The 47 Ronin Story is the unforgettable saga of a band of samurai who defied the Emperor's laws and faced certain destruction to avenge the disgrace and death of their master. The story begins in 1701, when Lord Asano is goaded into lashing out at a corrupt court official. 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 now become ronin, or masterless, and are dispersed. But the ronin refuse to accept their fate. They are making careful plans for revenge, and biding their time until the moment is right to strike! Their acts are the source for Japan's most celebrated story of bravery, cunning, and loyalty in an age when the samurai were icons, and honour was worth dying for.

Author Biography

John Allyn Jr. 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. During the first four years of the U.S. occupation of Japan, he worked as Pictorial Censor of the Civil Censorship Detachment of G2, SCAP, in Osaka and Tokyo. After his return to the United States, he entered UCLA where he received his master's degree in Theater Arts in 1951. Stephen Turnbull is the author of over 50 books on the military history of Europe and the Far East. He works as a Japanese cultural consultant and is Lecturer in Japanese Religion at the Department of East Asian Studies at Leeds University. He served as the historical advisor for the Universal Pictures film 47 Ronin, starring Keanu Reeves.