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tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
‘A great man is not made simply by innate ability.’
Towards the middle of the 16th century the Ashikaga shogunate crumbled. As a consequence Japan came to resemble a huge battlefield as rival warlords vied for dominance. Three very different men emerged seeking to control and unify Japan. Those men were Oda Nobunaga; Toyotomi Hideyoshi; and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Their divergent leadership styles are expressed in the answers to this question:
‘What if the bird will not sing?’
Oda Nobunaga answers ‘Kill it if it does not want to sing’
Toyotomi Hideyoshi answers ‘Make it want to sing’
Tokugawa Ieyasu answers ‘Wait until it sings’
Essentially, this is Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s story: how one man rose from obscurity to be the supreme regent of Japan. The novel follows Hideyoshi’s life, his development from a servant of Oda Nobunaga and his assumption of leadership after Oda Nobunaga is killed by Akechi Mitsuhide.
This is an epic novel set in a tumultuous period of Japanese history. I enjoyed the novel and became immersed in the events depicted once I became accustomed to the setting. The politics between factions and the battles between rivals, aspects of the feudal history and culture are all part of this story. I know little about this period of Japanese history and while this novel tempts me to learn more, it is the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi I found particularly engrossing.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Towards the middle of the 16th century the Ashikaga shogunate crumbled. As a consequence Japan came to resemble a huge battlefield as rival warlords vied for dominance. Three very different men emerged seeking to control and unify Japan. Those men were Oda Nobunaga; Toyotomi Hideyoshi; and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Their divergent leadership styles are expressed in the answers to this question:
‘What if the bird will not sing?’
Oda Nobunaga answers ‘Kill it if it does not want to sing’
Toyotomi Hideyoshi answers ‘Make it want to sing’
Tokugawa Ieyasu answers ‘Wait until it sings’
Essentially, this is Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s story: how one man rose from obscurity to be the supreme regent of Japan. The novel follows Hideyoshi’s life, his development from a servant of Oda Nobunaga and his assumption of leadership after Oda Nobunaga is killed by Akechi Mitsuhide.
This is an epic novel set in a tumultuous period of Japanese history. I enjoyed the novel and became immersed in the events depicted once I became accustomed to the setting. The politics between factions and the battles between rivals, aspects of the feudal history and culture are all part of this story. I know little about this period of Japanese history and while this novel tempts me to learn more, it is the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi I found particularly engrossing.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
sarony11's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
alexa_ayana's review against another edition
5.0
Review detail akan diupdate saat aku baca ulang buku EPIC ini.
Walau aku baca buku ini sudah lama banget tapi ada beberapa poin yang sangat memorable. Salah satunya adalah buku ini menceritakan perjuangan seorang anak miskin Jepang biasa yang punya otak dan kemauan untuk melakukan Kaizen. Kaizen adalah perbaikan. Orang Jepang dibesarkan dengan filosofi bahwa mereka bangun setiap hari untuk memperbaiki dan menyempurnakan apa yang sudah mereka lakukan di hari kemarin. Jadi Kaizen adalah perbaikan seumur hidup. Perjalanan karir anak tersebut di mulai dari masa muda, dari posisi yang paling rendah dan menanjak perlahan. Modal utama keberhasilannya adalah inisiatif dan kreatifitas serta Kaizen yang dia terapkan. Anak ini adalah Hideyoshi.
Buku ini super tebal tapi kisahnya penuh inspirasi jadi kamu akan terbius dan tak bisa meletakannya sebelum selesai.
Walau aku baca buku ini sudah lama banget tapi ada beberapa poin yang sangat memorable. Salah satunya adalah buku ini menceritakan perjuangan seorang anak miskin Jepang biasa yang punya otak dan kemauan untuk melakukan Kaizen. Kaizen adalah perbaikan. Orang Jepang dibesarkan dengan filosofi bahwa mereka bangun setiap hari untuk memperbaiki dan menyempurnakan apa yang sudah mereka lakukan di hari kemarin. Jadi Kaizen adalah perbaikan seumur hidup. Perjalanan karir anak tersebut di mulai dari masa muda, dari posisi yang paling rendah dan menanjak perlahan. Modal utama keberhasilannya adalah inisiatif dan kreatifitas serta Kaizen yang dia terapkan. Anak ini adalah Hideyoshi.
