Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
Unavailable
Unavailable
Unavailable
Ebook158 pages1 hour
Katana: The Samurai Sword
By Stephen Turnbull and Johnny Shumate
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
The Samurai sword of Japan is probably the finest edged weapon ever made. This volume by leading Samurai expert Stephen Turnbull reveals the story of how and why it achieved this distinction. Particular attention is paid to the development of the familiar curved blade from the original straight blades, the associated development of Japan's famous steel-making techniques and the challenges from contemporary warfare. Together with the technical details of forging, polishing, mounting and testing; this volume is brought to life with details of the great swordmakers themselves. Moreover, no history of the sword would be complete without a detailed examination of its use in combat, from the greatest Samurai armies to individual duels and revenge killings. Personal accounts allow the reader to discover the art of Japanese swordsmanship in the hands of masters such as Miyamoto Musashi to the unnamed Japanese warrior defending his family's honour. This lively text is perfectly complemented by artwork reconstructions of the sword in use and colour photographs of the swords in use.
Unavailable
Author
Stephen Turnbull
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. His expertise has helped with numerous projects including films, television and the award-winning strategy game Shogun Total War.
Read more from Stephen Turnbull
The Art of Renaissance Warfare: From The Fall of Constantinople to the Thirty Years War Samurai in 100 Objects Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ninja: Unmasking the Myth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ottoman Empire 1326–1699 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lost Samurai: Japanese Mercenaries in South East Asia, 1593–1688 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Samurai and the Sacred: The Path of the Warrior Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGenghis Khan & the Mongol Conquests 1190–1400 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5War in Japan 1467–1615 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Samurai Swordsman: Master of War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShogun: The Life of Tokugawa Ieyasu Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWarriors of Medieval Japan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Samurai Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Katana
Related ebooks
Samurai Sword: A Handbook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Samurai Weapons: Tools of the Warrior Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Art of the Japanese Sword: The Craft of Swordmaking and its Appreciation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth that Shatters the Bushido Mystique Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Samurai: An Illustrated History Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Samurai Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bushido Explained: The Japanese Samurai Code: A New Interpretation for Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sword & Spirit Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Samurai Armour: Volume I: The Japanese Cuirass Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWarriors of Medieval Japan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Illustrated Guide to Samurai History and Culture: From the Age of Musashi to Contemporary Pop Culture Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Remarkable History of the Yagyu Clan Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSamurai Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Samurai Warrior: The Golden Age of Japan’s Elite Warriors 1560–1615 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Spirit of a Swordsman Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Samurai: Swords, Shoguns and Seppuku Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Best Swordsman, Best Sword: Samurai vs. Medieval Knight: The Classic Debate Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCode of the Samurai: A Modern Translation of the Bushido Shoshinshu of Taira Shigesuke Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Samurai Wisdom Abstracted: Teachings of Highly Acclaimed Samurai Warriors Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Fighting Spirit of Japan: The Esoteric Study of the Martial Arts and Way of Life in Japan Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Iga and Koka Ninja Skills: The Secret Shinobi Scrolls of Chikamatsu Shigenori Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Sword in Japanese Martial Traditions, Vol. 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNinja Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5101 Great Samurai Prints Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chinese Swords: The Evolution and Use of the Jian and Dao: Knives, Swords, and Bayonets: A World History of Edged Weapon Warfare, #5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWar in Japan 1467–1615 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Intrinsic Values of the Japanese Sword Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Antiques & Collectibles For You
