Japan, during most of its history, has been ruled by its all-powerful Emperors. But in the 16th century—called by the Japanese the Age of Warring Clans—regional potentates were endlessly fighting one another with their small armies of samurai warriors. Hideyoshi, who called himself the Swordless Samurai, is the Japanese Horatio Alger. He worked his way up the ladder of strong class boundaries despite having none of the advantages. He was of peasant origin, but by bonding to powerful Lord Nobunaga, and by being useful to him day and night, Hideyoshi secured a powerful patron. Much later, Hideyoshi broke all class barriers and ultimately became the most powerful man in Japan. In this book he tells how he did it.Hideyoshi has long been immortalized—so much so that every schoolboy in Japan is taught the moral that good judgment, keen intelligence, and sharp wits will win out over your adversaries almost every time.Hideyoshi’s Leadership and Success precepts, more than 50 of them, are...
