"For beauty, precision and strength, nothing has ever matched the combination of form and function found in the armour of the samurai. For a samurai, the consummate warrior, his suit of armour was so much more than 'just' protective equipment that could save his life in the heat of battle - it was the embodiment of his personality, social status and very soul. This volume, the first in a two-part series on the armour of the samurai, traces first the history of the samurai themselves and then examines the history and evolution of the cuirass or dou, the armour protecting the samurai's chest. Drawing on over 20 years of research and technical work by Trevor Absolon, a leading expert, this is a complete study of this fundamental aspect of samurai armour construction. Illustrated throughout with photographs and diagrams..."--Publisher's description.
Samurai armour: volume 1, the Japanese cuirass
Japanese history and the samurai: prehistoric era to the early 17th century -- The dō(cuirass): the foundation of Japanese armour -- Ancient armour: Tankō, keikō, uchikakae-keikō and men'ōchū, 2nd century BC-9th century AD -- Early forms of samurai armour: yoroi, dō-maru, maru-dō, haramaki and hara-ate, 10th-15th centuries -- Pre-modern dō designs: the mōgami, nuinobe and tatami methods, late 15th-16th centuries -- Tosei-dō modern cuirass designs, part I: Yokohagi-okegawa and related styles of dō, 16th century onward -- Tosei-dō modern cuirass designs, part II: tatehagi-okegawa and related styles of dō, 16th century onward -- Tosei-dō modern cuirass designs, part III: Ashigaru, tatami and variations -- Coming full circle: the revival of ancient armour styles, 17th-19th centuries -- The westernization of Japanese armour,: 19th-early 20th centuries.