Asia Books

Moving and extreme reality

This book reviews the aftermath of the Vietnam-U.S. war in a down to earth tone and it's impact on the people who's involvement in the war are explained in detail.Personally i like this book because of its content which voiced out the real opinion of the one involved in the war no matter whether they're the allies or enemies.It's a great book to those who wants to know more about the Vietnam war and its aftermath.

This book is worth reading for anyone interested in the history of the Vietnam War.
It is a collection of forty-eight short recollections from a wide variety of Americans and Vietnamese involved in the war, or the country, from the late 50's to the 80's. It also touches on Cambodia and Laos. Each recollection is from one-half to six pages long, and may cover one short event, or several years' experience in the country.
The book deceptively starts out slowly, and it is only with continued reading that one discovers that within this chosen group of recollections are many of the great truths of politics and military conflict in South Vietnam.
The essays cover the fatal flaws inherent within South Vietnam, which include the long history of being a colony of France, without France taking any steps to prepare the country for independence, such as training civil servants or encouraging the rule of law through local rulers. Once independent, South Vietnam was fragmented on religious lines. The civil leaders were corrupt, engaged in nepotism, and did not relate well to the peasants. South Vietnamese military leaders were promoted not on merit, but by family ties and the size of the bribes they paid to the government. For political reasons, the military zone around Saigon was intentionally unorganized and inefficient.
The geography of South Vietnam -- having all its territory within easy reach of Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam -- made it a very difficult land to defend from an enemy with safe sanctuary so close to crucial areas. This book does not mention the oppressive acts of the South Vietnamese government, which helped alienate its citizens. The book seems to understand, if not almost excuse, wrongful acts by US soldiers.
The US tactics also contributed to defeat: rules of engagement tied the military's hands in senseless ways (a SAM base couldn't be attacked under construction, but pilots had to wait until it was operational); rotating inexperienced officers through Vietnam to "punch their combat ticket" was more important than retaining experienced officers and advisors who often "got it" just before being rotated out; the battle for "hearts and minds" was often ignored; and years were wasted on ineffective strategy, until home protests compelled withdrawal.
And, yes, North Vietnam really was an oppressive regime which used terror and lies to achieve its goals.
Any discussion of Vietnam brings up many "what if's?" What if South Vietnam had a more appealing and legitimate government? What if US politicians hadn't used such ineffective strategy and tactics? Is there ANY scenario which would have resulted in a long-term stable and secure South Vietnam?
If you're at all interested in the field, this is a book well worth searching out.

Al Santoli's book, To Bear Any Burden, is a narrative of stories told by 47 Americans, Vietnamese (both North and South), and Cambodians regarding their experiences before the US involvement, during the US war, and the war's aftermath (after the departure of US troops). Each tale (from two to 10 pages in length) is riveting in itself. The book moves in relative chronilogical order beginning in 1954 and concludes with the present (circa 1985). Each tale is successfully interwoven with the next story such that there is a cohesiveness and a logical flow to the story telling timeline.

Some of the stories are quite stunning: from the description of US soldiers being called baby-killers and spat on after they returned to the US [difficult to comprehend in this patriotic post 9/11 world] to the horror stories of the Communist regimes in Cambodia and in North/South Vietnam after the fall of Saigon [after reading theses stories, one should question why the US would want to establish ties to Vietnam].

This "straight from the hip" narrative is recommended to anyone wishing to learn more about the scenes from a participant's point of view.

I first read To Bear Any Burden when it was originally released in 1985. This has been a 'must-read' classic of American involvement in Southeast Asia since it was published. For it, Santoli interviewed, in depth, 47 individuals representative of that involvement from 1945 into the 1980s--Americans, Viet-Namese (communists and anti-communists), Cambodians and Laotians. The book is so artfully compiled as to flow like a single narration; yet the 'cast of characters' are separate in time, space, culture and social rank--an entire spectrum from ambassadors to villagers, soldiers to politicians, in one volume. No ones education about the Viet-Nam War is complete unless they've read this book.

Sharon Collins shows a real talent in capturing these unusual images. Each image evokes interest in the subjects: what are they doing? why are they doing it? what does it mean to be Buddhist? An excellent collection.

