I'm sure that some will read this book and rate it lower than I have...there is a HUGE eye roll factor here in at least one way. I'll say this...do some mental exercise and beef up your "suspension of disbelief muscles". I like the Bob Lee Swagger character pretty well. However the Bob here isn't quite the Bob we've met before. There's not a huge difference but anyone who's followed the series will probably see the differences.This however is not the eye roll factor. I'll have to discuss that under a spoiler warning...sorry. I don't want to "spoil" anything for anyone.Many if not most of you will probably catch the reference made in the title. It does harken back to that particular story/legend/historical event. Again details under a spoiler warning later. So the book has some flaws...but it's what it sets out to be. It opens up with a World War II sequence about Bob's Dad. There is a section of slow plot building that leads to a slam bang finish. So, an action book that sets up a....slightly marginal story but with plenty of action. I'll give it four stars as it claims to be an action book and that's what it is. (view spoiler)[ Okay...as I've said under spoiler warnings before, Just us now.What is so eye rolling about this book? Please, let me explain.Are you aware of the story (referenced above) of the 47 Samurai, or more properly the 47 Ronin? It's iconic in Japan like the Alamo here. The story is also well known in many places as there are endless movies, books, stories and TV shows based on it. In short (and please don't be offended as I'm just giving a quick imprecise version here) a young lord is tricked into doing something that offends the Shogun by an unscrupulous and cowardly court member. The young lord is ordered to commit seppuku. This left his retainers as masterless samurai. Of his retainers 47 refused to allow their lord to go unavenged. For 2 years they built a reputation as shameful ronin, drunk debauched masterless warriors. Then they brought off an unexpected attack on the castle or residence of the one who'd brought about their lord's shame and caused his death. After this when the Shogun ordered them they to committed seppuku.Alright here Bob meets a Japanese man who's father knew Bob's father...they met in a blockhouse/pillbox where they were trying to kill each other and each in turn spared the other's lives. This man has come to Bob searching for his father's sword. Bob feeling an obligation sets out to help him. He finds that his father (Earl Swagger) had handed the sword off to his young captain.The story proceeds through tragic happenings to a vendetta that leads Bob to the Yakuza.... See the really bad, nasty, evil dangerous Yakuza hit man uses a sword. The Sword Bob tracked down is (of course) a famous antique samurai around which blood and horror spin. Bob schools himself in Samurai/Bushido culture (yeah...samurai movies play a big part in this). Still spouting Bushido honor and proving himself to be the epitome of THE SAMURAI Bob conquers. Of course to do this, Bob the Nailer, Bob Lee Swagger sniper supreme at 60 years old learns to (apparently master) use the Katana, (from a master of course) the Wakizashi and the tanto... In the end Bob beats (just barely of course) the samurai master. Not only this however...no,no,no Bob Lee manages to have an on station CIA operative and a group of JSDF (Japanese Self Defense Force) air born troops (also all using swords, though they are backed by snipers, who never fire) go along on the assault of the Yakuza stronghold. Of course when you count them it turns out that Bob Lee makes the...you guessed it, the 47th Samurai. The sword Bob had recovered had belonged to the original 47th Samurai. Now aside from the fact that this could never happen, it leads to a pretty good fight scene directly introducing Bob's duel with the hit man. (hide spoiler)]
I really enjoyed The 47th Samurai. I’m usually not that much in to dramatic stories with too much dialect of face-to-face conversation, which usually is what I’m required to read in school. I would say that the authors purpose of writing this book would be to explain historical events in a cool, edgy, and creative ways.Reading this was like a breath of fresh air to me. Throughout the story, Bob Swagger looks to retrieve what his acquaintance, Yano, has requested. Yano wanted the Samurai Sword that Bob’s father, Earl, took from Yano’s father as he killed him in WWII battle. Bob eventually found the sword that Yano was looking for, and he journeyed to Tokyo to give it back to Yano. The sword was very sacred-like and valuable so consequently, Bob accidently plunged himself into an underground circuit of very dangerous Japanese criminals who would draw blood in order to get to that