Buku ini super tebal tapi kisahnya penuh inspirasi jadi kamu akan terbius dan tak bisa meletakannya sebelum selesai.
spb3's review against another edition
5.0
I took this book slowly, reading short pieces at a time. Nearly 1000 pages later, I am left with a satisfaction that few works of historical fiction give. True, Taiko is no Musashi, but it is a masterful novel with an inspiring story nonetheless. Yoshikawa is one of the great historical-fiction novelists of the twentieth century and should be more widely read.
luzbella's review against another edition
5.0
96/365
Written in a simple, straight foward, and distinctly Japanese style, Taiko tells the story of Hideyoshi in the manner of a wise, old storyteller. The author inserts bits of wisdom throughout the book, as might a kindly grandfather relating the tale to his grandchildren. The occasional, unashamedly chauvinistic comments which are definitely not politically correct today, do however, reflect the thinking of the times and lend an air of credibility to the story. I do not know how accurately the novel reflects history, but it is certainly detailed, but never boring. It also provides insight into how complex the Japanese feudal system could be and how various clan leaders were faced with splits in their loyalty to their clans and family and fealty to their lords. Taiko is an educational and entertaining read, which I highly recommend.
Written in a simple, straight foward, and distinctly Japanese style, Taiko tells the story of Hideyoshi in the manner of a wise, old storyteller. The author inserts bits of wisdom throughout the book, as might a kindly grandfather relating the tale to his grandchildren. The occasional, unashamedly chauvinistic comments which are definitely not politically correct today, do however, reflect the thinking of the times and lend an air of credibility to the story. I do not know how accurately the novel reflects history, but it is certainly detailed, but never boring. It also provides insight into how complex the Japanese feudal system could be and how various clan leaders were faced with splits in their loyalty to their clans and family and fealty to their lords. Taiko is an educational and entertaining read, which I highly recommend.
nikola_wanke's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mariafoxvulpe's review against another edition
5.0
An epic read for anyone passionate by history or Japanese culture.
epictetsocrate's review against another edition
4.0
Campania lui Hideyoshi în provinciile apusene, campania lui Mitsuhide din Tamba şi îndelungatul asediu al castelul Itami erau, de fapt, operele lui Nobunaga. Campania din apus şi asediul de la Itami erau încă blocate şi numai în Tamba aveau loc unele acţiuni minore. Zi de zi, din aceste trei zone veneau multe scrisori şi rapoarte. Documentele erau selecţionate de către ofiţerii de stat major şi secretarii particulari, astfel că Nobunaga nu le vedea decât pe cele mai importante.
Printre ele se afla şi o scrisoare de la Sakuma Nobumori. Nobunaga o citi şi o aruncă în lături, cu o expresie extrem de nemulţumită. Persoana care avea datoria de a aduna scrisorile aruncate era pajul de încredere al lui Nobunaga, Ranmaru. Crezând că ordinele lui Nobunaga fuseseră nesocotite, Ranmaru citi, pe furiş, scrisoarea. Nu conţinea nimic care să-l fi putut supăra pe Nobunaga. Scria astfel:
Spre surprinderea mea, Hanbei încă nu a luat nici o măsură spre a vă duce ordinele la îndeplinire. În calitate de mesager al dumneavoastră, i-am atras atenţia asupra erorii faptelor lui, informându-l că, dacă nu respectă ordinul, voi fi acuzat de neglijenţă. Cred că ordinul dumneavoastră va fi îndeplinit curând. A fost extrem de obositor pentru mine şi, cu umilinţă, apelez la mărinimia dumneavoastră în această chestiune.
Printre ele se afla şi o scrisoare de la Sakuma Nobumori. Nobunaga o citi şi o aruncă în lături, cu o expresie extrem de nemulţumită. Persoana care avea datoria de a aduna scrisorile aruncate era pajul de încredere al lui Nobunaga, Ranmaru. Crezând că ordinele lui Nobunaga fuseseră nesocotite, Ranmaru citi, pe furiş, scrisoarea. Nu conţinea nimic care să-l fi putut supăra pe Nobunaga. Scria astfel:
Spre surprinderea mea, Hanbei încă nu a luat nici o măsură spre a vă duce ordinele la îndeplinire. În calitate de mesager al dumneavoastră, i-am atras atenţia asupra erorii faptelor lui, informându-l că, dacă nu respectă ordinul, voi fi acuzat de neglijenţă. Cred că ordinul dumneavoastră va fi îndeplinit curând. A fost extrem de obositor pentru mine şi, cu umilinţă, apelez la mărinimia dumneavoastră în această chestiune.
stellasono's review against another edition
5.0
My sister owns this book in two languages: English and Bahasa Indonesia, in the end she always recommends me to read the Indonesian translation for every Asian literature. Bahasa Indonesia version conveys Eastern cultural expression more naturally, in which I couldn’t agree more after tried reading Three Kingdoms in two languages. Thus, for Asian-speaking reader, I suggest you to follow this advice. If you are new to Japanese culture, I advice you to learn it from lighter (but relevant) media such as anime, manga or Japanese movies. Otherwise, their mindset seem to be alien for you and you will find this book not making sense to you.