This is an enchanting book. The pictures simultaneously sparkle with fascinating subjects and evoke trance-like timelessness. But there is something else that is special. The photos exhibit an intimacy with her many subjects that belies the patience of someone not fearing that this is her only life:) The monks and other Buddhists seem to be ignoring her entirely. The travel stories in the endnotes reinforce the character of rugged temperance that we might guess the photographer to possess. The photographer shares with these devoted people an appreciation for the sacred landscapes of South and Southeast Asia.

I loved Sharon Collins's book! Having traveled in many of the countries she photograhed, I was immediately transported back to enjoy the amazing landscapes and intimate protraits of daily life in Nepal, Tibet, Thailand, and Myanmar. Buddhism is beautifully depicted, not just as a religion, but as an integral part of everyday life. Ms. Collins has accomplished an important goal through her photography. I felt as if I were traveling again in her footsteps through Buddhist Asia.

Ms. Collins' book, with its vivid photographs and excerpts of Buddhist philosophy, will enlighten and refresh you. Are you having a particularly stressful holiday season? Are you having a hard time in your life? Sit down with "To the Light" and be transported to Buddhist Asia and a more accepting, peaceful and long-lived philosophy than we in the West are accustomed to. This is a beautiful book which you will pick up again and again -- I know I will.

The reader/viewer is gently led along a path filled with beauty humor love comfort and peace. Stylistically each photograph displays a compassionate understanding and depth of feeling for these areas of the world seemingly untouched by modernity ... simple, still and open.

Anyone moving to Tokyo will benefit from this book. In addition to great information on sight seeing, entertainment, and even outings with kids, there is also essential information on international schools, finding a doctor and other medical needs, introductions to neighborhoods where the typical expat lives, and more. I wish this book was available when I first moved to Tokyo. After more than 3 years here, I find this a great resource for making my life easier.

Anyone going to Tokyo needs to have this fact filled, interesting and fun book. A real life guide.

Tokyo Here and How is not only an easy-to-carry travel guide, it is a must have for anyone attempting to navigate the streets or subways of Tokyo. It is written without favor to the businesses and companies it highlights, so the reader is given accurate information about what is truly the best of Tokyo. This book gives the experienced Tokyolite as well as the novice travler to Tokyo, valuable information about how to navigate this city...from where to buy clothes that will fit, to how to take a bullet train out of the city, to the best places to take your kids for lunch that won't cost an arm and a leg! This book is packed with power, just like the remarkable women at the Tokyo American Club Women's Group who published it!

Moving to Japan is the first step in an incredible adventure and this book takes the questions out of visa issues, shopping, living and the best part: traveling. Filled with coupons, fun facts and more information than you could get from any seminar, relocation consultant or stack of books. This book has all the answers whether you will be in Japan for two weeks or two years. If only this had been written before I lived there!

A must have for any expat moving to or living in Tokyo! Lot's of great tips, that take a new arrival years to find. These ladies did their homework and were accurate and detailed. The coupons included with the book take you to some of the best "finds" in Tokyo!

I met Dr. Charles "Jiggs" Weldon several times many years ago. He was somehow related to my mother (I am ashamed to admit that I haven't kept up with such things, until recently). I only wish that I really knew enough about the man at that time to sit and talk with him about his experiences in Laos, I really had no idea. Jiggs Weldon has written a fantastic book about the struggle in Laos and the futile efforts to support the Laotian people in their battle against the communists. He goes into detail about his experiences taking care of the civilians and soldiers. It is basically a collection of short stories that pieced together tell the story of his time in Laos. They had to battle the communists and fight the U.S. Government for adequate funding. This is a must read for anyone having interest in the events of Southeast Asia. Ultimately when the U.S. left Viet Nam, Laos was abandoned to the communists and the Royal Laotians were butchered by the Pathet Lao and their mentors, the North Vietnamese (who were financed and equipped by China). It was clear that Dr. Weldon loved the Laotian people and was heartbroken by the outcome. I always figured that is why he never came back to the U.S. and died in Thailand in 2002.

