Clouds above the Hill: A Historical Novel of the Russo-Japanese War, Volume 1 - Paperback

by Shiba Ryōtarō (Author), Phyllis Birnbaum (Editor), Juliet Winters Carpenter (Translator)

Clouds above the Hill is one of the best-selling novels ever in Japan, and is now translated into English for the first time. Volume I describes the growth of Japan's fledgling Meiji state, a major "character" in the novel. We are also introduced to our three heroes, born into obscurity, the brothers Akiyama Yoshifuru and Akiyama Saneyuki, who will go on to play important roles in the Japanese Army and Navy, and the poet Masaoka Shiki, who will spend much of his short life trying to establish the haiku as a respected poetic form. An epic portrait of Japan in crisis, Clouds above the Hill combines graphic military history and highly readable fiction to depict an aspiring nation modernizing at breakneck speed.

Author Biography

Shiba Ryōtarō (1923-1996) is one of Japan's best-known writers, famous for his direct tone and unflinching depictions of war. He was drafted into the Japanese Army, served in the Second World War, and subsequently worked for the newspaper Sankei Shimbun. He is most famous for his numerous works of historical fiction.

Translated by Paul McCarthy, Andrew Cobbing, and Juliet Winters Carpenter

Edited by Phyllis Birnbaum