Samurai Swordsman: Master of War

Turnbull, Stephen

ISBN 10: 4805312947 / ISBN 13: 9784805312940

Published by Tuttle Publishing, North Clarendon, VT, 2008

About this Item

208 pp. Tightly bound. Spine not compromised. Text is free of markings. No ownership markings. No remainder mark. First Edition / First printing. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. This copy is smyth sewn. Smyth sewing is a method of bookbinding where groups of folded pages (referred to as signatures) are stitched together using binder thread. Each folded signature is sewn together individually with multiple stitches and then joined with other signatures to create the complete book block. This is the traditional and best method of bookbinding.

Seller Inventory # 086449

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Samurai Swordsman: Master of War
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing, North Clarendon, VT
• Publication Date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 4805312947
• ISBN 13: 9784805312940
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Printing: 1st Printing
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

This Samurai history, filled with dozens of woodblock prints and photographs, is an authoritative text on Japan's most fearsome warriors.

Through fascinating stories and full-color historical images that show the samurai in mesmerizing detail, military historian Stephen Turnbull provides an invaluable guide to an enduring legacy.

The earliest samurai warriors were actually aristocratic mounted archers, not swordsmen. Only as the archer gave way to the mounted spearman did swordsmanship come into play. Turnbull details how the history and the legacy of the samurai developed over centuries into a multifaceted, richly elaborate tapestry of martial and societal traditions.

From the first recorded use of the word samurai in the eighth century to the final wars waged in resistance to the Meiji government in the late nineteenth century, this Japanese history book recounts the complex history of these warriors and demonstrates why the samurai continue to fascinate the world today.

About the Author

Stephen Turnbull is the author of more than fifty books on the military history of Europe and the Far East and works as a consultant on all aspects of Japanese culture, most recently as the military advisor for the movie 47 Ronin, starring Keanu Reeves. He is currently Lecturer in Japanese Religion at the Department of East Asian Studies at Leeds University.