The Gempei War 1180-85: the great Samurai civil war

Description

Introduction (The Gempei war in Japanese culture ; The strategic situation) -- Chronology -- Opposing commanders (The Minamoto leaders ; The Taira leaders) -- Opposing forces (Arms and armour ; The mounted archer ; The samurai in battle ; Army organisation, strategy and tactics) -- The campaign (The Gempei War plase one: 1180-82 ; The Gempei war phase two: 1183-84 ; The Gempei War phase three: 1184-85) -- Aftermath (Yoshitsune's flight and the Battle of Koromagawa ; Yoritomo and the Shogunate);"Internationally renowned samurai expert Dr. Stephen Turnbull delves into a pivotal era of Japanese history in this highly illustrated account of the Gempei War, a conflict that defined the age and the ethos of the samurai. Never before had there been a large-scale clash between two rival samurai families, the Taira and the Minamoto, and never again would the result of a war in Japan be quite so dramatic. Fought to gain control over the emperor, it would end with imperial power being totally eclipsed in favor of the military might of the samurai class and the establishment of the position of shogun--Japan's military dictator. Turnbull examines the events of the five-year-long conflict, revealing the changes that the war inflicted on Japanese culture and how it established many samurai traditions."--Amazon.com.