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47 Ronin

Audiobook
Fiction: Historical Fiction / Asia Japan / Samarai
Unabridged   7.5 hour(s)
Publication date: 11/26/2013

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47 Ronin

Available from major retailers or BUY FROM AMAZON
Audio CD ISBN:9781622313563
Digital Download ISBN:9781622313570

Summary

For those looking for the real story behind the fictionalized movie account of the 47 Ronin story, this is the definitive, fascinating account of this unforgettable tale of a band of samurai who defied the Emperor to avenge the disgrace and death of their master, and faced certain death as a result. It led to one of the bloodiest episodes in Japanese history, and in the process, created a new set of heroes in Japan.

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Product Description

In 1701 young Lord Asano is goaded into attacking a corrupt official at the Japanese Court. Although the wound Asano inflicts is minimal, the Emperor’s punishment is harsh: Lord Asano is ordered to commit seppuku, or ritual suicide. His lands are confiscated and his family is dishonored and exiled. His samurai retainers now become ronin, or masterless, and are dispersed.

These ronin are not trusted by their enemies, and live under the watchful eyes of spies for months. They appear to adapt to their new circumstances by becoming tradesmen and teachers. But the ronin only seem to accept their fate. They are in fact making careful plans for revenge, biding their time until the moment to strike is right! Their deeds became Japan’s most celebrated example of bravery, cunning, and loyalty in an age when samurai were heroes, and honor was worth dying for.

John Allyn’s masterful retelling of the 47 ronin story has long been considered the definitive version of these dramatic historical events.

Reviews/Praise

“Narrator David Shih expertly brings to life this ancient Japanese tale, based on real-life events. . . . Through Shih’s interpretation, the listener can hear the determination and even the occasional misgivings of the characters. . . . [His] performance of the noble warriors is flawless.”
      —AudioFile [Earphones Award winner]

Author Bio

JOHN ALLYN JR. is a former film and music editor in the motion picture and television industries. He attended the Army Specialized Training Program at Stanford University in 1944, majoring in the Japanese language, and also attended the Army Intensive Japanese Language School at the University of Michigan in 1945. He worked in Osaka and Tokyo during the first four years of the US occupation of Japan. After his return to the United States he entered UCLA where he specialized in Japanese theater, and received a PhD in Theater History.