Product Description

Increasingly from the 11th century AD, East Asian armies used exploding missiles and siege cannon to reduce the fortifications of their enemies. These ranged from heavy siege cannon such as those used during the sige of P'yongyang during the Japanese invasion of the late 16th century, a weapon that would have been similar to those used in contemporary Europe, to Korean hwach'a, carts mounting over a hundred rockets wihich were used to batter the Japanese at Haengiu in 1593. This is a level of technology that would not become available in Europe until the 19th century in its infancy, and the Second World War before it was practical on the battlefield. This book details the design and use of the wide range of weaponry available.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #213295 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-16
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

About the Author
Stephen Turnbull is the world's leading English language authority on medieval Japan and the samurai. He has travelled extensively in the far east, particularly in Japan and Korea and is the author of The Samurai - A Military History, as well as numerous books for Osprey. Wayne Reynolds was born in Leeds, UK, where he also attended art college. He has had a life-long passion for illustration, and since 1991 has worked as a professional artist. Wayne has provided illustrations and source material for many gaming companies, creating figures, landscapes and interiors, as well as providing core characterisation. He is perhaps best known though for his work on titles such as 2000AD, Slaine, and Judge Dredd. A recent arrival to the Osprey stable, Wayne is also a keen modeller and historical re-enactor.

Customer Reviews

Siege Weapons of the Far East 1 : AD 300-1300
This is an important book for anyone with an interest in either siege warfare and weapons, or the military history of the ancient and medieval empires of the far east. A considerable amount has been written about the siege weapons and war machines of Medieval Europe, Rome, ancient Greece and the Hellenistic Empires. However, until the arrival of this book, there was very little available to western audiences on the siege weapons of the far east. What little English language information was available on this subject was scattered in brief sections or appendices of larger works. The author is to be applauded for taking on this unusual, difficult, but (for military historians) important subject. Important because, from the 6th to the 16th centuries AD, the Chinese were the world leaders in siege weapons.

The book itself is well written, very easy to read and highly enjoyable. I must emphasize that this is not an academic treatise in the style of E. W. Marsden's classic "Greek and Roman Artillery", rather it is a concise summary of what is a very large subject, that will appeal equally to both general readers and serious students.

Mr Turnbull is an experienced author who has previously specialised in works on Japanese history. In this book he wisely concentrates on developments in China (the engine of development and inovation in siege weapons), with Japan, Korea and south east asia treated as secondary subjects. In another wise move Mr Turnbull has chosen to place the development of true gunpower weapons into a second volume.

The text is informative and well supported by illustrations taken from original souces, photgraphs and seven dramatic colour plates. Purists and accademics might in due course argue over some of the fine detail in this book, but as as a highly readable introduction to the subject and a basic reference book it cannot be beaten.

More Primary Sources Needed...
An aspect of the Osprey range is that the quality is very variable. Pretty pictures (however dubious) take precedence over reference to primary sources in many cases. Dr Turnbull is very good in his specialism - the later Sengoku-jidai period of samurai history - but I'm not so sure about his veracity on other topics.

What is his source for hand-held crossbows used by early samurai? (in the plate depicting the Fujiwara defending a fort in 1189). I've read translations of early war chronicles mentioning 'o-yumi' but everything I've read suggests that these were crossbow *artillery* although nothing concrete seems to exist. Unfortunately the text and plate notes shed no light on sources.

More Primary Sources Needed...
An aspect of the Osprey range is that the quality is very variable. Pretty picures (however dubious) take precedence over reference to primary sources in many cases. Dr Turnbull is very good in his specialism - the later Sengoku-jidai period of samurai history - but I'm not so sure about his veracity on other topics.

What is his source for hand-held crossbows used by early samurai? (in the plate depicting the Fujiwara defending a fort in 1189). I've read translations of early war chronicles mentioning 'o-yumi' but everything I've read suggests that these were crossbow *artillery* although nothing concrete seems to exist. Unfortunately the text and plate notes shed no light on sources.