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recommended books
Japan
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Books - Japan
| Ashigaru 1467-1649 , Stephen Turnbull, A colourful study of the often over looked infantry man of medieval Japan. Good illustrations of a neglected area. |
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| Samurai Armies 1550-1615 , S.R.Turnbull, Richard Hook.
A small but excellent book for this period especially for the wargamer with great colour plates and many illustrations including standard troop formations used during this period. An easy and enjoyable read. |
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 Nagashino 1575 , Stephen Turnbull.
A well illustrated and detailed book covering this interesting Samurai battle. Includes a detailed section on wargaming this battle and campaign in a variety of ways. [see more] |
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 Sekigahara 1600, Anthony Bryant. A detailed book but not as heavily illustrated as others in the series. This is for the more serious student of Japanese military history. The book does include a lovely political map of 1600 Japan and a brief section on war gaming the battle.
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| A Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi. Translated by Victor Harris. An excellent and fascinating short book and a must have for any serious student of Samurai history. The book has an excellent historical introduction and the section on the life of the author is as good as the book itself. The focus of book is the way of the warrior, especially the swordsman and has much thought provoking text for the careful and diligent reader. Detailed footnotes add to the translation and the text is very interesting for any interested in Kendo or the martial arts, mixing philosophy with strategy, giving a real insight into the life and beliefs of a samurai. |
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 Seven Samurai [1954] , A classic of Japanese cinema and a must for anyone with an interest in the Samurai. Set in 1600 Japan it tells a tale of a group of samurai hired to protect a village against bandits. Beneath this simple plot lies brilliant characterizations and insight into the role of peasants and samurai in this period. With some excellent set pieces and thankfully subtitled not dubbed this is a classic not to be missed. Available as a video or DVD. |
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 Ran [1985] , Another classic from this masterful director, Ran meaning Chaos is a reworking of King Lear with dutiful sons replacing the daughters. It tells the tale of a kingdom torn apart by the greed of a Lords sons and the scheming revenge of a woman. In colour with spectacular battles showing use of arquebus and cavalry and a stunning attack on a fortress it is a must for those interested in samurai warfare. |
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 Ninja AD 1460-1650, Stephen Turnbull, Osprey, 2003, 64 pages. A fascinating book from Osprey 64 pages long and full of interesting stuff on the real ninja, Japan's medieval Special Forces. Great colour plates in the middle of the book illustrate ninja in action, in training and equipment. [see more] |
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Siege Weapons of the Far East: AD 612-1300 v. 1, Stephen Turnbull, Osprey, 2001, 48 pages.
This is a lovely illustrated book which covers a mostly neglected area of Far Eastern warfare. Its colour plates and diagrams are dramatic and impressive [see more] 
Siege Weapons of the Far East: AD 960-1644 v. 2 , Stephen Turnbull, Osprey, 2002, 48 pages. The companion piece to volume 1, this work concentrated on gunpowder weapons and defensive items. [see more]
