'Andrew Rankin has written the best book in English on this fascinating and misunderstood subject. With style, irony, and scholarly authority, he traces the evolution of Japan's gangsters from delinquent samurai through ultranationalist thugs to besuited corporate extortionists. Rich in incident and anecdote, Rankin's account of the tattooed finger-choppers also serves as a thrilling alternative history of modern Japan.' Richard Lloyd Parry, author of People Who Eat Darkness 'Andrew Rankin has written a fascinating history of the yakuza, drawing on an impressive command of Japanese culture, language, and sources. By situating the organization alongside other mafias around the world, he highlights both its unique features and its broader place within the study of organized crime. Elegantly written and richly informed, this is essential reading for anyone interested in Japan, crime, or the underworld.' Federico Varese, author of Mafia Life 'The yakuza book that everyone has been waiting for. The clear-eyed narrative is studded with vivid vignettes and pen portraits, and the twists and turns of mobster life are securely located in the context of Japan's tumultuous modernization.

Yakuzais both shrewd and engrossing.' John Dickie, author of Cosa Nostra 'It will be the definitive work in English for a generation now on the subject. The way in which Rankin traces the emergence of the yakuza to a samurai class trained for warfare but suddenly without any wars to fight is fascinating.' R. Taggart Murphy, author of Japan and the Shackles of the Past 'Andrew Rankin's Yakuzatells a story that is both gripping and revealing of Japanese culture, politics and society. Those with affection for all things Japanese will love and appreciate Rankin's knowledge and rich prose. Those with a passion for the world of organized crime will learn a great deal from its depth and insights. A must read regardless.

' Ryan Gingeras, author of Mafia: A Global History 'Famous events and big names are relegated to the background in a cunning, brilliant reframing of Japanese society from the point of view of its criminal underclass.'Jonathan Clements, author of Japan at War in the Pacific 'With characteristic verve and colour, Rankin offers the most comprehensive and reliable portrait of the yakuza available in English. He manages to debunk some of the popular myths without sacrificing a compelling narrative; the truth is sometimes even more remarkable than fiction. This is writing and scholarship to be admired.' Christopher Goto-Jones, author of Modern Japan: A Very Short Introduction 'The mythic roots and practices of the Yakuza always sound larger than life, but as Rankin's fascinating and intensely readable book demonstrates, the reality if anything is even more extraordinary. With a cast ranging from Samurai and "chivalrous nationalists," to corrupt politicians and dodgy sumo wrestlers, the evolution of the Japanese underworld is as distinctive as it is absorbing.'Dr Mark Galeotti, author of Homo Criminalis: How Crime Organises the World 'The best thing that has been written about the yakuza in the last twenty years.'Dr Jonathan López-Vera, author of A History of the Samurai: Legendary Warriors of Japan.