Books about Japan

Armies of the First Sino-Japanese War 1894-95, Gabriele Esposito. Combines a useful account of the build-up to war and the course of the war itself, before moving on to look at the modernised Japanese army and the very varied Chinese forces that opposed them. Provides a good overview of the war that saw Imperial Japan emerge forcefully onto the world stage, and marked a stage in the decline of Qing China. (Read Full Review)

The Lost Samurai – Japanese Mercenaries in South East Asia 1593-1688, Stephen Turnbull. Looks at the little known use of Japanese mercenaries by many of the powers of South-East Asia including local and European powers in a brief window of opportunity before Japan largely cut herself off from the outside world. Combines a history of the Japanese mercenaries with a wider look at Japan’s relationships with the outside world, including a series of proposals for an invasion of the Philippines and with the changes of policy about outside contacts (Read Full Review)

The battle of Sekigahara, Chris Glenn. An excellent account of the battle of Sekigahara, the first of the two victories (this and Osaka in 1614-15) that firmly established the Tokugawa shogunate in power in Japan, ending centuries of civil war and effectively ending the military role of the Samurai. Takes us from the establishment of some unity under Odo Nobunaga to the completion of that job under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the successful betrayal of Hideyoshi’s heirs by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and gives us an excellent account of the hard fought and brutal battle itself (Read Full Review)

War in Japan 1467-1615, Stephen Turnbull. Takes a thematic approach to the longest and most confusing period of warfare in Japanese history, so avoids getting bogged down in the seemingly endless procession of minor feuds and battles, and instead looks at a selection of key families, as well as the process of reunification that eventually ended the chaos. Could have done with a little more on the Onin War and the collapse of the Shogun’s authority, but otherwise this is an excellent account of this rather confusing period (Read Full Review)

Weapons of the Samurai, Stephen Turnbull. A very useful look at all samurai weapons apart from the Katana – how they developed, how they were used, what impact they had on the battlefield and how that may have changed over time, all supported by an impressive array of sources including fascinating battle reports listing all of the wounds suffered by survivors, and contemporary illustrations that give a fine visual record of particular periods (Read Full Review)

Samurai vs Ashigaru Japan 1543-75, Stephen Turnbull. Looks at three key sixteenth century battles in which the traditional Samurai of the Takeda faced armies of increasingly dangerous Ashigaru infantry, losing the first and last and only winning the second because their opponents were outnumbered and rather badly organised. An interesting look at a key development in the Japanese military history that probably helped unify Japan and end the long Warring States period. (Read Full Review)

Japanese Armies 1868-1877 – The Boshin War and Satsuma Rebellion, Gabriele Esposito. Looks at the armies of the two wars that saw the Japanese Shogunate overthrown by pro-Imperial, anti-Foreign forces, who were then in turn defeated by the westernised forces of the newly restored Emperor. As a result we see two wars in which medieval samurai could be found fighting alongside and against modern Westernised infantry, making this one of the most varied examples of a Men-at-Arms you will ever find! (Read Full Review)

Images of War - China & Japan at War 1937-1945, Philip Jowett. A look at the long brutal war between China and Japan, with a good range of pictures from both sides, covering the entire course of the war from the initial incidents in the north of China, through the brutal battles that destroyed the better part of the Nationalist army and through the long brutal years of Japanese occupation on to the eventual Allied victory. A well chosen selection of pictures, supported by good captions and a useful introduction to the course of the war. (Read Full Review)

The Book of Five Rings and Other Works, Miyamoto Musashi. Not what I’d expected – often portrayed as more of a philosophical guide to the life of the Samurai, it actually comes across as an advert for the author’s dojo, describing the benefits of his fighting style and attacking the flaws of his rival’s styles and schools. Also includes a good biography of Musashi and the context of his life, and five other works that are also attributed to him, giving us a good single volume edition of his entire works(Read Full Review)

Samurai Assassins - 'Dark Murder' and the Meiji restoration, 1853-1868, Romulus Hillsborough. A fascinating study of one of the darker elements of the crisis that eventually led to the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the official restoration of Imperial rule, the use of assassination to eliminate the political supporters of the Shogunate, and later by supporters of the Shogun attempting to defend the status-quo. Somewhat ironically the opponents of the Shogunate got their way, only for the newly restored Imperial government to destroy the feudal world and with it the Samurai class [read full review]

The Samurai, Stephen Turnbull. A good introduction to the history and culture of the Samurai, written by a renowned expert on the topic. Covers an impressively wide range of topics, including the overall history of the Samurai, their arms and armour, their attitude to death, the part they played in warfare, the impressive Samurai castles and the final end of the Samurai era after the Meiji Restoration (although their role as warriors had ended centuries earlier). (Read Full Review)

