fumbles the choosing of his successor and a civil war is unleashed, he decides then and there to leave his shogun's life behind and build a mountain retreat - the so called 'silver pavilion' - where he spent his days contemplating the arts.

It is clear that an aesthete such as Yoshimasa was incapable of leading the Japanese nation in war. But Keene shows in this book that Yoshimasa's peculiar taste in art - simple unadorned wood, sliding screen doors, rustic tea utensils, and gardens filled with rare trees and stones, poetry, Chinese calligraphy, flower arrangements, No theatre and so on - served as the template for future Japanese cultural expression.

Yoshimasa's silver pavilion was thus an incubator for 'the soul of Japan,' and a location where visitors can still see the building almost exactly as it looked a half millennium ago. Now I want to visit Kyoto again with newly aware eyes.

This book's only shortcoming is its lack of explanation as to how the culture born at the silver pavilion spread throughout Japan. Yet that might require a lengthy tome, and one of the nice aspects of this history is that it can be read leisurely in a couple of days. It also features some nice color photos. Highly recommended.

This book was given to me by a friend. Frankly, I wouldn't have bought it based on the back flap. Yet, Donald Keene wrote a great book explaining the importance of possibly the worst Shogun in Japanese history, Ashikaga Yoshimasa. He was a terrible military strategist and his government (especially during the Onin war) was one of the weakest in Japan's history. On the other hand, Yoshimasa was of vital importance to the Arts; calligraphy, Waka and other poetry, the cha-no-yu ceremony and painting all were sponsored by Yoshimasa. He also left the beautiful Ginkakuji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion, for posterity. Yoshimasa's impact on Japanese culture and the arts is undeniable, even in modern day Japan.

Donald Keene, who probably has done more to make Japanese literature understandable to Americans now turns his attention to the state of Japan during the days of Yoshimasa, one of the Ashikaga shoguns. Like other families to rule Japan in the name of the emperor, the founder of the family generally tended to be a fairly dynamic figure, followed by persons of varying competance before sinking into dynastic decadance.

This book presents a portrait of one of the least competant persons to ever become shogun, but managed to have a positive influence just the same. Keene argues rather convincingly that Yoshimasa, though a weak ruler, was an influental patron of the arts. It is Yoshimasa's aesthetic which eventually prevailed in the Japanese imagination and that is the lasting contribution of both him and the Silver Pavilion.

I thought the book was consistent with the overall general high level of scholarship that characterizes Keene's works in general. However, while I am willing to give this work my highest possible recommendation, I am not sure if I can totally support all of the claims made for Yoshimasa. My main concern is that even though I am ready to concede that he does have an aesthetic legacy, I am not sure (and for that matter no one ever really can be) that he can claim to have originated all of the artistic innovations (though patronage) that Keene claims. My reason for doubt is that many buildings that date back to Yoshimasa's period were themselves destroyed during the Onin war (a war brought about by Yoshimasa's politic ineptness). Lacking anything really to compare the Silver Pavilion to, makes it difficult to determine just exactly how great an influence this building actually had at the time. The fact that it survives at all probably ensures that it has had and continues to have an impact on other generations. I am just not sure on what influence it might have had at the time that it was built.

The title of the book is "the soul of Japan" which means the Silver Pavilion built by Ashikaga Yoshimasa the 8th shogun of the Muromachi period.

Chapter 1 Ashikaga Yoshinori the 7th shogun, a tyrant killed by one of daimoys
Chapter 2 Childhood of Yoshimasa, his wife Shigeko and his "favorite mistress" Imamairi
Chapter 3 Weakness of the shogunate, preparation of Onin war
Chapter 4 Onin war, the relationship between Japan and Ming dynasty of China
Chapter 5 Japanese Renaissance, Eastern Mountain culture
Chapter 6 Yoshimasa as a patron of Cha-no-yu, his interest in Chinese painting
Chapter 7 Poetry at that time: renga and waka
Chapter 8 The Silver Pavilion, the garden and the architects Zenami and Soami
Chapter 9 Cha-no yu
Chapter 10 Religions of Yoshimasa, art of the no theater

The division of the chapters and the description of their content are very rough because the author usually puts many different topics in one chapter. This informal writing style seems like that the author has no clear plan and he just writes down something when he remembers something. Reading the book from cover to cover may not be the best way to appreciate it. The character I most like is the index of the book. It is complete and interesting. Just choose a word from the index, and read something about the word in the book. For example you can just read the paragraphs about the eccentric Zen monk Ikkyu and his poems. After you finish all the words in the index, you are able to construct a whole story in your mind. It is the post-modern style of V. Nabokov's novel "Pale Fire".

