Самураи

by Stephen Turnbull

В этой уникальной книге, посвященной самурайской культуре, рассказывается о тонкостях и особенностях вооружения, обмундирования и традиций самураев. Автор проводит краткий экскурс в историю оружия самураев - японского лука и катаны, самурайского меча, а также технологии создания и использования взрывчатых веществ, порохового оружия, в том числе аркебуз и снарядов. Разделы по стратегии и тактике включают детальное описание структуры самурайского войска, способов его комплектования, походной жизни самурая, роли замков-крепостей в военных действиях, а также характеристику японских сражений и воинских ритуалов.

В книге "Самураи" приводится перечень крупных битв в период с 940 по 1638 год, десять разделов посвящены личным поединкам самураев и особенностям партизанской войны в Японии в X-XVII вв. Особые разделы посвящены таким важным сферам жизни самурая, как религия, бусидо и харакири. В специальной главе подробно рассказано о самурайских кланах и геральдике самураев. Более 175 карт, диаграмм и иллюстраций, многие из которых никогда прежде не публиковались за пределами Японии, великолепно дополняют текст.

Ряд забавных историй из жизни прославленных самурайских семей подчеркивает героические события японской военной истории в самурайский период.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Japan, Japanese History, Military History, Research, Philosophy

287 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Stephen 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.

Reviews

[S. Kallahan]

Lots of useful detail, but the research lens is a bit dated.

[Neosisani]

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.

[AskHistorians]

As 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.