Warriors of Medieval Japan

by Stephen Turnbull, Angus McBride (Illustrator)

Combines material previously published as Warrior 29: Ashigaru 1467-1649, Warrior 64: Ninja AD 1460-1650, Warrior 70: Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949-1603, with a new section on Samurai, new images, and a new introduction and conclusion. The samurai remain the best known warriors of medieval Japan, but they were by no means the only fighting elite. There were the ashigaru, who were first recruited to swell army numbers but later became a vital part of any samurai force. Trained to protect their monasteries, warrior monks were formidable enemies, mastering a range of martial traditions. Finally, the Ninja catered to an increasing demand for spies, informants and sometimes assassins, developing the arts of armed and unarmed combat and explosives.

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

288 pages, Hardcover

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

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book with 279 pages. It is generous in high end color plates and photographs.

It covers the Samurai tradition giving the reader some insight into the age of Japan's most violent warring period between
1467 through 1649.

There are excellent examples of the clothing, armor and weapons used by these warriors as well as the philosophy of
Bushido.

Bushido "The Way of the Warrior," is the ancient Japanese code of ethics and conduct for samurai.

It emphasizes loyalty, guiding their moral compass and behavior in life and death, heavily influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shinto.

The discipline of Bushido had seven rules.

They were Righteousness, Loyalty, Honor, Respect, Honesty, Courage and Consistency.

A samurai committed seppuku which was ritual suicide due to failures that brought shame.

This might be such as losing a battle, failing their lord, violating the warrior code (Bushido), or to restore honor after disgrace, avoid capture, or follow a deceased master.

It was a ritualistic act of responsibility, courage, and loyalty, not just despair, often performed under orders as capital punishment or as a noble choice over dishonor.

A fascinating read and the art work is beautiful.

Five Stars.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[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.