Warriors of Medieval Japan

by Stephen Turnbull

The fearless, elite warriors of medieval Japan were loyal comrades but deadly foes. Whether foot soldier, samurai or trained assassin, these men were driven by strict codes of honor and bound by deep allegiances of rank, family or religion.

This book examines the military lives of four formidable warrior types, covering the samurai and the ninja as well as the experiences of warrior monks and ashigaru foot soldiers, less familiar to western readers. The recruitment, training and equipment of each warrior type are described, and their beliefs, motivation and experience of warfare are explored. Rare material from Japanese sources makes this a highly authoritative treatment of the military elites of medieval Japan, brought to life by lavish illustrations and photography.

Genres: History, Japan, Nonfiction, Military History, Japanese Literature, Japanese History, Medieval History

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

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

[Skallagrimsen]

A decent introduction to perhaps the coolest of all warrior archetypes: the Samurai of medieval Japan. The copious artwork and photographs that adorn almost every page perfectly complement Stephen Turnbull's smooth and approachable writing. A great reference for gamers, historical researchers and curious general readers alike. Recommended for all fellow fans of the Samurai.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the four segments of the Japanese military in the period known as the Age of the Warring States. Turnbull divides the book into four sections and examines the Samurai, Ashigaru, Ninja and finally the Warrior Monks, looking closely at their daily lives, skills, accoutrements and weaponry. And except for a few notable names, the book is about the ordinary people, not the great names of history.

Warriors of Medieval Japan is by no means an all encompassing book, but it is educational, interesting and highly readable to the casual reader, who just wants a little background information without being overloaded with technical information. Not to mention full of period pictures and modern photographs.

[Tiina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Selles raamatus tutvub lugeja samurai, ashigaru, ninja (ehk shinobi) ja budistliku munk-sõdalase elustiili, filosoofia ja nende tegudega. Väga palju juttu tuli erinevatest konfliktidest, sõdadest ning minu suureks rõõmuks oli siin tõepoolest juttu ka Nobunagast ja Tokugawast. Ning siin oli nii palju fotosid ja illustratsioone!

Selle lugemine läks mul küll veidi vaevaliselt, aga ma ei kahetse sellest ühtegi sekundit. Juba kõik need illustratsioonid olid seda väärt. Tegin natuke märkmeid ka ja kui ma järgmine kord mõnda sõjateemalisse muuseumisse satun, siis oskan väljapanekuid paremini hinnata.

[Rin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book is great, short and easy to follow and understand. Sometimes it gets "too easy" and too short so you get paragraphs like "Daily life" which don't describe the afforementioned daily life aside from one quote from Hagakure on "teasing your kid".

Since it's a compilation of his previous works (Samurai, Ashigaru and Ninja) it's the best deal you can get, rather than buying all three separately. I also like the pictures in it, but I'd like it more if he relied less on Hagakure when talking about anything samurai related. Sure, Jocho was a samurai and he gives us some valuable information, but there's probably some other sources for the samurai we could use.

All in all, great book for both the novices and profesionals.
Disclaimer: my copy is in hardback, which additional plus :)

[Jbondandrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed reading Stephen Turnbull's two Samurai books. The pictures are marvelous and they are have informative works. I look forward to reading more books by Turnbull.

[Mauro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great overview on the main types of warriors of medieval japan (as the title sugests). Especially interesting were the chapters about warrior monks and the famous ninja.