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SAMURAI SOURCEBOOK
The essentials of samurai warfare, weaponry and tradition are all explained in this comprehensive work of reference E on the samurai culture.
The introduction outlines samurai history, and a detailed section on arms and armour includes the evolution and construction of samurai armour, the Japanese bow, the samurai sword and polearms - plus the technology and deployment of explosives and gunpowder weapons, including the fire lance and arquebus.
The chapters on strategy and tactics include details of command structures, the raising of armies, campaign life, the role of the castle, the characteristics of Japanese battles and the rituals and other consequences of battle.
A catalogue of every major battle and siege from 940 to 1638 is followed by ten specific case studies examining such subjects as personal combat and guerilla warfare. Further sections cover religion and the samurai, bushido and hara-kiri, and samurai heraldry.
More than 175 maps, diagrams and illustrations, many previously unpublished outside Japan, add greatly to the text, and some forty anecdotes illuminate the heroic events of Japanese military history during the samurai period.
Dr Stephen Turnbull is the recognised authority on the samurai tradition. He has travelled widely in Japan since his first visit in 1970 and is an expert on the Japanese religion. The Samurai Sourcebook is his latest in a long and eminent line of published works.
The introduction outlines samurai history, and a detailed section on arms and armour includes the evolution and construction of samurai armour, the Japanese bow, the samurai sword and polearms - plus the technology and deployment of explosives and gunpowder weapons, including the fire lance and arquebus.
The chapters on strategy and tactics include details of command structures, the raising of armies, campaign life, the role of the castle, the characteristics of Japanese battles and the rituals and other consequences of battle.
A catalogue of every major battle and siege from 940 to 1638 is followed by ten specific case studies examining such subjects as personal combat and guerilla warfare. Further sections cover religion and the samurai, bushido and hara-kiri, and samurai heraldry.
More than 175 maps, diagrams and illustrations, many previously unpublished outside Japan, add greatly to the text, and some forty anecdotes illuminate the heroic events of Japanese military history during the samurai period.
Dr Stephen Turnbull is the recognised authority on the samurai tradition. He has travelled widely in Japan since his first visit in 1970 and is an expert on the Japanese religion. The Samurai Sourcebook is his latest in a long and eminent line of published works.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
182 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Turnbull
181 books124 followersStephen Richard Turnbull is British a historian specializing in eastern military history, especially the samurai of Japan. His books are mainly on Japanese and Mongolian subjects. He attended Cambridge University where he gained his first degree. He currently holds an MA in Theology, MA in Military History and a PhD from the University of Leeds where he is currently a lecturer in Far Eastern Religions. He has also written a number of books on other medieval topics. He is semi-retired but still holds the post of Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies at Akita International University in Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 30, 2022
Lots of useful detail, but the research lens is a bit dated.
November 21, 2014
This book tries to cover number of topics related to samurai and fails at them all. Topics themselves are properly chosen, but depth at which all topics are addressed is simply too shallow, even as a totally introductory material.
Considering that this book has only 150 pages, out of which about a third is pictures, I can only say this is very unfinished book which feels like someone has written a paragraph for each point from a very short lecture on a samurai.
Finally writer tries to be humorous by constantly using some words and phrases (eg. lewd and sordid persons). This is (I assume) used to make me feel more like I'm in early Edo period, but somehow it didn't bring that feeling up.
If you're very new to all this samurai stuff you might want to take this book as your first read. If you have, however, already read several essays, books or osprey publishings on topic of samurai, just gently avoid this book.
Considering that this book has only 150 pages, out of which about a third is pictures, I can only say this is very unfinished book which feels like someone has written a paragraph for each point from a very short lecture on a samurai.
Finally writer tries to be humorous by constantly using some words and phrases (eg. lewd and sordid persons). This is (I assume) used to make me feel more like I'm in early Edo period, but somehow it didn't bring that feeling up.
If you're very new to all this samurai stuff you might want to take this book as your first read. If you have, however, already read several essays, books or osprey publishings on topic of samurai, just gently avoid this book.
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October 4, 2015As the title says, a sourcebook, not an in-depth guide. It covers everything, from arms and armour of the samurai, to their strategies, tactics, a couple famous battles and conflicts, as well as a few maps that, whilst not the best, are understandable. If you're looking for an in-depth analysis, this isn't the best book, as it really only shines in terms of it's accurate references. Still a good read, though.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews