Stephen Turnbull (historian)

Stephen Richard Turnbull (born 6 February 1948) is a British historian concentrating on Japanese military history, especially the samurai period, and has published numerous books.^[1] He has worked as a historical consultant for the film 47 Ronin,^[2]^[3] as well multiple television documentaries,^[4] and the Shogun: Total War series of video games.^[5]^[6]

Biography

Turnbull attended Cambridge University where he gained his first degree. He currently holds 2 MAs in Theology and Military History and a PhD for his research on Kakure Kirishitan from the University of Leeds, where he is presently a lecturer in Far Eastern Religions,^[2] in a program of study jointly overseen by both the Departments of East Asian Studies and Theology and Religious Studies. ^[7]

He was on the editorial board of the short-lived Medieval History Magazine (2003–2005), which was published in association with the Royal Armouries. He was a consultant for the PC game Shogun: Total War^[5] and also its sequel Total War: Shogun 2,^[8] both products of Creative Assembly, as well as historical advisor on the Hollywood film 47 Ronin starring Keanu Reeves.^[9] He was also aoppeared as a subject matter expert for the Netflix documentary series Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan in 2021.^[3]

He became semi-retired, but holds the post of Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies at Akita International University in Japan. ^[2]

Selected works

1979 – Samurai armies, 1550–1615. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-302-7; OCLC 6489751
- reprinted by Osprey, 2003: OCLC 225518299
1980 – The Mongols. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-372-0
1982 – The Book of the Samurai. Leicester, England: Magna Books. ISBN 978-0-948509-30-8; OCLC 15875673
1985 – The Book of the Medieval Knight. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 978-0-85368-715-3; OCLC 12501653.
1987 – Samurai Warriors.^{[permanent dead link]} Poole, Dorset: Blandford Press. ISBN 978-0-7137-1767-9; OCLC 17551861
1989 – Samurai Warlords: The Book of the Daimyō.^{[permanent dead link]} London: Blandford. ISBN 978-0-7137-2003-7; OCLC 22628902
1991 – Ninja: The True Story of Japan's Secret Warrior Cult. Poole, Dorset: Firebird Books. ISBN 978-1-85314-109-6; OCLC 24701255
1996 – The Samurai: A Military History. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-873410-38-7
1997 – Samurai Warfare.^{[permanent dead link]} London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 978-1-85409-432-2; OCLC 38030598
1998 – The Samurai Sourcebook.^{[permanent dead link]} London: Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 978-1-85409-371-4; OCLC 60220867
- reprinted by Cassell, London, 2000. ISBN 978-1-85409-523-7; OCLC 59400034
2000 – Nagashino 1575: Slaughter at the Barricades.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-619-4
2001 – Ashigaru 1467–1649: Weapons, Armour, Tactics.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-149-7
2001 – The Knight Triumphant: The High Middle Ages, 1314–1485. London: Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-35971-4; OCLC 51108644
2002 – Samurai Heraldry.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-304-0
2002 – Samurai Invasion: Japan's Korean War, 1592–1598.^{[permanent dead link]} London: Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-35948-6
2002 – War in Japan: 1467–1615.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-480-1
2003 – Genghis Khan & the Mongol Conquests 1190–1400. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-523-5
2002 – Fighting Ships of the Far East (1): China and Southeast Asia, 202 BC-AD 1419.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-386-6
2003 – Fighting Ships of the Far East (2): Japan and Korea AD 612-1639.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-478-8
2003 – Japanese castles, 1540–1640.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-429-0
2003 – Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949–1603.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-573-0
2003 – Kawanakajima 1553–1564: Samurai Power Struggle.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-562-4
2003 – Ninja AD 1460–1650.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-525-9
2003 – Tannenberg 1410: Disaster for the Teutonic Knights. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-561-7; OCLC 51779463
2003 – Samurai: The World of the Warrior. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-740-6
2004 – The Walls of Constantinople: AD 324–1453.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford:Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-759-8
2004 – Samurai: The Story of Japan's Greatest Warriors. London: PRC Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85648-703-0
- reprinted by Metro Books, 2013
2005 – Warriors of Medieval Japan.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-220-2
2005 – Samurai Commanders. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-743-3
2007 – The Great Wall of China 221 BC - AD 1644 Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-004-8
2008 – The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War. London: Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1-84415-712-9; OCLC 181927617
2010 – Katana: The Samurai Sword. Oxford: Osprey Publishibg ISBN 978-1-84908-151-1
2011 – The Revenge of the 47 Ronin. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-427-7
2016 – The Genpei War 1180-85: The Great Samurai Civil War. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-47281-384-8
2017 – Ninja: Unmasking the Myth Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-47385-042-2

Journal articles

"Legacy of Centuries: The Walls of Constantinople", Medieval History Magazine (MHM), Issue 2, October 2003.
"Mongol strategy and the Battle of Leignitz 1241", MHM, Issue 3, November 2003.
"The Teutonic Knights' battle for Riga", MHM, Issue 6, February 2004.
"The Passing of the Medieval Castle", MHM, Issue 9, May 2004.
"St Catherine's Monastery: Sanctuary of Ages", MHM, Issue 11 July 2004.
"Fighting Cardinals: Henry Beaufort & Guiliano Cesarini", MHM, Issue 13, September 2004.
"A Tale of Two Cities: Siege success and failure at Constantinople and Belgrade", MHM, Issue 16, December 2004.
"The Blunted Arrowhead: The defensive role of the great medieval fortresses of Albania", MHM, Issue 17, January 2005.
"The Ninja: An Invented Tradition?", Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective, Vol. 9: No. 1, Article 3, 2014.

Filmography

Honours

British Association for Japanese Studies, Cannon Prize.^[12]
Japan Festival Literary Award (1998).^[1]

Notes

^ a b "Home – Stephen Turnbull". www.stephenturnbull.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
^ a b c d "Stephen Turnbull". Thames & Hudson. Thames & Hudson. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
^ a b c Low, Samantha. "'Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan' Sets the Story Straight For The Japanese Warriors of the Past". Tokyo Weekender. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
^ a b c "Stephen Turnbull". Plex.tv. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
^ a b c "Lessons on the Art of War". IGN. IGN. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
^ a b Younger, Paul. "Dr. Stephen Turnbull, Shogun 2 Total War Interview". PC Invasion. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
^ Breen, John; Williams, Mark, eds. (1996). Japan and Christianity: Impacts and Responses (1st ed.). New York, N.Y.: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC. p. x. ISBN 978-0-312-12872-2. Retrieved 13 July 2024. He is currently taking a part-time PhD on the subject of the Kakure Kirishitan at Leeds University, working under the joint auspices of the Departments of East Asian Studies and Theology and Religious Studies.
^ a b Parrish, Peter. "Advisor On Shogun 2: Total War Divulges New Game Details". inc gamers. Archived from the original on 3 September 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
^ "Dr Turnbull Profile". University of Leeds. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
^ "Samurai Headhunters". Watch Plex. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
^ "Shogun". Heroes and Villains. 29 March 2008. BBC.
^ Turnbull, Stephen. (2005). Samurai Commanders, p. 2.

External links

Stephen Turnbull's website