Fortress 34 Author: Stephen Turnbull Illustrator: Peter Dennis About this book From the 10th century onwards the great Japanese monastic foundations of Nara and Mount Hiei maintained large armies of warlike monks. The tempestuous political rivalries that developed between the different orders of monks and religiously inspired laymen ensured that their temples and monasteries had to be securely sited and robustly defended. This books recreates these enormous fortified monasteries and temples, tracing their development from the 10th century through to the Sengoku Jidai period and the rise of the power of the shogunate under Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Raid 23 Author: Stephen Turnbull Illustrators: Mariusz Kozik Alan Gilliland Johnny Shumate About this book When Lord Kira brought about the death of Lord Asano, he made Asano’s loyal samurai into ronin – masterless warriors. These men secretly plotted their revenge and one snowy winter’s night, launched an ambitious raid against their enemy’s mansion in Edo. What ensued was the fiercest sword battle to have been seen in Japan for over a century. The gates were stormed, Lord Kira was captured and executed, and his washed head placed on Lord Asano’s tomb. This title details the background, planning, and execution of this incredible raid, looking at the equipment used by the ronin, the tactics they employed in storming the building, and the dramatic events that followed, as the surviving ronin committed mass suicide – a final act of loyalty and defiance that sealed their legend.