“A magnificent book and painstaking achievement.” – Former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi

“RYOMA will make an excellent film.” – John Austin, Hollywood Inside

“Hillsborough deserves high praise for successfully combining high drama… with meticulous scholarship.” – The Daily Yomiuri

“Hillsborough . . .  has done a masterful job of bringing a chaotic period to life.” Booklist

“With his easily readable and entertaining style, Hillsborough does a great job of elucidating the complex customs that ruled Edo Period life and politics.“- The Japan Times

“This is a substantial and readable book. While well researched, the style is reminiscent of the historical novels of Yoshikawa Eiji, of which Musashi is well known in English translation… not to be missed by anyone interested in Japanese history, the Meiji restoration or the spirit and determination of the warrior classes of feudal Japan.” – The British Kendo Association Newsletter