Bøker av Stephen (Author) Turnbull

In June 1410 an army of Poles, Lithuanians, Russians, Tartars and Cossacks invaded the territory of the Teutonic Knights. When the armies clashed at the Battle of Tannenberg it resulted in a defeat for the order from which it would never recover.

Osprey's examination of Samurai commanders during the Gempei Wars (1180-1185), the Onin War (1467-1477), and the early Sengoku period. The samurai were the military elite of medieval and early modern Japan, and the men who led them were hailed as the very greatest, most heroic and most honourable of all samurai warriors. This first of two books examines the lives, equipment, battles and wider roles of the samurai commanders between 940 and 1576, the period from the emergence of the samurai to the triumph of Oda Nobunaga, who set Japan on the road to reunification. The styles of armour and weaponry of the samurai changed considerably during this time and this book visually recreates some of the most famous samurai commanders, such as Taira Masaka (c. 903-940), Minamoto Yorimasa (1106-1180), and Takeda Shingen (1521-1573).

This work provides a comprehensive guide to almost 500 years of unbroken Ottoman rule. It details famous battles such as the emotionally charged Kosovo, the crusading disaster of Nicopolis, and the Mongol defeat of the Ottomans at Ankara.

The Teutonic Knights were the most warlike of the religious orders, and this is reflected in the architecture they left behind. This work tells the history of spectacular fortresses from their inception through to their eventual decline and fall.

The Ninja were the secret agents and assassins of feudal Japan. This title provides an account of the Ninja, detailing methods of daily life, training, hiring, combat use and secret operations. Also covered are the Ninja's use and knowledge of poisons, medicines and charms.

Using detailed descriptions, accurate cutaway plates and reliable historical examples, this text covers the history of Chinese ship design and naval warfare from the beginning of the Han dynasty to the first few years of the Ming dynasty, when a Ming naval force countered Sichuanese rebels.

From the 10th century onwards the great Japanese monastic foundations of Nara and Mount Hiei maintained large armies of warlike monks. The tempestuous political rivalries that developed between the different orders of monks and religiously inspired laymen ensured that their temples and monasteries had to be securely sited and robustly defended. This books recreates these enormous fortified monasteries and temples, tracing their development from the 10th century through to the Sengoku Jidai period and the rise of the power of the shogunate under Tokugawa Ieyasu.

This second volume about Japan's samurai commanders covers the generals of the later years of the Age of the Warring States, a period when only the most able leaders survived. This was a time when the prowess of a commander was measured as much by his strategic and organizational abilities as by his individual fighting skills and he was expected to give as great a show of strength in the council chamber as on the battlefield. This book discusses the lives, battles and wider roles of talented commanders such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi - great men who stood out prominently due to their elaborate suits of armour and helmets, their stunning personal heraldry and their great armies.

The Mongol warriors were one of the great success stories of world military history. They showed an ability to adopt, adapt and improve a range of military techniques and technology, from siege weapons to naval warfare. This work tells the story of this military organization.