Samurai Commanders (1): 940-1576

Description

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.

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'.