Weapons of the Samurai

Stephen Turnbull, Johnny Shumate, Alan Gilliland

$29.99

Paperback

In stock
Ready to ship

QTY:

English

Osprey
31 August 2021

History; Military history; Weapons & equipment; Ordnance, weapons technology; Militaria, arms & armour

Series: Weapon

This fully illustrated new book describes and analyses the weapons and equipment traditionally associated with the samurai, Japan’s superlative warriors. It examines the range of weapons used by them at different times and in different situations.

Beginning with the rise of the samurai during the 10th century, this lively study traces the introduction of edged weapons (cutting and piercing) and missile weapons (bows and guns) over the next 500 years. The book shows clearly how they were employed by individual samurai using many previously untranslated primary texts, and explains how their use spread more widely among low-class troops, pirates and rebels. It also shows how schools of martial arts took over and changed the weapons and their uses during the peaceful Edo Period (1615–1868).

By: Stephen Turnbull
Illustrated by: Johnny Shumate, Alan Gilliland
Imprint: Osprey
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 248mm, Width: 184mm,
Weight: 262g
ISBN: 9781472844040
ISBN 10: 1472844041
Series: Weapon
Pages: 80
Publication Date: 31 August 2021
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction Development Use Impact Conclusion Glossary Bibliography Index

Stephen Turnbull is the world's leading English-language authority on Japanese military culture. Having lectured in East Asian Studies and Theology he is now retired and is an Honorary Lecturer at Leeds, a Research Associate at SOAS and Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies at Akita International University. He has published 78 books and many journal articles. He is currently working on a major project about Japanese samurai acting as mercenaries in South East Asia. Johnny Shumate began his career in 1987 after graduating from Austin Peay State University, and now works as a freelance illustrator. Most of his work is rendered in Adobe Photoshop using a Cintiq monitor. His greatest influences are Angus McBride, Don Troiani and Edouard Detaille. Born in Malaya in 1949, Alan Gilliland spent 18 years as the graphics editor of the Daily Telegraph, winning 19 awards in that time. He now writes, illustrates and publishes fiction (www.ravensquill.com), as well as illustrating for a variety of publishers (alangillilandillustration.blogspot.com).