In late April, an ex-Confederate ironclad arrives in Yokohama and threatens to throw what appears to be a tenuous peace into question. A naval hero who saw action on North Carolina rivers witnesses the arrival of his former nemesis in Japanese waters. And east of Edo, while reconstituting Shinsengumi at Nagareyama, Kondō Isami's luck runs out.

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On flimsy promises of future riches, Kondō Isami feeds his men into the meat grinder at the Battle of Kashio. At Shimo-Suwa, Sagara Sōzō has a close encounter with the Leopards-Eating-Faces Party. And in Edo, Katsu Kaishū negotiates a tenuous peace which holds...for now.

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It is once again time to talk about a book that is regrettably part of the historiography, and makes many basic errors of fact while showing absolutely no citations whatsoever.

I read Michael Gardiner's trainwreck 2007 biography of Thomas Blake Glover, At the Edge of Empire, so you don't have to.

Script and sources available at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://riverside-wings.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Some people are nexuses of connections. Saito Hajime of the Shinsengumi was one such man.

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An update about my abrupt hiatus, and getting back in gear for next week's episode.

Script and sources available at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://riverside-wings.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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There's nothing quite like firsthand recollections. They're flawed, but all sources are flawed, and they're all we've got. Let's try to understand them.

Script and sources available at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://riverside-wings.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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On Saigo Takamori the man, Great Saigo the myth, and why the next regular episode had to wait until I finished rereading this book.

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Every now and then, there are books in the historiography that aren't that great, but you have to talk about. This book, on the French officers active in Japan during the Boshin War, is one of them. Let's talk about it.

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A spotlight on M. William Steele's "Edo in 1868," and a reminder to round out our picture of the Boshin War with "the view from below."

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The Meiji government makes a formal declaration of war against Tokugawa Yoshinobu because a British diplomat asked it to do so on behalf of the other foreign legations. The US declares neutrality in the Boshin War. Disgruntled Tokugawa retainers, fed up with being mad, get organized. And Kondo Isami's limitless ambition puts Shinsengumi on the road to ruin.

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