sword. This book impacts the audience because it’s like a call to action to stand for what’s yours. There was a lot of action packed combat and raunchy humor, which reminded me a lot of what I like to watch on T.V, I would definitely recommend it to young, mature adults. In the very beginning in the Earl Swagger war, the author explains, “This is our duty. We are nothing” (Hunter 4); this was a very important quote. Here he explains one of the soldiers in the fort questioning the war. This was one of my favorite quotes because it makes me understand how soldiers in the army think, because war is something that I don’t particularly agree with. This also is important because it sets the tone of pride in the story, and Bob and Yano acted accordingly because I think they were proud, respectable men. In addition to being respectable men, Bob was actually a sociopath. When Hunter writes,” It doesn’t really matter, it’s done” (Hunter 257), Bob was explaining to his ex-con that he hired to help kill anyone trying to initiate any conflict them about his feelings on murdering. This was very shocking but then I thought that it made sense because he probably inherited from his father (the WWII vet). The most shocking part of this story is when Yano’s family is found murdered which really infuriates Bob more than anything else, which is strange because he really didn’t know the guy. If I had to pick one thing about this book that I don’t like, I would say that it is the frequent tangents that Hunter goes on from certain times an it’s at times hard to understand when he’s talking about the main story and when he isn’t. For example, Hunter describes, “He scrubs each and every square inch” (Hunter 140) I could not tell what hunter was referring to because he was in a complete different situation a couple lines prior and I could not find any type of transition, this has happened to me a couple other times. Overall, I think that the 47th Samurai was one of the best books that I’ve ever read, I would definitely recommend it.
What do You think about The 47th Samurai (2007)?
I'd never heard of the Bob Lee Swagger series, nor had I ever read anything from this particular author. I picked up the book as a 'what the hell' purchase to pass the time recently, and the praise on the back dustcover of the book seemed rather glowing and effusive.I really should learn to ignore critics.While this book was a good read, well researched, and about a subject which I am generally enthusiastic (samurai, katana, Japan, etc.) without sliding into full blown 'weeaboo' status, it wasn't anything to crow about.My biggest gripe was that the dialogue was overblown and corny, and I just couldn't see anyone speaking the way the characters did. Why that bothered me more than the improbability of a sixty year old man learning how to sword fight competently against life-long yakuza murderers and nationally-ranked kendo competitors in the space of a week, I couldn't say. But it did.While I'd recommend this book as a quick, brain-light read, there's not much to recommend it for any kind of in-depth discussion. It's brain-fluff, pure and simple.
—Chris Youngblood
I have to say, I'm glad I didn't know this was part of a series until I was about halfway through the book, because I tend to try to read series in order. Luckily for me, this book could stand alone. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It drew me in right away with two things that have always fascinated me: war stories and Japanese culture. While it was entertaining enough to enjoy, I'm not going to pretend it was amazing. There were bits and pieces that felt poorly explained, the antagonist's motivations particularly. There were times that I definitely felt like he was "evil just for the sake of being evil," but, unlike in many other cases, I was willing to ignore the lack or explanation here. This book was read for pleasure; I wasn't searching for any deep, hidden meaning. The main character could be classified as your typical "stubborn, stupid American," but it was done in a way that was almost endearing. And yeah... Sometimes things seemed to work out a little too conveniently, but overall it was a fun read.
—Mackenzie
An enjoyable entry in the Bob Lee Swagger series. This book fills in some of the backround information on Bob's life. A major theme is his father's service during WWII. In this volume, there is a lot of interesting information on the way of the Samurai. A lot of attention to detail on the swords and the whole philosophy of "cutting" is explored in this volume. What else is notable is that Bob does not use his sniper skills in the way that he normally does. He has to learn to use a sword and seek justice with the blade instead of the gun.
—Yosef Shapiro
