Seppuku: A History of Samurai Suicide

The author was a PhD candidate at the time of writing and so the style is academic although more readable that this term might imply. There is only one chapter of the book that deals the mechanics of seppuku because, in itself, the act is pretty straight-forward: cut the abdomen open! But it does answer questions one may have had nagging in the back of ones mind as to where the cut(s) are made since there are several variations even to the point where the belly cutting was discarded completely (the blade being replaced by a folded fan which was drawn symbolically across the abdomen) and the act became a simple beheading. The rest of the book is essentially an historical account of the use of seppuku and in particular describes famous ritual suicide attempts. What it doesn't cover, understandably since this is a social studies account of the subject, is how seppuku actually disables and then kills the protagonist-it isn't obvious as it turns out. But according to forensic pathology texts, the loss of the abdominal contents causes a catastrophic reduction in venous return to the heart, thus the cardiac output drops dramatically and unconsciousness would probably occur with 5-20 seconds closely followed by death! The Kaishaku would have to be pretty quick!An excellent read.

Andrew Rankin has carefully and diligently researched this subject providing an accurate historical account of Seppeku as practiced until it was outlawed. The well referenced text is detailed and written in a reader friendly manner. The book includes only a few black & white reproductions of woodblock prints depicting the act. I would recommend this book to any serious historian with a penchant for all things Samurai.......it is certainly 'a must have' for the bookshelf, . providing the reader with the cultural completion of life as portrayed by various Samurai.

Whether you already consider yourself an enthusiast or have just a passing interest in Japanese/Samurai history I absolutely recommend this book. The book is structured in an easy to follow, logical order and contain a tremendous amounts of detail. The facts are presented in an academic, objective manner, backed up by a very comprehensive stack of research.Thank you Andrew Rankin for writing this book, exactly what I was looking for!

Great book

Incredible book. Highly recommended.