Customer Reviews

The Samurai Sourcebook (Arms & Armour Source Books)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Samurai Sourcebook is made as a reference book consisting of the following chapters: an outline samurai history, personalities and heraldry, arms and armour, strategy and tactics, battles and sieges, case studies and miscellanea. It also contains some useful maps and index. The Sourcebook is quite helpful in studying Japanese medieval history. The author, Steven Turnbull, is a well-known writer on the subject and the Sourcebook, as well as other books by him, is well researched and written and is an easy read both by itself (especially case studies and strategies section) and as a supplement to other books.
However, a word of caution: those who look for a serious in-depth research will be disappointed. This book does not state such goal, it was created for easy reference. But, to say only that would also be not a complete picture. Strategies and warcraft are given a well researched presentation. Various aspects of warcraft including castle building and their use in control of newly acquired territorial possessions, use of single combat and various types of arms, communication on battlefield and types and components of armour are described in good (for a layman, at least) detail.
Case studies are very well presented and provide useful information on Mongol invasions, Hideyoshi's campaigns against sohei (or warrior monks in lay language), Shimabara rebellion and some other important subjects. In addition, one will find such interesting and not-so-often described subjects as description of battle formations, various lucky and unlucky signs (found in faces of slain warriors!), classification of samurai exploits in battles and much more.
I would highly recommend the Sourcebook to those interested in samurai history.

I've found this a useful introduction, but as I delve into the topic as covered by other authors and even by Turnbull's later publications, I discover numerous errors and important omissions.

The section on samurai personalities would be an extremely useful source if it weren't so brief. The information on each individual is often so short as to omit critically important facts.

The section on battles and sieges is also a useful section as an overview.

NOTE: The dates given for events are only accurate to the year as Turnbull has translated lunar calendar dates directly over. The 13th day of the fourth month of the year 1592 (May 24th) becomes "13 April 1592". Keep this in mind if you reference these dates against other works.

I have an extensive collection of Sengoku Jidai literatures and I am pleased with the contents of this book. It's thorough, offering descriptions of most samurai of this period and most importantly; includes case studies of significant battles. Although the book does not venture in great length of the subject but it's a worthy book in anyone's library.

Excellent source of information. This book has helped me put key people and places together with times. Superb reading and study material. Dr. Turnbull has made learning fun and interesting.

Stephen Turnbull is one of the best authors on the subject of Japanese History, and this book only goes further in showing it. This book has everything one needs to know about Samurai, from actual people to battles. While it at times doesn't go into great lengths on the subject it still stands out with a lot of info.

The book is great for those who like the subject "battles" or those who just want to spend some time learning something VERY interesting about japanese culture.

In The SAMURAI Sourcebook, you will find: the banners of some of japanese clans (and some of their meanings); a list of battles and sieges hardly found in other sources; how the japanese army worked; the history of the raise of Tokugawa Shogunate, and; much, much more.

I really think you don't have to be a "battle lover" as I am to enjoy this book. For example, I beleave most people would like to know how a samurai wore his armor (the book shows, step-by-step how to wear the samurai armor), how japanese soldiers prepared and took their food to campaing, how was the "japanese siege" and the "japanese warfare" and how to kill a man with a single hit in the eye (JUST KIDDING FOR THIS LAST EXAMPLE)!!!

Hope you enjoy if you buy,

H. Bill.

I thought personally that the title was bit misleading. While the book do covered the entire samurai period, the heaviest coverage belonged the Sen-joku Period, warfare in the 16th century. Still, the book covers all aspects of samurai warfare althought I thought it would be nice if he gave us a more indepth looks at some of the great samurai leaders like Ashikaga Takauji, Mori Motonari or even Oda Nobunaga. The book does a very creditable job overall in providing basic historical material on the samurai warfare. On this fact alone, its well worth the money.

This turned out to not be exactly the one I'm seeking, though the information in it is absolutely fascinating.

Like Turnbull's other work on the Medieval Knight, this book really opens up one's eyes to the fighting men of the middle ages- This time in Japan. Well worth the price, sure to make you search for more on the subject.

Dr. Stephen Turnbull has finally provided us with an as complete as can be book on the samurai. He tells us in minute detail everything we could possibly want to know about samurai warfare, tactics, strategies, weaponry, castles, ships, heraldry, battles, individuals, etc etc etc! It is a thick book at 320 pages, and large-sized. Dr. Turnbull states in the introduction that he wanted to be comprehensive and that he put a supreme effort into writing such a huge book, which is four times the length of any of his other books. This book is really something special and you have to buy it if you're seriously interested in the Samurai. In fact, it is the best book on the samurai available in any language. The title 'Sourcebook' is a very modest and self-depreciating title to give to it. It is really more of a 'Bible' or an 'Everything About' than a soucebook. It is jam-packed with essentially everything Dr. Turnbull knows about the samurai - and that is A LOT! It will be a guaranteed source of enjoyment for you to read, re-read and pore over as long as your interest in the samurai lasts! Get it!