Stephen Turnbull (historian)

Biography

Turnbull attended Cambridge University where he gained his first degree. He 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, in a program of study jointly overseen by both the Departments of East Asian Studies and Theology and Religious Studies.

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 and also its sequel Total War: Shogun 2, both products of Creative Assembly, as well as historical advisor on the Hollywood film 47 Ronin starring Keanu Reeves. He also appeared as a subject matter expert for the Netflix documentary series Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan in 2021.

He is semi-retired, but still holds the post of Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies at Akita International University in Japan.

Selected works

• 1979 – Samurai armies, 1550–1615. London: Osprey Publishing. ; OCLC 6489751
  • reprinted by Osprey, 2003: OCLC 225518299
• 1980 – The Mongols. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 1982 – The Book of the Samurai. Leicester, England: Magna Books. ; OCLC 15875673
• 1985 – The Book of the Medieval Knight. London: Arms and Armour Press. ; OCLC 12501653.
• 1987 – Samurai Warriors. Poole, Dorset: Blandford Press. ; OCLC 17551861
• 1989 – Samurai Warlords: The Book of the Daimyō. London: Blandford. ; OCLC 22628902
• 1991 – Ninja: The True Story of Japan's Secret Warrior Cult. Poole, Dorset: Firebird Books. ; OCLC 24701255
• 1996 – The Samurai: A Military History. London: Routledge.
• 1997 – Samurai Warfare. London: Arms and Armour Press. ; OCLC 38030598
• 1998 – The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Arms & Armour Press. ; OCLC 60220867
  • reprinted by Cassell, London, 2000. ; OCLC 59400034
• 2000 – Nagashino 1575: Slaughter at the Barricades. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2001 – Ashigaru 1467–1649: Weapons, Armour, Tactics. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2001 – The Knight Triumphant: The High Middle Ages, 1314–1485. London: Cassell. ; OCLC 51108644
• 2002 – Samurai Heraldry. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2002 – Samurai Invasion: Japan's Korean War, 1592–1598. London: Cassell.
• 2002 – War in Japan: 1467–1615. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2002 – Fighting Ships of the Far East (1): China and Southeast Asia, 202 BC-AD 1419. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2003 – Ottoman Empire 1326–1699* Bloomsbury USA.
• 2003 – Genghis Khan & the Mongol Conquests 1190–1400. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2003 – Fighting Ships of the Far East (2): Japan and Korea AD 612-1639. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2003 – Japanese castles, 1540–1640. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2003 – Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949–1603. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2003 – Kawanakajima 1553–1564: Samurai Power Struggle. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2003 – Ninja AD 1460–1650. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2003 – Tannenberg 1410: Disaster for the Teutonic Knights. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ; OCLC 51779463
• 2003 – Samurai: The World of the Warrior. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2004 – The Walls of Constantinople: AD 324–1453. Oxford:Osprey Publishing.
• 2004 – Samurai: The Story of Japan's Greatest Warriors. London: PRC Publishing Ltd.
  • reprinted by Metro Books, 2013
• 2005 – Warriors of Medieval Japan. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2005 – Samurai Commanders. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2007 – The Great Wall of China 221 BC - AD 1644 Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2008 – The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War. London: Frontline Books. ;
• 2010 – Katana: The Samurai Sword. Oxford: Osprey Publishibg
• 2011 – The Revenge of the 47 Ronin. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2016 – The Genpei War 1180-85: The Great Samurai Civil War. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
• 2017 – Ninja: Unmasking the Myth Casemate Publishers.

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.
• "Biting the Bullet: A Reassessment of the Development, Use and Impact of Early Firearms in Japan", Vulcan, Vol.8: No.1, December 2020.

Filmography

Honours

• British Association for Japanese Studies, Cannon Prize.
• Japan Festival Literary Award (1998).

Notes

References

1. "Stephen Turnbull".
2. (1996). "Japan and Christianity: Impacts and Responses". ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC.
5. "Dr Turnbull Profile". University of Leeds.
7. "Samurai Headhunters".
8. "Stephen Turnbull".
9. "Dr. Stephen Turnbull, Shogun 2 Total War Interview".
10. (29 March 2008). "Shogun".
11. Turnbull, Stephen. (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=EfevtkR8pJkC&dq=Ashikaga+Yoshimitsu&pg=PA3 ''Samurai Commanders,'' p. 2.]
12. "Home – Stephen Turnbull".