Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan - Paperback

by Karl F. Friday (Author)

Tracing the evolution of state military institutions from the seventh to the twelfth centuries, this book challenges much of the received wisdom of Western scholarship on the origins and early development of warriors in Japan.

Back Jacket

A long overdue revision of court-warrior relationships from the seventh through twelfth centuries. . . . Friday's book has significantly altered the way Western scholars will view the history of early Japan. --Journal of Asian Studies
"Friday raises issues that all teachers and scholars must take into account."--American Historical Review