Stephen R. Turnbull

Welcome to my Amazon page!

My name is Stephen Richard Turnbull. I have a lifelong interest in Japan, and I write books about military history and religious studies. Many are about Japan, but I also have an interest in European history and folk religion.

My latest samurai book is The Samurai Art of War as illustrated in Hojo Godai ki. It contains all 90 pictures from the 1659 edition of the great samurai classic.

Just published too is The Onin War, the first authoritative military history of the important turning point in Japanese history

I have been interested in Japan for over fifty years. I took my first degree at Cambridge and have two MAs (in Theology and Military History) from Leeds University. In 1996 I received a PhD from Leeds for my thesis on Japan’s Kakure Kirishitan, the ‘Hidden Christians’ whose brave ancestors were persecuted. In its published form the work won the Japan Festival Literary Award in 1998.

Having lectured in East Asian Studies and Theology I am now retired with the nice titles of Honorary Lecturer at Leeds, Research Associate at SOAS and Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies at Akita International University. I have published 86 books and many journal articles.

My expertise was put to use in helping design the award-winning computer strategy game Shogun Total War.

You can contact me via my website at www,stephenturnbull.com.