Samurai

by Rosina Buckland (Editor), Oleg Benesch (Editor)

Genres: History

304 pages, Hardcover

Published March 10, 2026

Reviews

[Elizabeth Judd Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting companion to the exhibit, and very good even if you haven’t seen it.

[James Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book accompanies the exhibition of the same name at the British Museum. It is an extremely handsome book which is lavishly illustrated with beautiful photographs, many of which are of items which were on display in the exhibition. These photographs include intricate suits of armour, exquisitely crafted swords, and carefully crafted paintings. The book also contains a number of well written essays, which detail the rise of the Samurai from earliest times until their effective demise in the late 1800s. The essays include discussions of samurai fighting styles and their place in Imperial Japanese politics. The final essays include discussions on the samurai’s place in modern media, and their influence in modern Japan. This is an authoritative account of the history of the samurais and is unreservedly recommended, 5 Stars.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been published in the UK and is available now at the British Museum to accompany their exhibition on the Samurai.

I went to the exhibition last week and saw some stunning pieces, particularly the beautiful, intricate sets of armour made with bamboo, metal, wood, lacquer and textiles and the detailed silk paintings, full of action. I was pleased therefore to spend time with this book afterwards, putting it all together and placing the objects in their historical contexts, which had been hard to do at the exhibition itself. The book is full of details and lavishly illustrated with pictures of the objects from the exhibition. Part of me wishes I had read the book first, before going to the exhibition - maybe I need to pay a return visit.