Judging from the book, the author is just a good story-teller not a good historian. Actually he is good at Japanese literature. This book just contains much facts and details which I don't think important. The author does not see the essence of Japanese culture and does not explain why Japanese culture is special. It is not easy to understand the essence of Japanese culture for most Western scholars. Usually they just emphasize bizarre events, strange imaginations or explain things from the Western piont of view. In my opinion, the soul of Japan is the Bushido and Zen. These two topics are not treated deeply in this book. If you are interted in Japanese culture I will recomment to you the other books:
Bushido: the soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe
Zen culture by Thomas Hoover
Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn

By the way, I like this little book. It is beautiful with its poetic language. It is a pleasant experience reading the book on the train passing through Appalachia Mountain in the summer.

Donald Keene's latest contribution to the field of Japan studies is a masterpiece on the development of Japanese aesthetics and kokoro (heart, soul, mind), much of which evolved during the Higashiyama Period at the Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku-ji) under the leadership of Ashikaga Yoshimasa. Shogun at the time of Onin War (1467-1477), which destroyed nearly all of Kyoto, Yoshimasa was a hapless leader who devoted himself instead to the pursuit of beauty. In this Period, Noh and ink painting flourished, the tea ceremony "originated in a small room at Ginakaku-ji where Yoshimasa offered tea to his friends," and with it the Japanese art of flower arrangement was born. Keene acknowledges the judgment of most historians-that Yoshimasa was weak, extravagant, incompetent in affairs of state, and unable to end a meaningless war and its incumbent famine and suffering-yet posits that he has yet to be recognized for his contribution to Japanese arts and taste. In the midst of wholesale destruction, Yoshimasa precipitated a Japanese renaissance.
Though respecting his grandfather Yoshimitsu, the builder of the Golden Pavilion (kinkakuji), he had no interest in emulating either his life or works. Yoshimasa's Silver Pavilion stands in stark contrast to his grandfather's Golden Pavilion, the later coated in gold leaf, the former the epitome of Kyoto cool wabi sabi understatement. "The simplicity and reliance on suggestion of the buildings and gardens at Higashiyama may indicate that a man who had earlier exhausted the pleasures of extravagance had at last achieved a kind of enlightenment," writes Keene.
This concise work is a complex web of murder, chaos, and endless war that destroys everything in its wake. And, simultaneously-amazingly, ironically, unbelievably-the Period gave birth to some of Japan's best-known art forms. As an insight into medieval Kyoto, there is no better place to begin.

As a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Armenia, I have found this guide to be extremely useful. I have used the guide on many occasions for myself and to introduce Armenians to the outdoors. It is offers an excellent introduction to the environmental issues currently surrounding Armenia, current and valuable resource list, and the most current topo hiking maps. It is by no means a complete guide but has some of the more popular areas to hike, some focusing around the Tufenkian hotels (Jeffery is the nephew of the famous carpet producer James Tufankian). Future editions will have more hikes, especially in the northwest section. The climbing section is small but offers some of the best areas to climb. If you are coming to Armenia to hike or climb, then you MUST own this guide.

This is one of the most user-friendly hiking guides I've ever used...it's laid out well, provides great resource information, the descriptions are clear and overall it makes what can be a difficult area to access very accessible. It's without a doubt made my time in the country more enjoyable and interesting.

Armenia - land of amazing mountains and plateaus and ancient culture...Are you interested in seeing old monasteries and churches or shepherds moving their flocks across the mountain face that you will be climbing? Come to Armenia and bring this guide-book with you.

Hiking in Armenia is an adventure. Eco-tourism is new and the land and mountains are still untouched. The Adventure Armenia guidebook is a perfect way to explore and experience a way of life that is vanishing in many parts of the world. About the book: I have found both the directions and options (once on the hike) incredibly accurate. I tested the book out five weeks ago on a hike to Mt. Hattis. We found our destination with no difficulty, had an interesting chat with a old woman at the shrine (start of the hike), and found ourselves in good company with shepherds and their flocks of sheep and goats. The shepherds were curious about us and often stopped us to ask what time it was (more for conversation, of course). We had spectacular views of Mt. Ararat and Mt. Aragats and were the only people on the mountain (other than the shepherds). The book itself is light-weight and provides one with plenty of pictures, recommendations, and practical advice about Armenia and getting around in Armenia.

I would highly recommend it to anyone coming to Armenia or living in Armenia that would like to see more of the country and experience first-hand the beauty of the country and its ancient sites.

I have lived in Armenia for over a year, and this is by far the most useful guide book on the market. Not only is it a great hiking guide, but it also provides all sorts of useful information about the country and region in a very accessible format. The authors have done a great job selecting hikes from a variety of regions and with varying skill levels. Unlike most guides about Armenia, the directions are up-to-date and easy to follow - a notable accomplishment given the generally poor signage in the country. Even if you aren't planning to hike, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone planning to venture beyond the city limits of Yerevan. It points you to all the best sights. Another bonus is the size - perfect for slipping in a pack or even a pocket.