An amazing disclosure of the real facts of the American secret war in Laos. Dr.Charles "Jiggs" Weldon died recently. He,no doubt, deserves a prayer of gratitude from all of us for the gift of his compelling memoir.

Charles Weldon (``Doc'' to most) has done us and the future a favour by writing his account of what surely was one of the most heroic, saddest wars of the 20th century. A legend in his prime during the height of the conflict in Laos, ``Doc'' Weldon paints a highly personal, sometimes emotional picture. The book is one of the few public recollections by the small group of men and women who participated in the Laos war of the 1960s and early 1970s. Tragedy in Paradise is extremely readable.

It is a series of short chapters, each detailing an event in the Weldon tour of Laos. It details how he fought for aid money from skinflint Washington, and worked to establish a health system in a country which had nothing but a desire for one. The central figure is the crusty but kindly doctor, a caregiver by choice and administrator by order of the penny-pinching bureaucrats. Most them don't really care too much about Laos or its people, so long as the regulations are followed and the career tickets are punched. A main figure is one of those Laotian legends, Edgar ``Pop'' Buell, who could have been the model for the Ugly American. Buell made a deserved reputation as a dedicated friend of Laos, its people and particularly his beloved Hmong.

In short, though, the book describes, in startling detail, how this tragic little war was lost, in the eyes of the men and women at the sharp end of the stick. It shows the duplicity of the senior Americans involved.

I laughed, I cried, and came out wiser from reading "Tragedy in Paradise". I only wish there were another Doc Weldon out there, somewhere, who would write the sequence to the plight of the Lao people in Laos, be they Lao Loum, Lao Theung, or Lao Soung.

Doc Weldon is one of the truly heroic and most-beloved figures of the war years in Laos. He once again serves all Americans well by recording the events of his time and reminding us what it means to be an American. Great things can be accomplished even in pursuit of a lost cause.

I bought this fantastic little guide in a bookstore in Kathmandu. I used it during my trek around Annapurna and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Much better than the LP guide, and small enough that it doesn't get in the way.

I found the information in the book was great help. The maps together with the estimated timings were particularly helpful in deciding the route to take.

In addition to the treks Bryn Thomas also gives useful information on places to stay.

We used the book when treking from Jomsom to Pokhara and it was invaluable.

This is definitely the best guidebook to carry while trekking in the Annapurna region: loads of maps with most of the teahouses labeled, accurate times for both directions, interesting cultural information, small so as to make it more portable, and fairly up to date. I used it in November 2007, so there are some changes as one would expect, but still is excellent. Highly recommend!

This guide is all you need for the Annapurna. Beats the pants off Lonely Planet. Great maps, highlights, places to stay, etc.; small and lightweight; good gear list for preparing, info on when to go; bits on Kathmandu and Pokhara. We hiked the entire circuit and used Bryn several times each day.

I did the Annapurna Circuit trek (Around Annapurna) last September with this book. I was my bible.
The book has very good chapters about Nepal in general, Kathmandu and Pokhara but it's strength lies in the trail maps and text.
The maps are very very detailed (you can't get lost...), they indicate where is the next steep climbing and how much time does it takes to the next village. In the text you can find recommendations for eating and lodging (that never miss...).
The book covers all the popular treks in the Annapurna region but also offer side treks for more adventrous trekkers.

The bottom line : Worth every Penny!

I started learning thai with the AUA series and have gone through the three books. All build on each other in an orderly fashion, you really have the choice of just focusing on speaking or you can incorporate the reading/writing too. The only negative is that the vocabulary is often times not as useful. "A cow is smaller than a water buffalo" I combined this series with the Colliquial Thai course and the combo addressed each others weaknesses.

I've been learning Thai on and off for a while now. When I was in Chiang Mai, I took courses at the AUA there (they were very good), and they roughly followed these books for the classes. From looking around both here and in Thailand, they are really the ONLY comprehensive set of books that teaches english speakers how to speak thai. I also believe that the few college courses in america that teach thai also use these books.

