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Book Review: "Nagashino 1575" by Stephen Turnbull

© Alistair Boddy-Evans

This is an excellent book, the text alone is worth the expense - which is just as well because the two major criticisms I have of the book are to do with the illustrations.

Turnbull is considered, according to the book's blurb, the world's leading English language authority on medieval Japan and the samurai. It is, perhaps a coup that Osprey have got him to author this book (although he has written a couple of others for them) and possibly explains the idiosyncrasies mentioned at the end of this review. Certainly the book contains a wealth of information about the build up, the battle itself and the ensuing struggle surrounding the battle of Nagashino during the Sengoku-judai or Warring States Period of Sixteenth century Japan.

The book shows that the technological might of Japan is not restricted to the modern age. Despite being isolationist, Japan obtained matchlock guns, or arquebus, from the Portuguese. Within a few years they were producing better quality versions for themselves - in as much as they standardised the bore of the guns to allow mass production of bullets, unlike its European equivalents. This was the great era of guns in Samurai history, it is reported by many that they gave up guns soon afterwards for being against "the glorious samurai tradition", Turnbull seems to refute this.

This famous battle occurred when Takeda Katsuyori and a force of 15 000 (which included roughly 4 250 horsemen) ranged well into his enemies territory in the attempt to take the Tokugawa capital of Okazaki (on the basis that a traitor would open the gates for them). Unfortunately the traitor was captured and beheaded before Takeda arrived at the capital, and he veered off to search for other targets. After a small circuit of lesser castles, which withstood his advances, he settled on a tiny fortress manned by roughly 500 troops (odds of 30 to 1). Tokugawa Ieyasu, who's land was bing invaded, was allied to Oda Nobunga, the strongest diamyo in Japan at that time. Their combined forces, which arrived to relieve the siege at Nagashino fort totalled around 38 000 troops, and included 3 500 with matchlocks. When Takeda entered the battle field against Oda, he had 4000 cavalry against 3000 arquebus. Fair odds given the cavalry would normally be upon the shooters after one round.

Turnbull describes all of this in great detail, giving orders of battle for the three main parties involved and background information on the siege - such as the outstanding heroism of the samurai Torii Sune'emon who sneaked out of the besieged fortress to take word to Tokugawa of its dire situation, only to be caught and crucified on his return journey.