One of the most popular articles on the website this year was my top ten list of books on Sengoku History, which shocked me because I had just published that article in March, and it usually takes time for such articles to do so well. Though it’s been a slow year for articles on the website, that doesn’t mean I didn’t stop researching. It’s a small list, but I wanted to post reviews of the books that I’ve read this year that focused on Sengoku History.
A couple things of note before we begin. This doesn’t mean that these books came out this year, though most on this list are rather current. I will also post links for you all to buy these books, but these aren’t affiliate links. I just refuse to gatekeep where I’ve gotten my information from.
The Samurai Castle Master: Warlord Todo Takatora by Chris Glenn (2022)
Biographies are rare in this field, I’ve noticed, at least when it comes to the West. I can name only a few, and even then, one is about Toyotomi Hideyoshi, while the other is about Tokugawa Ieyasu. Never do we get anything else about any other figures during this time period except what we can find piecemeal in various history books on the subject. So, when I learned that Chris Glenn was dropping this book on lesser-known figure Tōdō Takatora, I knew I had to get it. He does not disappoint.
This book is not only an in-depth study on the life of Tōdō Takatora, but it also focuses on the castles he helped construct or rebuild, perfect for those that want to learn more about castle building in Japan and how to spot Takatora’s unique style. For me, the best parts of the book were the stories about the kind of man he was, bringing to life a figure I knew very little about before this came into my possession. I highly recommend this book for it’s a great resource on a figure that gets very little attention here in the West.
A History of Japan in Manga: Samurai, Shoguns and World War II by Shunichiro Kanaya, translated by Zack Davisson (2022)
I really wanted to like this book. The concept intrigued me because part of my introduction to this era of Japanese history was through animes like Sengoku BASARA. So, I thought this would be a fun addition to my collection of books on the subject. Yet, the book is riddled with editing issues, such as misspelled names and years starting with “19” rather than a “15” or “13”. While my knowledge on other events might be shaky, the map I had issues with was Sekigahara.
On page 197, there’s a map flow chart to show the locations and the timeline of events that led to the Battle of Sekigahara. One of the issues comes from the misplaced markers for Otsu and Fushimi Castles respectively. On the map, the castles are in the correct locations, but the text bubbles that provide information are switched. Then there are the weird dates for Sekigahara. The text bubble at Ōgaki Castle states that Ishida Mitsunari moved his troops from there to Sekigahara on September 14, 1600. This is correct if you go by the old calendar dates, which puts the Battle of Sekiagahara on September 15, 1600. Yet, the problem comes with the next bubble, which says that the Eastern Army won at Sekigahara on September 1st. I’m assuming it’s a typo, but these types of blunders made the book a difficult read.
While I love the artwork and flow carts, which are great for visual learners, I would wait until a second edition comes out with fixes before purchasing.
The Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592-98 by Stephen Turnbull (2008)
Another Osprey Publishing book and less than 100 pages, this is a great starter book for those wanting a crash course in the war that took place in Korea before Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s death. It’s brief, and it’s Turnbull. What more could you want?
Reading Medieval Ruins: Urban Life and Destruction in Sixteenth-Century Japan by Morgan Pitelka (2022)
Getting more academic now, but this has been one of the best reads for me this year. Coming to us from Cambridge Publishing, this book focuses on the excavation of Ichijōdani, the seat of Asakura power in Echizen Province before their destruction by Oda Nobunaga in 1573. Yet, this book is more than just talking about the items they had found. Pitelka uses these artifacts to paint us a picture of what life would have looked like living in Ichijōdani prior to its fall. This give us an idea on what it was like for the lower classes in Japan during this time period, something that tends to get overlooked with the larger-than-life historical figures and epic battles. We’re able to see how they lived though archeology, bringing life to this bloody time in Japanese history. I highly recommend this book, for it was one of the most entertaining reads of the year.
Samurai William: The Adventurer Who Unlocked Japan by Giles Milton (2002)
Those of us who pay attention to what’s coming out of Hollywood these days regarding samurai stuff know that we’re getting a reboot of Shōgun, based on the historical fiction novel with the same name by James Clavell. To prepare for its release on February 27, 2024 on Hulu, I decided I would pick up a book that’s been sitting on my shelf for quite a while to re-familiarize myself with the history that the 1975 novel and 1980 television series is based on. Though it’s a bit dated (at least, my edition is), it’s a historical narrative that not only tells the story of William Adams’ life (Blackthrone in Shōgun), but the other events surrounding his life while in Japan. Interestingly, the first 120 pages cover the events in Shōgun, but as those will see, his entire stay in Japan gets crammed into the few months before Sekigahara in the novel Clavell wrote. If you are wanting some basic historical knowledge on William Adams before watching Shōgun or want to read what the story is about without diving into the tome of a historical fiction novel, this is a great place to start.
It’s a short list this year, as I’ve been reading other things and focusing on writing my own book, but in 2024, I hope to have more book reviews (and articles) for the website to help those wanting to learn more about this fascinating time in Japanese history.
