Stephen Richard Turnbull (born 6 February 1948) is a British academic, historian and writer. He is a specialist in military history, particularly that of Japan.
Turnbull attended Cambridge University where he gained his first degree. He currently holds an MA in Theology, MA in Military History and a PhD from the University of Leeds where he is a lecturer in Far Eastern Religions.
He was on the editorial board of the short-lived Medieval History Magazine (2003–2005), which was published in association with the Royal Armouries. He was a consultant for the widely successful PC game Shogun: Total War and also its well-received sequel Shogun 2: Total War, both products of Creative Assembly, as well as historical advisor on the severely panned Hollywood film 47 Ronin starring Keanu Reeves.
1979 – Samurai armies, 1550–1615. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-302-7; OCLC 6489751
reprinted by Osprey, 2003: OCLC 225518299
1980 – The Mongols. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-372-0
1982 – The Book of the Samurai. Leicester, England: Magna Books. ISBN 978-0-948509-30-8; OCLC 15875673
1985 – The Book of the Medieval Knight. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 978-0-85368-715-3; OCLC 12501653.
1987 – Samurai Warriors. Poole, Dorset: Blandford Press. ISBN 978-0-7137-1767-9; OCLC 17551861
1989 – Samurai Warlords: The Book of the Daimyō. London: Blandford. ISBN 978-0-7137-2003-7; OCLC 22628902
1991 – Ninja: The True Story of Japan's Secret Warrior Cult. Poole, Dorset: Firebird Books. ISBN 978-1-85314-109-6; OCLC 24701255
1996 – The Samurai: A Military History. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-873410-38-7
1997 – Samurai Warfare. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 978-1-85409-432-2; OCLC 38030598
1998 – The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 978-1-85409-371-4; OCLC 60220867
reprinted by Cassell, London, 2000. ISBN 978-1-85409-523-7; OCLC 59400034
2000 – Nagashino 1575: Slaughter at the Barricades. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-619-4
2001 – Ashigaru 1467–1649: Weapons, Armour, Tactics. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-149-7
2001 – The Knight Triumphant: The High Middle Ages, 1314–1485. London: Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-35971-4; OCLC 51108644
2002 – Samurai Heraldry. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-304-0
2002 – Samurai Invasion: Japan's Korean War, 1592–1598. London: Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-35948-6
2002 – War in Japan: 1467–1615. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-480-1
2003 – Genghis Khan & the Mongol Conquests 1190–1400. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-523-5
2002 – Fighting Ships of the Far East (1): China and Southeast Asia, 202 BC-AD 1419. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-386-6
2003 - Fighting Ships of the Far East (2): Japan and Korea AD 612-1639. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-478-8
2003 – Japanese castles, 1540–1640. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-429-0
2003 – Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949–1603. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-573-0
2003 – Kawanakajima 1553–1564: Samurai Power Struggle. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-562-4
2003 – Ninja AD 1460–1650. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-525-9
2003 – Tannenberg 1410: Disaster for the Teutonic Knights. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-561-7; OCLC 51779463
2004 – The Walls of Constantinople: AD 324–1453. Oxford:Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-759-8
2005 – Warriors of Medieval Japan. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-220-2
2005 – Samurai Commanders. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-743-3
2006 – Samurai: The World of the Warrior. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-951-6
2007 - The Great Wall of China 221 BC - AD 1644 Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-004-8
2008 – The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War. London: Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1-84415-712-9; OCLC 181927617
Journal articles
"Legacy of Centuries: The Walls of Constantinople", Medieval History Magazine (MHM), Issue 2, October 2003.
"Mongol strategy and the Battle of Leignitz 1241", MHM, Issue 3, November 2003.
"The Teutonic Knights' battle for Riga", MHM, Issue 6, February 2004.
"The Passing of the Medieval Castle", MHM, Issue 9, May 2004.
"St Catherine's Monastery: Sanctuary of Ages", MHM, Issue 11 July 2004.
"Fighting Cardinals: Henry Beaufort & Guiliano Cesarini", MHM, Issue 13, September 2004.
"A Tale of Two Cities: Siege success and failure at Constantinople and Belgrade", MHM, Issue 16, December 2004.
"The Blunted Arrowhead: The defensive role of the great medieval fortresses of Albania", MHM, Issue 17, January 2005.
"The Ninja: An Invented Tradition?", Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective, Vol. 9: No. 1, Article 3, 2014.
British Association for Japanese Studies, Cannon Prize.
Japan Festival Literary Award
