Royall Tyler is the award-winning translator of The Tale of the Heike and The Tale of Genji. His Columbia University Press books include The Miracles of the Kasuga Deity (2016) and Joy, Despair, Illusion, Dreams: Twenty Plays from the N¿ Tradition (2024). After teaching at Ohio State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Oslo, Tyler retired from the Australian National University.

Introduction
The Tale of the H¿gen Years
Summary and Note on the Text
Book 1
1. The Accession of Emperor Go-Shirakawa
2. Retired Emperor Toba's Pilgrimage to Kumano and The Oracle Delivered There
3. The Death of Retired Emperor Toba
4. Sutoku Moves to Rebel
5. The Emperor's Forces Fan Out and Chikaharu and His Men Are Taken Alive
6. Sutoku's Rebellion Comes to Light and A Move to Suppress It with Palace Minister Saneyoshi's Advice
7. Sutoku Summons Tameyoshi
8. Yorinaga Comes Up to the Capital with His Arrival
9. The Mustering of the Emperor's Forces
10. The Gates to Sutoku's Residence Are Secured with A Debate on Battle Tactics
11. The General's Barrow Rumbles and A Comet Appears
12. The Emperor Proceeds to T¿sanj¿ with A Roster of the Emperor's Forces
Book 2
13. Yoshitomo's Night Attack on the Shirakawa Mansion
14. The Fall of the Shirakawa Mansion
15. Sutoku and Yorinaga Flee
16. Sutoku's Escape to Mount Nyoi
17. The Burning of the Rebels' Houses
18. Sutoku Renounces the World
19. By Imperial Command, Shigenari Guards Sutoku
20. The Regent Tadamichi Resumes His Rightful Duties with The Warriors' Rewards
21. The Death of Yorinaga with Tadazane's Grief
Book 3
22. The Capture of the Rebels
23. Prince Shigehito Renounces the World
24. The Surrender of Tameyoshi
25. The Execution of Tadamasa, Iehiro, and Others
26. The Death of Tameyoshi
27. The Execution of Yoshitomo's Younger Brothers
28. The Execution of Yoshitomo's Child Brothers
29. Tameyoshi's Wife Drowns Herself
30. The Inspection of Yorinaga's Body
31. Retired Emperor Sutoku Moves to Sanuki
32. Yorinaga's Sons and Other Rebels Start into Exile
33. Lord Tadazane's Return to the Capital
34. The Capture and Exile of Tametomo
35. Sutoku Copies the Sutras in Blood and Writes a Curse at the End with His Death
36. Tametomo Crosses to Devil Island and His Death
The Tale of the Heiji Years
Summary and Note on the Text
Book 1
1. The Rivalry Between Nobuyori and Shinzei
2. Nobuyori Plots to Destroy Shinzei
3. The Attack on the Sanj¿ Palace and The Burning of Shinzei's House
4. Shinzei's Sons Are Stripped of Office
5. How Shinzei Came to Renounce the World and The Matter of the Appointments List
6. The Inspection of Shinzei's Head with His Flight to Nara and His Death
7. Shinzei's Head Is Paraded and Hung at the Prison Gate
8. Rokuhara Sends a Courier to Kumano
9. Lord Mitsuyori Goes to the Palace with Kiyomori Returns to Rokuhara
10. The Sentence on Shinzei's Sons Is Commuted to Exile
11. Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa Moves to Ninnaji
12. Emperor Nij¿ Proceeds to Rokuhara
13. The Roster of Nobuyori's Forces
14. The Battle at the Taiken Gate
Book 2
15. Yoshitomo Attacks Rokuhara with Nobuyori's Flight and Yorimasa Backs the Heike
16. The Battle of Rokuhara
17. Yoshitomo's Defeat
18. Nobuyori's Surrender with His Death
19. Official Appointments for the Emperor's Men with The Rebels Are Stripped of Offices and Honors
20. The Report to Tokiwa with The Exile of Shinzei's Sons
21. Kon'¿maru Races Back from Owari to Report Yoshitomo's Death
22. Tadamune, Yoshitomo's Killer, Hastens to Rokuhara with The Parading of Yoshitomo's Head
23. The Execution of Akugenda
24. Tadamune's Dissatisfaction
25. The Capture of Yoritomo
26. Tokiwa's Flight
Book 3
27. Kiyomori Spares Yoritomo with The War Between Wu and Yue
28. Tokiwa Goes to Rokuhara
29. The Exile and Recall of Tsunemune and Korekata
30. The Banishment of Yoritomo with Moriyasu's Dream
31. Kiyomori Renounces the World and He Visits the Nunobiki Waterfall with Akugenda Becomes a Thunderbolt
32. Ushiwaka Goes Down to the North
33. Yoritomo Raises Righteous Forces with He Crushes the Heike
An Account of the J¿ky¿ Years
Summary and Note on the Text
Book 1
1. The Cosmic and Historical Background
2. The Taira-Minamoto Conflict
3. The End of Yoritomo's Line
4. Go-Toba Decides to Curb the Power of Kamakura
5. The Attack on Mitsusue
6. Go-Toba Decrees the Dismissal of H¿j¿ Yoshitoki
7. The Reaction in Kamakura
8. Kamakura Plans Its Campaign
Book 2
9. Go-Toba Launches His Campaign
10. The Clash with Tsukui Takashige
11. Crossing the Rivers
12. Go-Toba Learns of the Defeat
13. The Deaths of Taneyoshi and Shigesada
14. Yasutoki at Rokuhara; Yoshitoki Ordains the Rebels' Fates
15. The Retired Emperors Are Banished
16. Banishments and Executions
17. Noritsugu and Seitaka
Significant Figures Mentioned in the Translations
Maps
Genealogical Charts