The Gempei War 1180-85 - The Great Samurai Civil War, Stephen Turnbull. Looks at the civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans that saw the samurai replace the Imperial Court as the main source of power in Japan, and ended with the establishment of the Shogunate, the system of military rule that lasted for nearly seven hundred years. A fascinating account of this crucial conflict that helps make sense of a war that sometimes appears as a collection of unconnected battles involving a series of different commanders. [read full review]

Japanese Battleships 1897-1945 - A Photographic Archive, R A Burt . Looks at the battleships, battlecruisers and some of the heavy armoured cruisers that served with the Japanese navy between the purchase of the two Fuji class ships from Britain in the 1890s to its destruction in 1945. A splendid selection of photographs that trace the evolution of these warships, both from ship-to-ship and after the major reconstructions carried out on many First World War era Japanese ships. [read full review]

Shanghai 1937 - Stalingrad on the Yangtze, Peter Harmsen. Looks at one of the first major urban battles of the Twentieth Century, a Chinese attempt to expel the Japanese from Shanghai and distract them from the fighting in northern China that expanding into a major battle and led to some of the first major atrocities of the conflict between Japan and China. [read full review]

Samurai Revolution: The Dawn of Modern Japan seen Through the Eyes of the Shogun's Last Samurai, Romulus Hillsborough. This is a fascinating account of the period from the forced opening of Japan to the outside world in 1853, through the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate and on to the failure of the Satsuma rebellion against the restored Imperial Government and the end of the world of the Samurai. [read full review]

A History of Japan, 1334-1615, Sir George Sansom. A classic history of Japan, covering the period from the fall of the Kamakura Shogunate in the 1330s to the battle of Sekigahara of 1600 and the end of the civil wars in 1615. A little dated now, but it still provides an excellent narrative history of this period, with more detail on the military events than in most more modern works.

Taiheiki: A Chronicle of Medieval Japan, trans. Helen Craig McCullough. A modern English translation of the first twelve chapters of the Taiheiki, covering the period of the Genko War, a civil war that saw the Emperor Go-Daigo briefly overthrow the Shogunate and restore direct Imperial rule.

Samurai Women, 1184-1877, Stephen Turnbull. A wide ranging book, looking at the role of women on the battlefields of Japan from the semi-legendary Empress Jingu of 170-260 AD to the Samurai women who fought against the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Mainly covers women's roles in sieges, but also includes some rare examples of involvement on the battlefield. [read full review]

Katana, The Sword of the Samurai, Stephen Turnbull. This book in the new Osprey series on weapons traces the development, use and impact of one of the world’s most famous weapons, the Katana or Samurai sword.  Written by the leading western expert on the samurai and prolific osprey author Stephen Turnbull, the book is fascinating, well written and illustrated to Osprey's usual standards with colour plates, drawings and photographs. The book's subject is detailed and brought to life with the descriptions of some of the famous sword masters of Japan as well as challenging the myth of the Katana as the Samurai’s primary weapon. Well worth adding to your collection. [read full review]

Hatamoto Samurai Horse and Foot Guards: 1540-1724, Stephen Turnbull. An excellent Osprey from the leading authority of this period of warfare in Japan Stephen Turnbull. Lavishly illustrated to Osprey's high standard, it covers the samurai guards who served under the flag protecting their lord in battle and serving as officers and emissaries in peace time for nearly 200 years. A fascinating book with many examples of duty, honour and loyalty. [read full review]

The Mongol Invasion of Japan 1274 and 1281, Stephen Turnbull. A high quality and beautifully illustrated account of the two Mongol invasions of Japan, drawing on Japanese, Korean, Mongol and Chinese sources and modern archaeology, to paint a detailed picture of a key moment in Japanese history. [read full review]

Pirate of the Far East: 941-1644, Stephen Turnbull, Osprey Warrior 125. This book covers a long period of time and a fascinating and often neglected subject. It shatters some of the myths about the pirates of this area and period and highlights the interaction and impact of the Wako on Japanese historical events.  It described several of the sea lords of the Japanese and works well as a companion book with other Ospreys covering the ships of the period and the Japanese invasion of Korea. [see more]

Ashigaru 1467-1649 , Stephen Turnbull, A colourful study of the often over looked infantry man of medieval Japan. Good illustrations of a neglected area.

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.

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]

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. [see more]

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.

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.

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.

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]

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]