Books by Stephen Greenfield

[gregtca]

Hi has anyone had a look at these books / or have them , http://stores.lulu.com/stephengreenfield, just wondering what they are like , also some old scrolls are also reproduced on this iste as well ,
Greg

 

[Chris Parker]

Hi Greg, I have Stephen's book "Takagi-Ryu Chugokui Mokuroku", which is basically a reprint of an old Takagi Ryu scroll, with some very good historical information and very interesting pictures of other old scrolls etc. Highly recommended. The other big recommendation is the new one on Takagi Oriemon Shingenobu (http://www.lulu.com/product/paperba...ngContext=product_view/recently_viewed/left/1), put out under the banner of the Jinenkan Honbu, but Stephen Greenfield was one of the main researchers/translators working on it. I spoke with Morris Mandarino, Australian Dojocho, who also helped with the translation. I'm looking forward to getting a copy of that myself....

 

[gregtca]

Thanks chris , was wondering if someone had them , he seems to have a few i am going to buy ,

 

[Jameswhelan]

The Chugokui Mokuroku facsimile edition is a fascinating insight into the development of Takagi ryu - especially as a line from outside the Yagi-ha. There are some difficulties with the accompanying text, particularly in the cases where it doesn't distinguish which pieces of Takagi Oriuemon's biography presented in the book come from within the ryu-ha itself and which come from heroic literature. Ditto with Takagi Umanosuke. Still very worth owning despite that.

The other big recommendation is the new one on Takagi Oriemon Shingenobu (http://www.lulu.com/product/paperba...ngContext=product_view/recently_viewed/left/1).

'Takagi Oriuemon Shigenobu' is his name in the ryuha. It's important to keep in mind imo that in heroic literature, such as here, it's just 'Takagi Oriuemon'. It's very, very interesting, particularly comparing it to other heroic biographies of Oriuemon from the period and comparing it to stories about him from within the ryu-ha itself. Also worth getting.