In all this he uses a piercing insight into human nature that unlocks castle gates, opens men's minds, and captures women's hearts. Born the son of a farmer, he takes on the world with nothing but his bare hands and his wits, turning doubters into loyal servants, rivals into faithful friends, and enemies into allies. Yet it is the scrawny, monkey-faced Hideyoshi-brash, impulsive, and utterly fearless-who becomes the unlikely savior of this ravaged land. When Nobunaga emerges from obscurity by destroying an army ten times the size of his own, he allies himself with Ieyasu, whose province is weak, but whose canniness and loyalty make him invaluable. But the keystone of this triumvirate is the most memorable of all, Hideyoshi, who rises from the menial post of sandal bearer to become Taiko-absolute ruler of Japan in the Emperor's name. At the opposite pole is the cold, deliberate Ieyasu, wise in counsel, brave in battle, mature beyond his years.

At one extreme is the charismatic but brutal Nobunaga, whose ruthless ambition crushes all before him. Warrior monks in their armed citadels block the road to the capital castles are destroyed, villages plundered, fields put to the torch.Īmid this devastation, three men dream of uniting the nation. In the tempestuous closing decades of the sixteenth century, the Empire of Japan writhes in chaos as the shogunate crumbles and rival warlords battle for supremacy.

Eiji yoshikawa