Films and other media have given us a distinctively rugged and romantic idea of the samurai. But who were the samurai and what was the source of their power? Did their famous code of honor—known as Bushido—really exist? How did the samurai emerge as a social force and why do they continue to hold such fascination for us today?

Join Dr. Constantine Vaporis of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County to explore these questions and so much more in The Rise of the Samurai. With Dr. Vaporis, you’ll trace the emergence of the warrior class we now know as samurai and see why they had such a powerful impact on Japanese society for over seven centuries. You’ll meet influential figures, study epic battles, and consider the nature of power as you reveal the influence of the samurai on Japanese history and culture.