Horny Stories And Comix # 3 Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5There is Nothing to Pay! Get It All for Free... Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Brick Bible: A New Spin on the Old Testament Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShuffle and Deal: 50 Classic Card Games for Any Number of Players Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Guide to Gunsmithing: Gun Care and Repair Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Brick Flicks: A Comprehensive Guide to Making Your Own Stop-Motion LEGO Movies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wacky Packages Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story Behind: The Extraordinary History Behind Ordinary Objects Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The NES Encyclopedia: Every Game Released for the Nintendo Entertainment System Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coin Collecting For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Playing Cards: History of the Pack and Explanations of Its Many Secrets Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Brick Bible Presents Brick Genesis Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Book of Glock: A Comprehensive Guide to America's Most Popular Handgun Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Garbage Pail Kids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coin Collecting - A Beginners Guide to Finding, Valuing and Profiting from Coins: The Collector Series, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vroom! How Does A Car Engine Work for Kids Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Guide to Electronic Dance Music Volume 1: Foundations Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Illustrated Guide to Jewelry Appraising (3rd Edition): Antique, Period & Modern Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBarbie and Ruth: The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Madman's Library: The Strangest Books, Manuscripts and Other Literary Curiosities from History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5101 More Items To Sell On Ebay: 101 Items To Sell On Ebay, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSimple Sabotage Field Manual Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConfessions of a Baseball Card Addict Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Everything Coin Collecting Book: All You Need to Start Your Collection And Trade for Profit Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Southwest Treasure Hunter's Gem and Mineral Guide (5th ed.): Where and How to Dig, Pan and Mine Your Own Gems and Minerals Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related podcast episodes
2.26. History of the Mongols: Samurai who fought the Mongols twice: Mongol Invasion of Japan 0% found this document usefulThe Samurai: Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history and myth of the Samurai. 0% found this document usefulThe Samurai: Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history and myth of the Samurai. 0% found this document usefulThe Samurai: Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history and myth of the Samurai. 0% found this document useful1.31: 1.31 - Goodbye Forever: Ep. 38: Newtypes? Newtypes! 0% found this document useful[RERUN] EPISODE 50 Philosophers and Thugs: Jigoro Kano (Part 2) 0% found this document useful4.7: On the Other Side of Darkness: There is something beyond all this. There must be. 0% found this document useful
Related articles
Secrets Of The Samurai All About HistoryArticle
Secrets Of The Samurai
Jun 18, 2020
10 min readMaiden Japan Metal Hammer UKArticle
Maiden Japan
Aug 19, 2021
3 min readDeadly Elegance Art & AntiquesArticle
Deadly Elegance
May 1, 2022
4 min readLand Of The Rising Gun History of WarArticle
Land Of The Rising Gun
Oct 3, 2019
7 min readA Warrior’s Armour All About HistoryArticle
A Warrior’s Armour
Jun 18, 2020
1 min readThe Many Ways Of The Sword All About HistoryArticle
The Many Ways Of The Sword
Jun 18, 2020
1 min readBattle Of Sekigahara All About HistoryArticle
Battle Of Sekigahara
Aug 13, 2020
7 min readMiyamoto Musashi Black Belt MagazineArticle
Miyamoto Musashi
Jan 12, 2021
6 min readHall of Fame FAMOUS WARRIORS All About HistoryArticle
Hall of Fame FAMOUS WARRIORS
Mar 26, 2020
3 min readNobunaga And The Monks History of WarArticle
Nobunaga And The Monks
Oct 3, 2019
1 min readLegends Of The Sengoku History of WarArticle
Legends Of The Sengoku
Mar 19, 2020
3 min readMartial Arts Community Bids Farewell to TERUYUKI OKAZAKI Black Belt MagazineArticle
Martial Arts Community Bids Farewell to TERUYUKI OKAZAKI
Jul 21, 2020
Teruyuki Okazaki was a bully. That may not be the most flattering way to remember one of the principal leaders of karate in the West, a student of Gichin Funakoshi and a protégé of Masatoshi Nakayama — not to mention one of the art’s most incredible
3 min readClassical Japanese Martial Arts Black Belt MagazineArticle
Classical Japanese Martial Arts
Jul 21, 2020
9 min readWar And The Way Forward BladeArticle
War And The Way Forward
Jul 14, 2020
7 min readThe Sai Black Belt MagazineArticle
The Sai
Sep 14, 2020
7 min readArchery: The Martial Art? Bow InternationalArticle
Archery: The Martial Art?
Jan 20, 2022
5 min readThe Blade And The Gun Man MagnumArticle
The Blade And The Gun
Jan 21, 2022
5 min readHow Samurai Swords Were Made How It WorksArticle
How Samurai Swords Were Made
Oct 5, 2023
3 min readARMOUR, BLADES & GUNPOWDER History of WarArticle
ARMOUR, BLADES & GUNPOWDER
Mar 19, 2020
2 min readWar Bows History of WarArticle
War Bows
Feb 21, 2019
2 min readInterrogating The Unusual Suspects RecoilArticle
Interrogating The Unusual Suspects
Sep 28, 2018
411: Appearing around the 1400s in Japan, the katana was a two-handed, single-edged curved sword that’s now considered by many historians as one of the most respected cutting weapons in military history — not just for its slashing and stabbing capabi
4 min readKey Events All About HistoryArticle
Key Events
Aug 11, 2022
2 min readWay Of The Samurai History of WarArticle
Way Of The Samurai
Sep 2, 2021
5 min readPhilosophy Of The Samurai All About HistoryArticle
Philosophy Of The Samurai
Dec 1, 2022
5 min readEvolution Of The Longsword All About HistoryArticle
Evolution Of The Longsword
Aug 11, 2022
What were some key types of swords during the medieval period? By 1000, Viking-era swords with wide, heavy blades, short grips and relatively light pommels with the balance toward the point for slashing cuts had evolved into the classic ‘knightly’ sw
3 min readMore Than A Sword All About HistoryArticle
More Than A Sword
Mar 27, 2020
1 min readMedieval Swordsmith All About HistoryArticle
Medieval Swordsmith
Aug 11, 2022
1 min readNinja Vs Samurai How It WorksArticle
Ninja Vs Samurai
Jun 10, 2021
3 min readWEAPONS & TACTICS History of WarArticle
WEAPONS & TACTICS
Oct 29, 2020
5 min readYoroi Armour History of WarArticle
Yoroi Armour
Jun 10, 2021
1 min read
Reviews for Katana
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
1 rating0 reviews