The Samurai Capture a King by Stephen Turnbull

The Samurai Capture a King by Stephen Turnbull

A brilliant but little-known operation, the Shimazu clan raid on the independent kingdom of Rykkyu (modern Okinawa) in 1609 is one of the most extraordinary episodes in samurai history and the culmination of centuries of rivalry between the two powers. The defeat of the Shimazu at Sekigahara in 1600, and their need to win favor with the new ShMgun, led them to hatch an audacious plot to attack the islands on the ShMgun's behalf and bring back the king of Rykkyu as a hostage. Stephen Turnbull gives a blow-by-blow account of the operation, from the daring Shimazu amphibious landing, to their rapid advance overland, and the tactical feigned retreat that saw the Shimazu defeat the Okinawan army and kidnap their king in spectacular fashion. With a detailed background and specially commissioned artwork, the scene is set for a dramatic retelling of this fascinating raid.

Stephen Turnbull is widely recognised as the world’s leading English language authority on the samurai of Japan. He took his first degree at Cambridge and has two MAs (in Theology and Military History) and a PhD from Leeds University. He is now retired and pursues an active literary career, having now published 85 books.

Donato Spedaliere was born in Switzerland, and later moved to Italy. He has studied in Florence, and served in the Italian Army as a paratrooper. Since 1995 he has worked as a professional, freelance, illustrator for publishers in Italy and abroad.

Richard Hook was born in 1938 and trained at Reigate College of Art. After national service with 1st Bn, Queen's Royal Regiment, he became art editor of the much-praised magazine Finding Out during the 1960s. He has worked as a freelance illustrator ever since, earning an international reputation.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781846034428
ISBN 10	1846034426
Title	The Samurai Capture a King
Author	Stephen Turnbull
Series	Raid
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Osprey Publishing
Year published	2009-11-17
Number of pages	64
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.