CompleteMartialArts.com - Samurai - The World of the Warrior
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List Price: $18.95
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Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 355.30952
EAN: 9781841769516
ISBN: 1841769517
Label: Osprey Publishing
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 224
Publication Date: 2006-06-27
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Release Date: 2006-06-27
Studio: Osprey Publishing
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Editorial Reviews:
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The world of the samurai, the legendary elite warrior cult of old Japan, has long been associated solely with military history and has remained a mystery to the general reader. In this paperback edition, Stephen Turnbull, the world's leading authority on the samurai, goes beyond the battlefield to paint a picture of the samurai as they really were. This book explores the samurai within the context of an all-encompassing warrior culture that was expressed through art and poetry as much as through violence. Using themed chapters, Turnbull illuminates the samurai through their historical development and their relationship to the world around them - relationships that are shown to persist in Japan even today.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: A historical guide to the world of the Japanese Samurai
Comment: ~Samurai: The World of the Warrior~ is a fascinating window into the culture and history of the Japanese Samurai. Stephen Turnbull is regarded as one of the leading authorities on the Samurai. Some of his books get a little repetitive admittedly. I would recommend starting with the _Samurai and the Sacred_.
The Samurai are bit idealized by the later-day world and popularized by the popular culture with such films as the Last Samurai. The Samurai culture is strange to Westerners, whether their acceptance of ritual suicide or the ritualized revenge. But Turnbull tries to shed light on the subject, motivations and the lore of the samurai. This old feudal martial order under the daimyo had their good qualities, however, we should not ignore the reality that they embodied an oligarchy that essentially lorded over Japan while tyrannizing the populace for centuries on end. Overall, the Meiji Restoration which ended their artificial system of patronage at the expense of the common man was a good thing.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very Good History
Comment: This book is the History of the Samurai Warrior and it is packed
with information. It not only gives a summery but explains the live a death of a proud warrior. It is a gripping account that tells a story
and keeps one's interest to understand a world that has inspired a nation.
This book is factual and compelling.
Customer Rating:
Summary: STILL THE MASTER
Comment: Mr. Turnbull is the best author in his field. He continues to shed light on a topic long ignored by military and non-miltraty historians.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good not great
Comment: This is a good but not great book. Turnbull is clearly knows quite a bit about his subject and there is a lot of interesting information contained in this book. I think, however that there were a few issues that held "The World of the Warrior" back. First of all, his treatment of Medieval Japanese history is a bit too superficial. I know it was not his intention to write a narrative history, I still think, however, a more systematic approach was needed.
The most glaring issue was the fact that he essentially ignores the traditional weapons of the Samurai. The one chapter on weapons focuses on guns and artillery. It was an interesting chapter, but hardly sufficient. Especially when one realizes, as Turnbull himself makes clear, that guns were not Samurai weapons but rather weapons used by peasant soldiers. I am well aware that he did not intend his book to be only about the military aspects of Samurai life, but this book needed at least one chapter about the traditional, medieval weapons of the Samurai.
Customer Rating:
Summary: An Exciting Account
Comment: Turnbull has shown his merits as both a research scholar and author. His fundamental knowledge of both Japanese history, as well as, Samurai culture, has been exquisitly displayed in Samurai: The World of the Warrior. His writing style is very easy to follow and provides a dynamic glimpse into this veiled subculture. The descriptions of both battles and battlements is to say the very least, interesting and well thought out. As an amateur reader of all types of historical accounts, Turnbull has shown that Japanese culture is extremely interesting in its own right and clearly demonstrates that which makes the Samurai unique in this publication. For anyone interested in gaining an easy insight into this corner of history, I wholeheartedly recommend Turnbull's account.
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