Samurai Commanders (1): 940-1576

by Stephen Turnbull, Richard Hook (Illustrator)

Overview

The samurai were the military elite of medieval and early modern Japan, and the men who led them were hailed as the very greatest, most heroic and most honourable of all samurai warriors. This first of two books examines the lives, equipment, battles and wider roles of the samurai commanders between 940 and 1576, the period from the emergence of the samurai to the triumph of Oda Nobunaga, who set Japan on the road to reunification. The styles of armour and weaponry of the samurai changed considerably during this time and this book visually recreates some of the most famous samurai commanders.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782000112
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	06/20/2012
Series:	Elite , #125
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
File size:	20 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Stephen Turnbull took his first degree at Cambridge University, and received a PhD from Leeds University for his work on Japanese religious history. He has travelled extensively in Europe and the Far East and he has received the Canon Prize of the British Association for Japanese Studies and a Japan Festival Literary Award for his work on Japanese history. Stephen is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Leeds.

Richard Hook was born in 1938 and trained at Reigate College of Art. After national service with 1st Bn, Queen's Royal Regiment, he became art editor of the much-praised magazine 'Finding Out' during the 1960s. He has worked as a freelance illustrator ever since, and has illustrated more than 45 Osprey titles, including Men-at-Arms 86: 'Samurai Armies 1550–1615'.
Stephen Turnbull is widely recognised as the world's leading English language authority on the samurai of Japan. He took his first degree at Cambridge and has two MAs (in Theology and Military History) and a PhD from Leeds University. He is now retired and pursues an active literary career, having now published 85 books. His expertise has helped with numerous projects including films, television and the award-winning strategy game Shogun Total War.
Richard Hook was born in 1938 and trained at Reigate College of Art. After national service with 1st Bn, Queen's Royal Regiment he became art editor of the much-praised magazine Finding Out during the 1960s. He earned an international reputation particularly for his deep knowledge of Native American material culture; and illustrated more than 30 Osprey titles. Richard's three children Adam, Jason, and Christa are all professionally active in various artistic disciplines. He died in 2010.

Table of Contents

Introduction · The role of the samurai commander · Arms and armour · The commander in battle · The environment of the commander · Great commanders