{"product_id":"9781568364483","title":"Seppuku: A History of Samurai Suicide","description":"The history of seppuku -- Japanese ritual suicide by cutting the  stomach, sometimes referred to as hara-kiri -- spans a millennium, and  came to be favored by samurai as an honorable form of death. Here, for  the first time in English, is a book that charts the history of seppuku  from ancient times to the twentieth century through a collection of  swashbuckling tales from history and literature. Author Andrew Rankin  takes us from the first recorded incident of seppuku, by the goddess  Aomi in the eighth century, through the \"golden age\" of seppuku in the  sixteenth century that includes the suicides of Shibata Katsuie, Sen no  Riky? and Toyotomi Hidetsugu, up to the seppuku of General Nogi Maresuke  in 1912.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDrawing on never-before-translated medieval war  tales, samurai clan documents, and execution handbooks, Rankin also  provides a fascinating look at the seppuku ritual itself, explaining the  correct protocol and etiquette for seppuku, different stomach-cutting  procedures, types of swords, attire, location, even what kinds of  refreshment should be served at the seppuku ceremony. The book ends with  a collection of quotations from authors and commentators down through  the centuries, summing up both the Japanese attitude toward seppuku and  foreigners’ reactions:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"As for when to die, make sure you  are one step ahead of everyone else. Never pull back from the brink. But  be aware that there are times when you should die, and times when you  should not. Die at the right moment, and you will be a hero. Die at the  wrong moment, and you will die like a dog.\"  -- Izawa Nagahide, \u003ci\u003eThe Warrior’s Code\u003c\/i\u003e, 1725\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"We  all thought, ‘These guys are some kind of nutcakes.’\"  —    Jim  Verdolini, USS Randolph, describing  \"Kamikaze\" attack of March 11, 1945","brand":"Kodansha USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47168888701168,"sku":"9781568364483","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781568364483_p0.jpg?v=1763788108","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781568364483","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}