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| | Japan |
 | | Mitsuo Kure vividly details the origins of the samurai and their rise to power, presents a chronological history of the main battles, personnel, and general themes, and makes a thorough study of samurai armor and weaponry, fortifications, and the changes in strategy and armor upon the introduction of firearms and cannon. |
 | | At first they were no more than lowly soldiery employed by the court aristocracy of Kyoto, but the growing power of the provincial warrior clans soon enabled them to brush aside the executive power of the imperial court and to form their own parallel military government. |
 | | The historical narrative is supported by explanations of samurai armor, weapons, fortifications, tactics, and customs, and illustrated with nearly 300 fascinating color photographs, maps, and sketches, including ancient scroll paintings and surviving suits of armor preserved for centuries in Japanese shrines. |
| www.wordtrade.com /history/asia/japanR.htm (3140 words) |
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