The books were published a long time ago, but they still work fine. We had a laugh in book 2 during one of the exercises where they were arguing between 8 baht and 9 baht for a taxi ride (a.k.a. 18 cents or 20 cents nowadays)

I started with book 2 because I was already partially conversational. The books include vocabular, tone exercises, dialog practices, reading for comprehension, and how to read and write the thai characters. Each book contains perhaps 20 lessons. The lessons are not especially subject oriented (i.e. chapter 8 foods), but rather they are more a progression of words and sentance structures that are used most frequently.

Anyways, buy them, go to thailand and take the classes, have fun.

I studied this couse while in Thailand and can attest to it's effectiveness. As there is only one other review I thought a second might be helpful to an aspiring Thai learner. This course is for serious students though. Expect to spend about 100 hours+ per book and cassette pack. By the way... you must study with the tapes. It starts out with subject matter a little less useful than a guidebook because it presupposes that you are in it for the long haul and will pay your dues in order to REALLY learn Thai! But like I said "you need the tapes!" so here are the addresses if you can't find them on the net:U.S.+CANADA SEAP Publications, East Hill Plaza, Ithaaca, NY 14850 AUSTRALIA+NEW ZEALAND MIP Publications P.O. Box 416 Chatswood N.S.W. 2057 AUSTRALIA and from all other places THAI STUDIES DEPT> AUA Language Center 179 Rajadamri rd Bangkok 10330 Thailand

This book is the first in a 6 book set that starts from very basic Thai right through to upper intermmediate/experienced. The major reasons that make this set of books the best I've seen and used are as follows: 1, very well structured logical progression. 2, Use of IPA phonetics 3, Use of Thai script from page one 4, Use of useful language (you can actually use it!) 5, Use of colloquial Thai (book 4 'Small Talk') 6, Use of many styles of hand written Thai and not only typed script. (very useful!)

If you are looking for a book on Thai language this is definitely the book I would recommend. When I picked up this book I knewonly a couple of words in Thai, now I am quite fluent.

This is a great course. It is as good as "Pimsleur's Thai" but A.U.A. has more substance. This fairly short course teaches basic Thai. But instead of just giving you the vocabulary (like many other courses I have tried), it gives you a lot of practice exercises and drills. Because the chapters are so short, a smart person can master one chapter everyday. For the average person, it might take 2 to 4 days to master a chapter. Though reading and writing Thai is taught, the emphasis of this course is on speaking and understanding spoken Thai.
Which leads me to the major draw back of this "BOOK." If you don't have the Cd's that go with this book, than it is probably not worth using. Without the Cd's or tapes to listen to, it will be extremely hard to learn Thai using this course. What is worse, (as far as I know) Amazon does not sell them.
You can buy the course with Cd's form Cornell University at http://www.lrc.cornell.edu/sales/catalog/thai. But it is very expensive.
If you can afford the whole package, this will be a 5 star course. If not... Then, forget about it. Don't waste your money by buying just the book.

I know very little about pottery but I have spent a lot of reading time studying Buddhism and specifically Zen and its underlying life philosophy. I found these essays to be especially beautiful in showing the way for artists and craftsmen to embrace 'no-mindedness' in their creative efforts, effacing their own egos and personalities in order to let nature flow through them in the creative process.

'Objects born, not made' is an especially humbling concept to consider. To think that the objects are 'born' through nature and the craftsman is mostly a mere vehicle for that, his signature on 'his' work completely unncessary, the object itself being the 'signature'.

I was pleased to see in the next to last essay in this collection, the author's references to the 'Way of Tea' and its demonstration of the same principles embodied in this work. I strongly recommend 'The Book of Tea' by Okakuro Kakuzo as an adjunct to this material, amplifying his ideas and further reflecting the beauty of Zen.

My only objection, and this is really minor, is this work's subtitle 'A Japanese Insight into Beauty'. As many Japanese are not Buddhist and do not embrace the Zen philosophy, nor understand it, this insight is not so much 'Japanese' as 'Zen'. Thus the finer subtitle could have been 'A Zen Insight into Beauty'.

This remarkable, must-have book is half superb pictures of various Oriental objects of manufacture become recognized as quintessentially "unselfconscious" objects of art (the one of the "top" teacup in Japan alone is worth the book's price), and half short but very eye-opening essays on various dimensions of beauty, creativity, and the aesthetic experience.

