Tuesday, November 27, 2007

The 47th Samurai : a Bob Lee Swagger novel by Stephen Hunter


Find this book at your library

The 47th Samurai is the fourth and bloodiest in the series of Hunter's books following the adventures of Bob Lee Swagger the Vietnam veteran and sniper.

In the book Bob Lee Swagger and Philip Yano, two modern day warriors and Samurai, are bound together by a single moment at Iwo Jima, 1945, when their fathers met in the bloody and chaotic battle for the island. Only Earl Swagger survives. More than sixty years later Yano comes to America to search for his father's sword which was taken as a trophy by Earl Swagger. What then follows is a maelstrom of violence and blood letting as Bob Lee finds himself at the centre of a series of horrific crimes.

I must admit that some of the scenes were gratuitously violent and graphic but were there to show how visceral and terrifying sword fighting with a katana must be. The book also read in places like a potential film script, Hunter has been a film reviewer for many years and one of the Swagger books has been recently made into a movie. I would recommend the book for those who are interested in the psyche of ancient and modern day soldiers and who have a strong stomach for violence.

---- Reviewed by Paul, Administration

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