An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

658. Dawn of the Samurai: The Shadow of the Sword (Part 1)

April 06, 2026

Description

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Books Referenced

The Tale of the Heike

Author: Unknown

Context:

Described as the great epic of medieval Japan and the Iliad of Japan, this work was inspired by the massive civil war between rival samurai clans in the late 12th century.

A Short History of Japan

Author: Christopher Harding

Context:

The host mentions this as a nice book for people interested, and references Harding's story about samurai going to America which captures the culture clash when they encounter American food and customs.

Inventing the Way of the Samurai

Author: Oleg Benes

Context:

Described as a fabulous book that does what it says on the tin and is the definitive study of Bushido as an invented tradition.

Scouting for Boys

Author: Baden-Powell

Context:

Referenced for Baden-Powell's 1908 comments about Bushido, where he wrote about how the Japanese have their Bushido or laws of the old samurai warriors, comparing it to medieval chivalry.

The Tale of Genji

Author: Murasaki Shikibu

Context:

Mentioned as an enormous 1,100-page novel written around the year 1000 by Lady Murasaki and set in the imperial court, which they had covered in a previous series and notably barely mentions warfare.