The Samurai: A Military History Book

The world of the samurai - the legendary élite warrior cult of old Japan - has for too long been associated solely with military history. In this exciting book, 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. Familiar topics such as the cult of suicide, ritualised revenge and the lore of the samurai sword are seen in the context of an all-encompassing warrior culture that was expressed through art and powetry as much as through violence.

Using themed chapters, this book studies the samurai through their historical development and their relationship to the world around them - relationships that are shown to persist in Japan even today.