“A portrayal of Japanese warrior life that is as deliberate, spare, disciplined, and quietly poetic as a tea ceremony.

As the title suggests, this is not a complete history of Japan’s warrior class, but more an expression (through interviews and historical facts) of the key elements of this legendary military caste. Hillsborough attempts to offer a living, breathing picture of the Hagakure (the ancient text containing the samurai code of behavior) by setting forth dramatic examples of honor-bound samurai avenging their daimyo (lord) against his enemies or committing seppuku (a form of ritual suicide) when disgraced. While early chapters (such as “Mortal Enemy” and “Remnants of Shock”) portray the physical aptitude and controlled violence of these men in straightforward historical terms, later and subtler chapters (such as “Courage” and “Disgrace”) concentrate on the more complex aspects of the samurai and their code. For instance, the author relates the story of an elderly samurai who falls into an argument with a bigoted American roughneck in a sleazy bar in San Francisco. Although he could easily have decapitated his foe with the short sword he carried hidden on himself at all times, the samurai instead outwitted him with an unexpected act of kindness. The great strength of Hillsborough’s portrait is that it does not become mired in the bloodshed and violence that were hallmarks of the samurai world. Instead, each chapter serves to display a different aspect of the samurai life—physical, spiritual, military, and artistic.

A quiet work of mute precision that brings to life the Hagakure and those who lived by its dictates.” – Kirkus Reviews

“This reader was equally fascinated while reading Romulus Hillsborough’s book Samurai Sketches as in my first encounter with his book Ryoma – Life of a Renaissance Samurai, from which this sequel has been written.

As a result of my reading these two very well researched books, I have uncovered personal connections with my own personal kendo experiences as noted in my review of Ryoma in August, 1999. In addition, a further relationship to my life has been found within the true stories and accounts written about the life of Sakamoto Ryoma and his contemporaries; the Tosa town of Kochi City just so happens to be a Sister City of my hometown of Fresno, California, and as a result I recently had an opportunity to meet and talk with several officials from Kochi City regarding the important contributions made to the development of Japan by Sakamoto Ryoma.

One never knows how important the simple reading of two books such as Ryoma-The Life of a Renaissance Samurai, and now, the sequel Samurai Sketches can be for each of us, until you begin to explore the well written stories about this historical figure and his contemporaries that made such an important difference to modern day Japan.

I strongly recommend reading Samurai Sketches to the kendoist who has already read Ryoma-The Life of a Renaissance Samurai, as this sequel will provide even more intellectual excitement and an in-depth understanding about the details of the lives of the samurai contemporaries of Sakamoto Ryoma.

Even those who have not read Ryoma-The Life of a Renaissance Samurai, I recommend just reading this sequel, Samurai Sketches, as by itself will provide the reader with an enjoyable reading experience about the intriguing times lived by Sakamoto Ryoma and his contemporaries.” – The All United States Kendo Federation Newsletter

“Here is an incredible look at a time when men lived and died by the sword. Like the samurai, this book hits hard and fast and makes no apologies for it. Hillsborough paints a vivid picture of the downfall of the famed and honorable samurai through a series of short stories that detail how isolationist Japan was riddled with violence and political upheaval. He chronicles an age when one’s word was one’s bond, and though it may have been a brutal era, it makes one long for those days when people actually had convictions they acted upon – even if that sometimes meant suicide.

Samurai Sketches, much like the haiku, is simple and poetic, and it is one of the few books to give a realistic feel of what the explosive final years of the samurai were like. Hillsborough may have only been trying to present a picture of a time past, but he also shows his readers just where humanity has gone wrong in losing its sense of self. There is a Japanese saying at the beginning of the book that reads, “The sword is in the man.” That sword is also in Samurai Sketches.”

“What a great introduction into the life of a Samurai! Romulus Hillsborough has presented us with a book of historical sketches of samurai life in the 19th century. To me this was an enlightening book. The style while written similar to short stories provides the reader with an easily readable, and accurate glimpse at the cultural, and historical aspects of this period of Japanese history. He has researched his subject extremely well and yet not overwhelmed us with facts.” – newbookreviews.com

“Hillsborough’s prose is cinematic and intense.” – The Wargamer

“A ‘must’ for all Japanese history students and samurai buffs.” – Internet Book Watch