War College Lectures DunDraCon 2014:
The Evolution of Japanese Arms, Armor, and Warfare:
From the Way of the Horse and Bow to the Tokugawa Shogunate
From the Way of the Horse and Bow to the Tokugawa Shogunate
&
The War of the Dragons:
The Imjin War 1592-98
Hideyoshi's Vainglory, Korean Complacency, and
the Wrath of Ming China
As promised, here is the recommended reading list for the two lectures I delivered at DunDraCon XXXVIII this year, covering the evolution of Japanese arms, armor, and warfare from the 8th to the early 17th century, and the Imjin War 1592-98, the first Korean War to precede the one most Westerners think of by over 300 years:
Swope, Kenneth M. (2009). A Dragon’s Head and a Serpent’s
Tail: Ming China and
the
First Great East Asian War 1592-1598. Norman, Oklahoma: University of
Oklahoma
Press.
Bryant, Anthony (1991). Early Samurai 200-1500. Oxford, U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Bryant, Anthony (1994). Samurai 1550-1600. Oxford, U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
U.K.: Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2001). Ashigaru 1467-1649. Oxford, U.K.: Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2002). Fighting Ships of the Far East
(1): China and Southeast
Asia 202
BC – AD 1419. Oxford, U.K.: Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2003). Fighting Ships of the Far East
(2): Japan and Korea
AD 612 –
1639. Oxford, U.K.: Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2010). Hatamoto Samurai Horse and Foot Guards 1540-1724. Oxford, U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2007). Japanese Castles in Korea 1592-98. Oxford, U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2003). Japanese Warrior Monks 949-1603. Oxford, U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2003). Kawanakajima 1553-64: Samurai
Power Struggle. Oxford,
U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2010). The Mongol Invasions of Japan 1271 and 1281. Oxford, U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2000). Nagashino 1575: Slaughter at
the Barricades. Oxford,
U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2007). Samurai Armies 1467-1649. Oxford, U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2008). The Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592-98. Oxford, U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2001). Siege Weapons of the Far East
(1) AD 612-1300. Oxford,
U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2002). Siege Weapons of the Far East
(2) AD 960-1644. Oxford,
U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
Turnbull, Stephen (2005). Warriors of Medieval Japan.
Oxford, U.K.: Osprey
Publishing,
Ltd.
The list is by no means exhaustive, but is meant to provide a reasonably thorough introduction to this fascinating chapter of military history that is poorly known or understood by most Westerners. Swope's accounting of the Imjin War is especially thorough, as the author relied upon not only Japanese and Korean accounts of the conflict, but also went the extra step in procuring access to Chinese primary reference sources.
Dr. Stephen Turnbull is rightly something of a legend in the subject of Japan's feudal past. His works lead the way for English speakers into understanding the fascinating subject of the samurai, their lives and times, their weapons and armor, their methods of waging war. His titles published by Osprey are not only informative, but often lavishly illustrated, especially those works that contain the stunning reconstructive paintings of the late Angus McBride, who is perhaps the most talented military artist of his generation (a retired career British Army NCO entirely self taught as an artist!).
Anthony Bryant is also a well known military historian who specializes in this subject matter. Although less prolific in his output than Dr. Turnbull, Mr. Bryant's works are concise, thorough, and no less invaluable to English language readers in starting their education on this fascinating subject. I am especially appreciative of his volume covering Early Samurai AD 200-1500, as it shows how the iconic arms and armor of the samurai came into being, the result of a process of evolution driven by an increasing frequency and degree of warfare that devolved into the Sengoku Jidai.
Anthony Bryant is also a well known military historian who specializes in this subject matter. Although less prolific in his output than Dr. Turnbull, Mr. Bryant's works are concise, thorough, and no less invaluable to English language readers in starting their education on this fascinating subject. I am especially appreciative of his volume covering Early Samurai AD 200-1500, as it shows how the iconic arms and armor of the samurai came into being, the result of a process of evolution driven by an increasing frequency and degree of warfare that devolved into the Sengoku Jidai.
As this humble lifelong student of military history has been asked to continue to participate in historian Dana Lombardy's War College lecture series at Bay Area conventions, I will continue to post recommended reading and resource lists after each such event. As Mr. Lombardy has been making a point to record these lectures, I will post links to the podcast versions of the War College presentations as soon as they become available.
My sincere thanks to Dana Lombardy and the organizers of DunDraCon XXXVIII for inviting me to speak. I have been attending DunDraCon off and one for over 35 years now, and my wife and I were made very welcome by the volunteers, while the San Ramon Marriott hotel staff are to be commended on their courtesy and professionalism in assisting a slightly flustered academic who arrived late due to some frankly insane traffic backups on the 680-to-880-via-Mission route to the hotel find out where the Hell he was supposed to be, and in a quick and no-nonsense fashion.
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