The Samurai: A Military History

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding for anyone interested in Samurai history.
Review: Dr. Turnbull approaches this book as a loving historian. He blends the fact, mythology, and romance of the Samurai in a book dedicated to its accuracy. He understands the place the samurai holds in the minds of the japanese people and in others as well, and does everything he can to keep the legend alive, while telling the history the way it really was. It was very enlightening, and meticulously researched.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding for anyone interested in Samurai history.
Review: I checked out this book from the library a decade ago. I have been looking to purchase it ever since. Turnbull covers the length and breadth of Japanese military history, up to the end of the Samurai era in the 1860's. This book has information which is not available elsewhere. Turnbull's book includes maps, battle accounts, political history and other information that makes Samurai history come alive. You will be extremely pleased with the depth and quantity of the information available in this book.

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Summary: A fascinating and eye opening look into the feudal Japan
Review: If you have ever had even a passing interest in the history of Japan from the perspective of the warrior class who played a major role in defining it, then this is probably the best choice of book on the subject. It approaches the topic from the earliest accounts of the samurai right though to the end of the samurai era, taking a fairly high level, "big picture" type view. The book looks more at the "why" something happened, than the "how" of events. This provides some fascinating insights into the history of Japan and allows the reader to grasp the overall history of feudal Japan with just the right balance of details and objectivity. That said, there is still quite a bit of detail of some of the more notable battles, but high level, campaign type information is not the purpose of this book. It is more interested in letting the reader understand what happened in Japanese history and why it unfolded as it did, with out bogging down in micro detail. The book is superbly researched and is very well written, and despite the fact that it is a "history" book, it is a very enjoyable, extremely informative read. It is thoroughly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent start for learning Japanese history
Review: What I liked about this book was it starts with the Japanese creation myth and seamlessly blends that into the begining of their history. The stories and ancedotes are very interesting reading and his analysis of of their history is enlightening. I've become a big fan of his work because it make the history interesting and enlightening. Highly recomended.