This book is based on true life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi that I wish I’d read this before visited Osaka Castle. Taiko contains 10 books of how Hideyoshi matured from a peasant to an influential leader together with other ambitious figures(Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieatsu, Akechi Mitsuhide and more) revolutionize and shape nation. There are always new things I learn from this book:
1. Different from Chinese’s approach on dealing rebellion, which uses divide and conquer tactic or occasionally uses women’s seduction to spy on their opponents, Japanese tends to communicate with them first, understanding their reason, persuade to conciliate and initiate war if necessary. Japanese somehow treats their opponent them as a rival, rather than an enemy.
2. Hideyoshi has an excellent quality of leadership. He never punishes thieves bandits, instead he recruited them as a soldier and ninja to serve nation; He motivates hundreds of people to build castle in few days. Although I find him a little bit manipulative, but it is the quality that every leaders should have.
3. During feudal time, European technology, and education started to penetrate Japan. Although Nobunaga is very proud of his own nation, he is open minded with western advancement and utilize it to improve his own nation. If you read other book by Eiji Yoshikawa, Minamoto no Yoritomo where horse riding becomes their primary skill, in this book the modern weapon and technology have entered Japan, which is an interesting hint that leads to the next important event in Japan history: establishment of Shinsegumi army, where there is pro or contra on Shogunate and pro or contra western culture.
4. Although in wikipedia and other sources, Mitsuhide is considered to betray Nobunaga, I found this quiet misunderstood. I somehow see his action as a rebellion than betrayal. Mitsuhide sensed the change in the shogunate that is different from his primary vision before joining the shogunate. He finally chose to withdraw himself from being Nobunaga’s follower and built his own army to oppose Nobunaga. In his final day, he wrote a poem where he says “There is no betrayal or faithfulness, because we both are samurai that serve one Tenno”. Unlike from any betrayal that one could pretend to be friend and kill in a slight chance, Mitsuhide opposes Nobunaga in a fair manner.
There are more things you will learn from this book that could change your perspective in Japanese mindset. Eiji Yoshikawa is consistent with his writing style and able to visualize Japanese politics, warfare, tradition, history, and philosophy without being too confusing for non-Japanese that don’t need footnote to elaborate.
I nominate this book as one of Asian classic literature that you must read other than Three Kingdoms.
This book is based on true life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi that I wish I’d read this before visited Osaka Castle. Taiko contains 10 books of how Hideyoshi matured from a peasant to an influential leader together with other ambitious figures(Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieatsu, Akechi Mitsuhide and more) revolutionize and shape nation. There are always new things I learn from this book:
1. Different from Chinese’s approach on dealing rebellion, which uses divide and conquer tactic or occasionally uses women’s seduction to spy on their opponents, Japanese tends to communicate with them first, understanding their reason, persuade to conciliate and initiate war if necessary. Japanese somehow treats their opponent them as a rival, rather than an enemy.
2. Hideyoshi has an excellent quality of leadership. He never punishes thieves bandits, instead he recruited them as a soldier and ninja to serve nation; He motivates hundreds of people to build castle in few days. Although I find him a little bit manipulative, but it is the quality that every leaders should have.
3. During feudal time, European technology, and education started to penetrate Japan. Although Nobunaga is very proud of his own nation, he is open minded with western advancement and utilize it to improve his own nation. If you read other book by Eiji Yoshikawa, Minamoto no Yoritomo where horse riding becomes their primary skill, in this book the modern weapon and technology have entered Japan, which is an interesting hint that leads to the next important event in Japan history: establishment of Shinsegumi army, where there is pro or contra on Shogunate and pro or contra western culture.
4. Although in wikipedia and other sources, Mitsuhide is considered to betray Nobunaga, I found this quiet misunderstood. I somehow see his action as a rebellion than betrayal. Mitsuhide sensed the change in the shogunate that is different from his primary vision before joining the shogunate. He finally chose to withdraw himself from being Nobunaga’s follower and built his own army to oppose Nobunaga. In his final day, he wrote a poem where he says “There is no betrayal or faithfulness, because we both are samurai that serve one Tenno”. Unlike from any betrayal that one could pretend to be friend and kill in a slight chance, Mitsuhide opposes Nobunaga in a fair manner.
There are more things you will learn from this book that could change your perspective in Japanese mindset. Eiji Yoshikawa is consistent with his writing style and able to visualize Japanese politics, warfare, tradition, history, and philosophy without being too confusing for non-Japanese that don’t need footnote to elaborate.
I nominate this book as one of Asian classic literature that you must read other than Three Kingdoms.