The First Samurai

The Life and Legend of the Warrior Rebel, Taira Masakado

By: Karl Friday

Narrated by: Matt Miller

Was samurai warrior Taira Masakado a quixotic megalomaniac or a hero swept up by events beyond his control? Did he really declare himself to be the new emperor? Did he suffer divine retribution for his ego and ambition? Filled with insurrections, tribal uprisings, pirate disturbances, and natural disasters, this action-packed account of Masakado's insurrection offers a captivating introduction to the samurai, their role in 10th-century society, and the world outside the capital - a must-listen for those interested in early Japan, samurai warfare, or the mystique of ancient warriors.

©2007 Karl Friday (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

history

great history. story. it should be made into a movie. a true legend. first rebel samurai.

Fantastic read

Masakado’s story is used to provide insight into the social and political environment of Heian japan and sets up the transition to warrior rule.

Fascinating

This period in Japanese history is a particular interest of mine. This book illustrates the Heian period shift in political power in considerable detail. The book explains much more than a simple biography of one man. My only complaint is that the recording quality and energy level of the performance varies every few lines. While I do find it distracting, it doesn't detract from the wealth if information contained in this book.

outstanding narration

this is a classic history of the samurai read by a truly gifted narrator.

Mediocre in entirety

Reader can’t correctly pronounce English words most of the time and certainly none of the Japanese names and titles.
The books content is half researched and based heavily on assumptions that are common modern western mistakes. He compares often to medieval European battles which he clearly hasn’t researched making them doubly useless and poor writing. The first hour of this already short book doesn’t touch the synopsis provided or anything about ancient Japan or Samurai.
If you are more than half interested in this history or know about ancient Japan already don’t waste your time or money on this already overpriced