Osprey Special Editions (Military) : Warriors of Medieval Japan

The samurai remain the best known warriors of medieval Japan, but they were by no means the only fighting elite. There were the ashigaru, who were first recruited to swell army numbers but later became a vital part of any samurai force. Trained to protect their monasteries, warrior monks were formidable enemies, mastering a range of martial traditions. Finally, the Ninja catered to an increasing demand for spies, informants and sometimes assassins, developing the arts of armed and unarmed combat and explosives. Combines material previously published as Warrior 29 : Ashigaru 1467-1649, Warrior 64 : Ninja AD 1460-1650, Warrior 70 : Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949-1603, with a new section on Samurai, new images, and a new introduction and conclusion. Text by Stephen Turnbull with illustrations by Angus McBride, Wayne Reynolds and Howard Gerrard.

Contents

• Introduction
• Part I : The Samurai
• Part II : The Ashigaru
• Part III : The Ninja
• Part IV : The Warrior Monk
• Conclusion