Japan's Shogun era comes vibrantly to life with bloody battles, samurai sieges and sacked castles.

Samurai-for-hire eventually rose through the ranks to become the legendary Shoguns, amassing more power than the nobles they worked for. Jonathan Clements introduces you to this array of upstart warlords whose iron fists secured seven centuries of military government:

• Minamoto no Yoritomo: He revived the title of Shogun in 1192 and pushed the puppet emperor into the wings.
• Tokugawa Ieyasu: The shrewd leader who was the model for Lord Toranaga in the novel and acclaimed TV series Shogun.
• Hojo Masako: The "Nun Shogun," she was the wife of one shogun, the mother of two others, and one of the most powerful women of her time.

Color illustrations and photos bring the action vividly to life. Family trees keep all the connections and shifting rivalrie clearly in front of you. The Battle of Sekigahara. The Siege of Osaka Castle. The Shoguns places all the palace intrigue and epic clashes center stage in this definitive portrait of a feudal society defined by strict warrior loyalty and the bushido code.