Shinsengumi: The Shogun's Last Samurai Corps Paperback – 10 May 2011

I found this a thoroughly enjoyable historical book to read from cover to cover, not for those of us who may have a romantic idealistic view of these 'knights' of old. Will give you, the reader, a strong sense of the inner turmoil during this period of Japanese history

Husband loves this.

"Shinsengumi" tells the true story of the ruthless group of two-sworded killers assembled by the Tokugawa Shogunate to stave off rebellion against its rule. It is not perhaps the best starting point for a history of 1860s Japan, but for those already familiar with the basics of that period this is an extremely well-researched addition to the English language record, if not always the smoothest of reads.Mr Hillsborough's scholarship is impressive. His Japanese language ability allows him to draw on a wide range of original source materials, many of which are referenced for the first time in an English language history, while his feel for the period is sure throughout this book's two hundred or so pages. The shortcomings lie not in the research but in the writing. The subject matter is unavoidably complicated, but not every effort is made to simplify where possible. The more flowery, introductory passages to each chapter are I think a stylistic error, tending to be overblown and frequently relying on Orientalist references to the fickle "Sun Goddess" of fate. Profiles of the main Shinsengumi figures are dumped on the reader in one deluge, rather than sprinkled through the book where appropriate for ease of absorption. In some places unnecessary reference is made to the year using both the Christian and the Japanese Imperial calendars, while in others only the month is given when from the non-linear narrative it is not clear which year is being discussed. For these reasons and others there are times when the reader is confused or distracted and the flow of the story is lost.So don't read this if you are new to the history of Japan at this time, nor if you want to be carried along by a rollercoaster of a historical narrative. Do read if you want to delve deeper into the historical detail and learn about one of the last bloody throws of the dice by the Tokugawa Shogunate.

The Meiji Revolution was a historic moment, in many ways affecting the world as well as Japan. The two sides of this historic moment were both fighting for a cause that was noble and noteworthy. The battles fought in the streets of Kyoto will never be forgotten, especially when one remembers that the side of the incumbent ruling power, the Shogunate, was one of the most feared police forces known, the Shinsengumi.Hillsoborough's historical narrative of the rise and fall of this samurai police force is one of the most well written of its kind. The writing is clear and easy to follow, even though the situation it describes is not. There are few flaws in this books and none of them are note-worthy. To put it in short, if you are interested in Japanese history or about the samurai, get this book, you won't be disappointed!

Well Researched fact-wise, but this book does seem to be a little biased in places.Some of the same phrases are repeatedly used within an inch of their lives, some of the more prominent moments are only mentioned fleetingly, and I noticed one or two events which were barely grazed.The book did well to pull from first-hand accounts, but it could have done A Lot more to utilize those instead of the odd sentence here and there.Also it could have included a lot more, such as historical documents, photo's etc.I found the book to be an interesting read, but really bleak with often minimal description, and ... short.