MUCH generally accepted superficiality (and downright phoniness) in the field of art appreciation is solidly debunked here (read the other reviews for more on the author's qualifications, plus some relatively piddling criticism from a few experts).

The pieces on the degeneration of the so-called "classic" Tea Ceremony and the cult of deliberate "beauty of ugliness" will provide much food for thought. Anyone interested in beauty and its representations will do very well indeed to acquire this truly irreplaceable read.

I too wish the book were 10 times as long! I believe it was out of print for awhile -- great to see it available new from Amazon at a reasonable price.

Oh -- on second thought, DO just buy this title, rather than borrow one first -- my copy is so heavily marked up that it would have been agony to have read a library copy....

This book was written by the father of the crafts movement in Japan, Yanagi Soetsu. He encouraged the Japanese to appreciate their national arts at a time of modernization and Westernization in Japan. The book covers areas of craft such as cermaics and lacquers.

Yanagi's words are so dense, packed, and rich with meaning. He has keen insights into what real 'seeing' is, and how necessary it is in discerning beauty. But Yanagi's words run beyond insight, and have some of that deep ring of eternal 'Truth' to them. I highly recommmend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about what true 'seeing' is, and how it relates to the perception of beauty.

Soon after getting into custom furniture and cabinetmaking as a profession, I had come to that point where I began to tie my sense of self-worth to what other people thought of my work. Even worse, I began to feel that I was in a competition with my fellow woodworkers. Not only did I want their approval, but I thought I must strive to be better than them or I wouldn't achieve distinction (and therefore success). Then, via my explorations into Buddhism, I came across this book. It presented me with a heaping, much-needed serving of humble pie by telling me things like:

"A beautiful work of art...is the work of a man who is not (bound to) either beauty and ugliness or even to himself."

Yanagi was talking about the craftsman of Japan's past who, working with "total disengagement", created some of the most beautiful art objects the world has ever seen. This work was never signed because these were the products of craftsman who "made no effort to express their individuality through the medium of things; (instead) they produced things through the medium of man". As my understanding of Buddhism deepened, so didn't the import of these words. The bottom line was that I relaxed, I let myself enjoy the process and I let the objects I made speak for themselves. Humble pie never tasted so good.

Usagi Yojimbo is the kind of quality work that transcends time, genres, demographics, and even age groups. It crafts a delicate and beautiful balance between honor and savagery, cute innocence and dark brutality, simple heart-warming stories and multi-part epics that shape a dense continuity. Whether or not you've ever been a fan of feudal Japanese culture, furry anthro characters, or independent, non-superhero comics, Usagi Yojimbo is a comic that can't help but impress even the harshest critic.

Prior to this volume, Usagi was a fantastic character. Yet, as a seemingly flawless samurai both in spirit and in combat, I always found him a bit hard to relate to. Usagi always did what was right, and he always won. This is perhaps exhibited best in "The Bridge," the first story in this volume. It's my absolute favorite of the early Usagi stories in which he faces an impossible antagonist and not only wins, but wins with great dignity.

However, the four part "Circles" storyline, which begins part way into this volume, blows all of this out of the water. It begins with Usagi, whose premise has always been centered on his warrior's pilgrimage, deciding to finally go home. In attempting to do so, so much of what we've known of Usagi and his back story begins to shatter. From the return of his long lost sensei to a jaw dropping reunion with Mariko and, most importantly, a ground shaking revelation that has its roots in a mistake Usagi made years earlier, it becomes clear that Usagi will never be the same again. Once this volume concludes, he is a far different, more flawed, and far more human protagonist -- the kind of character you can root for while profoundly empathizing with him at the same time. In "Circles," the character of Miyamoto Usagi finally finds his soul.

Additionally, the introduction of Jotoro and the profoundly disturbing return of Jei add to an already thoroughly compelling story while building upon the Usagi Yojimbo universe at the same time. These are two of Sakai's greatest characters, and those qualities shine brightly even in this early adventure.

While Usagi Yojimbo is a title that continually gets stronger through the years, "Circles" is perhaps the earliest adventure that I return to on a regular basis, still absolutely holding its own in comparison to all the amazing stories and developments that came after.

