"According to Japanese historian Masaaki Takahashi... the samurai were not all about heroics, bravery and loyalty. Like all people, the samurai were humans with their own needs and desires and they tried to meet their needs, not always sacrificing themselves for the cause. Some misused their skills and military training to make personal gains. Some played hitman-like roles by killing their masters' enemies. Unlike popular portrayals of the samurai as being faithful only to their masters, the samurai during the medieval days of Japan were like "nomads" wandering from one master to another searching for better working conditions... Unlike the popular image of samurai committing suicide when they were captured by their enemies, the author says surrender didn't translate into shame. According to him, the fate of samurai prisoners of war depended on whether they were captured or surrendered. Their fates differ as some were victimized at the cruel hands of the victors... (the book) went on to say the samurai did their masters' dirty laundry, such as assassinations or revenge killings and their violence often led to gang fights."