<div>A history of the evolution of military technology among knights in Renaissance Europe from the fifteenth century to the seventeenth century. The Art of Renaissance Warfare tells the story of the knight during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries—from the great victories of Edward III and the Black Prince to the fall of Richard III on Bosworth Field. During this period, new technology on the battlefield posed deadly challenges for the mounted warrior; but they also stimulated change, and the knight moved with the times. Having survived the longbow devastation at Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt, he emerged triumphant, his armor lighter and more effective, and his military skills indispensable. This was the great age of the orders of chivalry and the freemasonry of arms that bound together comrades and adversaries in a tight international military caste. Men such as Bertrand du Guesclin and Sir John Chandos loom large in the pages of this book—bold leaders and brave warriors, imbued with these traditions of chivalry and knighthood. How their heroic endeavors and the knightly code of conduct could be reconciled with the indiscriminate carnage of the “chevauchee” and the depredations of the “free companies” is one of the principal themes of this informative and entertaining book.</div>

Buy From US

Kobo

Google

Barnes & Noble

Apple

Amazon

The Art of Renaissance Warfare

<div>A journey through the world and culture of these elite Japanese warriors, filled with facts and photos. From lowly attendants (samurai literally means &ldquo;those who serve&rdquo;) to members one of the world&rsquo;s most powerful military organizations, the samurai underwent a progression of changes to reach a preeminent position in Japanese society and culture. Even their eventual eclipse did not diminish their image as elite warriors, and they would live on in stories and films. This proud and enduring tradition is exemplified and explored by the carefully selected objects gathered here from Japanese locations and from museums around the world. These objects tell the story of the samurai, from acting as the frontier guards for the early emperors to being the inspiration for the kamikaze pilots. The artifacts, many of which are seen here for the first time, include castles, memorial statues, and paintings and prints associated with the rise of the samurai, along with their famous armor and weapons. The latter include the Japanese longbow, a thirteenth-century bomb, and the famous samurai sword&mdash;but not every artifact here is from the past. You&rsquo;ll also discover a cute little blue duck&mdash;found in a Japanese souvenir shop&mdash;complete with helmet, spear, and surcoat, dressed authentically as the brutal samurai Kat Kiyomasa, who was responsible for a massacre at Hondo castle in 1589.</div>

Samurai in 100 Objects

<div>This history of the ninja uncovers the truth behind the image&mdash;from the exploits of medieval ninjas to their modern incarnation as pop culture icons. The ninja is a legendary figure in Japanese military culture, a fighter widely regarded as the world&rsquo;s greatest expert in secret warfare. The word alone conjures the image of a masked assassin dressed in black, capable of extraordinary feats of daring; a mercenary who disposes of enemies by sending sharp iron stars spinning towards them. This is, of course, a popular myth, based on exaggerations and Hollywood movies. But the truth, as Stephen Turnbull explains in Ninja, is even more fascinating. A leading expert on samurai culture, Turnbull presents an authoritative study of ninja history based on original Japanese sources, many of which have never been translated before. These include accounts of castle attacks, assassinations and espionage, as well as the last great ninja manual, which reveals the spiritual and religious ideals that were believed to lie behind the ninja&rsquo;s arts. Turnbull&rsquo;s critical examination of the ninja phenomenon ranges from undercover operations during the age of Japan&rsquo;s civil wars to the modern emergence of the superman ninja as a comic book character. The book concludes with a detailed investigation of the ninja in popular culture.</div>

Ninja

<div>“An inherently fascinating, impressively well written, exceptionally informative, and meticulously detailed history” of Japanese overseas mercenaries (Midwest Book Review). The Lost Samurai reveals the greatest untold story of Japan’s legendary warrior class, which is that for almost a hundred years Japanese samurai were employed as mercenaries in the service of the kings of Siam, Cambodia, Burma, Spain and Portugal, as well as by the directors of the Dutch East India Company. The Japanese samurai were used in dramatic assault parties, as royal bodyguards, as staunch garrisons and as willing executioners. As a result, a stereotypical image of the fierce Japanese warrior developed that had a profound influence on the way they were regarded by their employers. While the Southeast Asian kings tended to employ samurai on a long-term basis as palace guards, their European employers usually hired them on a temporary basis for specific campaigns. Also, whereas the Southeast Asian monarchs tended to trust their well-established units of Japanese mercenaries, the Europeans, while admiring them, also feared them. In every European example a progressive shift in attitude may be discerned from initial enthusiasm to great suspicion that the Japanese might one day turn against them, as illustrated by the long-standing Spanish fear of an invasion of the Philippines by Japan accompanied by a local uprising. During the 1630s, when Japan chose isolation rather than engagement with Southeast Asia, it left these fierce mercenaries stranded in distant countries never to return: lost samurai indeed!</div>

Stephen Turnbull
Follow this author

Books By Stephen Turnbull (4 Books)

The Art of Renaissance Warfare

Samurai in 100 Objects

Ninja

The Lost Samurai

Get weekly updates and deals from Early Bird Books

More from

Corporate

© 2024 OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA

Stephen TurnbullFollow this author

Books By Stephen Turnbull (4 Books)

The Art of Renaissance Warfare

Samurai in 100 Objects

Ninja

The Lost Samurai

RELATED POSTS ABOUT STEPHEN TURNBULL

Get weekly updates and deals from Early Bird Books

More from

Corporate

© 2024 OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA

Stephen Turnbull
Follow this author