Description
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
Internationally renowned samurai expert Dr Stephen Turnbull delves into a
pivotal era of Japanese history in this highly illustrated account of The
Gempei War a conflict that defined the age and the ethos of the samurai.
Never before had there been a large-scale clash between two rival samurai
families, the Taira and the Minamoto, and never again would the result of a
war in Japan be quite so dramatic. Fought to gain control over the emperor
it would end with imperial power being totally eclipsed in favour of the
military might of the samurai class and the establishment of the position of
Shogun - Japan's military dictator. Turnbull examines the events of the
five-year long conflict, revealing the changes that the war inflicted on
Japanese culture and the establishment of many of the traditions of the
samurai.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Stephen Turnbull is recognized as one of the world's foremost military
historians of the medieval and early modern periods. He first rose to
prominence as a result of his 1977 book, The Samurai: A Military History.
Since then he has achieved an equal fame in writing about European military
subjects and has had 30 books published. He has always tried to concentrate
on the less familiar areas of military history, in particular such topics as
Korea, Eastern Europe, the Baltic states, and the Teutonic Knights. Stephen
was Historical Advisor for the 2012 Universal Pictures movie The Forty-Seven
Ronin starring Keanu Reeves.Giuseppe Rava was born in Faenza in 1963, and
took an interest in all things military from an early age. Entirely
self-taught, Giuseppe has established himself as a leading military history
artist, and is inspired by the works of the great military artists, such as
Detaille, Meissonier, RÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃöchling, Lady Butler, Ottenfeld and Angus McBride. He
lives and works in Italy. For more on Giuseppe, please visit his website at
www.g-rava.it
CONTENTS
Introduction
Chronology
Opposing commanders
Opposing armies
Opposing plans
The campaign
Aftermath
The battlefield today
Further reading
Index