If you ask me, anything touched by Stan Sakai is good, Usagi Yojimbo is my favorite comic, because of the consistency and depth in Stan's story telling. Don't be scared off by the animorphic animals, it just sets the book apart. This is a genuinly good comic, just like every usagi Yojimbo book.

I think this volume is one of the most important turning points in Usagi's universe. You can miss some others but not this one as it says many important things about long-eared ronin. And much, much more..
Stories in this volume evolve about the symbol of homecoming when "heroes meet their past and see how far did they go". Each story is excellent. But the one that stands above others is "Duel" - maybe for the fact that it is absolutely believable story. "Duel" in some whiles overshadows even the ending of this volume where sadness of almost inevitable decision moves my heart every time I read it.
I highly recommend this volume. It is compact with atmosphere, it is foundation of later story arcs and it is truly masterpiece.

To this point, (Shrouded Moon was just published) this is my favourite in the series. Not only are the stories strong, but the book provides a good look at where Usagi has come from and where he is going. Other than beginning the series at Book 1, this is the best introduction you could have to Usagi's world.

There are stories about characters that figure large in Usagi's life. His sensei Katsuichi, his love Mariko, his rival Kenichi, Kenichi's son Jotaro and Usagi's nemesis Jei (what is with Jei!?). There are also a couple nice stories that stand alone well, including "The Duel" which I think is one of the most poignant stories I've seen in comic format. It doesn't include anything about Gen, Usagi's friend and sometime companion, but to make up for that, the next book is called "Gen's Story" and deals almost entirely with him.

Sakai does a masterful job as usual and the stories will have you turning pages as fast as you can read until the end. I stumbled across this book at the library a while back and now I own a complete set. If you can't find Book 1 easily (no surprise, it's been out of print for quite a while), this may be the best way to check whether this series is for you before spending all that time looking for the out-of-print books.

Of all the collections of "Usagi Yojimbo" I have, this one is my favorite, second to volume four (which includes the "Samurai!" storyline). Volume Six has everything that makes Usagi great: tales of derring-do and honor, stories about ghosts and demons, and the return of Mariko, Usagi's long lost love. Stan Sakai's art and scripting can't be any better as he spins an epic tale of a Japan that never was, but really should have been. Plus, it's got bunnies with swords. How can you go wrong?

My son loves these books. They are a bit violent for my taste. My older son was interested in this series when he was younger - maybe 12 or so? Now my 11 year old is "addicted". He reads them over and over. It was delivered quickly and was brand new.

Stan Sakai's "Usagi Yojimbo" has no shortage of fans, many of whom can do this book greater justice than I, so I'll keep this review brief. I've been a fan since 1998 when I first read "Daisho," and this latest installment just shows how Sakai's skills have improved over the years. I can't recommend this book highly enough, if just for the deeper look into the life of Tomoe.

I have all the previous volumes so i knew what to expect out of it, i love the saga and the charachters. Nevertheless I found it more enjoyable then ever in some aspects and the plot is fantastic. My only suggestion is to start from the beginning of the serie ( I mean volume 1, 2 etc.) because it's a long long long story that developes and continues in every book!

I'm a fan of all the UY books, and this one is no different. However, I wish it was a LITTLE different: this is another "Usagi and friends foil conspiracy" story.

I've read Usagi Yojimbo ever since volume 1 til now, volume 21. They're all an excellent read. I especially liked the story about Jotaro when Usagi finds out he is the father of Jotaro in the previous volumes. But this volume does not talk about Jotaro at all except to say that he still hasn't told Jotaro that he is the father, which is fine, I'm sure Stan Sakai will bring him up again in the future volumes. This volume is all about Usagi and Tomoe. The story is interesting and keeps you going as usual. I do not want to ruin the story so I won't elaborate on it but to say it's a good read and am looking forward to the future volumes.

Usagi Yojimbo is the kind of quality work that transcends time, genres, demographics, and even age groups. It crafts a delicate and beautiful balance between honor and savagery, cute innocence and dark brutality, simple heart-warming stories and multi-part epics that shape a dense continuity. Whether or not you've ever been a fan of feudal Japanese culture, furry anthro characters, or independent, non-superhero comics, Usagi Yojimbo is a comic that can't help but impress even the harshest critic.

Though this is volume 2 in the Usagi series, this is really the volume where Sakai's masterpiece begins to take shape. "Samurai," which begins with Usagi's classic four part origin story, weaves an almost mythological tale of a young, reckless child growing into a serious adult and becoming burdened by the weight of his honor. We see young Usagi dream, struggle, succeed, fail, love, lose, achieve his greatest honor, face his darkest day, and gradually come to terms with the cards that fate has dealt him. This is a powerful, character-building tale that makes you truly care for the character of Miyamoto Usagi with far more emotional investment than you might care for the more serious looking characters found in those other, non-furry comics.

The volume also includes several other stories from the two issues that followed the four part "Samurai" epic. "The Test" is a truly disappointing story, written by Peter Laird as an attempt to help promote Usagi by including a beloved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, but the story is largely self-serving and makes Usagi look like an utter chump. The rest of the stories are stand-alone adventures that do little to further any sense of continuity or character development, but they are quite fun, action-packed, and often heart-warming. I particularly enjoyed "The Silk Fair" as a story in which Usagi's heroics truly make a difference in the lives of an entire community.

In short, this is a great starting point for anyone new to Usagi. It provides a great entrypoint in the form of Usagi's four part origin story, does much to develop the character from how he appeared in Volume 1, and provides a few classic stand-alone stories as well. I highly suggest beginning here with volume 2. It will definitely leave you hungering for the next installment.

"Samurai" is the second of the collected Usagi Yojimbo books; the bulk of it is comprised of Usagi's origin story, training under a lone master until pledging to Lord Mifune, and then the day he became a Ronin upon Mifune's death. A few spare stories round out the collection.

By now the mythology and history of samurai have become almost as much of a trope in Western culture as in Eastern; it was less so in the mid-80s when Sakai originally wrote this. So any reader is likely to have encountered something akin to the training sequence here before; Sakai handles it well, however, and the fights (barring a oddly stiff duel between Usagi and his childhood friend Kenichi) are vibrantly drawn. The 3 spare stories - an encounter with a Kappa, one with an odd lizard, and the plight of a town trapped by Bandits have a more laid back approach, and are farther away the common samurai stories. Sakai's art - with its use of exaggerated expressions and character design when appropriate - fits well with both.

This is the novel where you really get to know Miyamoto Usagi. The tale beings when Usagi slays a Samurai. He soon meets up with Gen and begins to share the story of his Samurai training. We are treated to the full backstory of Usagi's life including the rivalry with Kenichi and the death of his lord. There are also three bonus stories in which Usagi confronts a Kappa (turtle demon), runs into baby Godzilla, and saves a village from oppression.

This was the first Usagi Yojimbo book that I had ever picked up, and I was glad I did. During the initial 80-90's TMNT boom, I first "discovered" Usagi through the TMNT cartoon. I happened by a local comic book store and saw the graphic novel on the shelves. I picked it up for around $20 (which was a large investment for me at the time!) and never regretted it.

Coming from a Japanese heritage, but with parents who never really shared their experiences, Stan Sakai's incredibly detailed and superbly researched world was like a look into a world which fascinated me, but one that I had never really gotten to know.

Usagi Yojimbo Book Two is sort of like a "Zero" issue in the way of comic book numbering. It tells the back-story of how Usagi came to be both a samurai and ended up being a masterless ronin. If you like Japanese history, are a buff for great storytelling, incredibly detailed art, and just a plain good read, Usagi and Stan Sakai will not let you down.

An essential, and hard to find, addition for the Usagi fan. I myself discovered this wonderful comic only recently. I promptly purchased all the TPBs as quickly as I could, and this particular book eluded me for about 8 months longer than the rest.

It is well worth finding, however, as it fills in a significant amount of information about Usagi's origins and early life. Much that is in later books will make much more sense once one has read this book. Unless Fantagraphics reprints this (and at last check, they hadn't and have no plans to do so) be prepared to buy a used copy for more than the original list price.