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Stephen Turnbull (historian)

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Stephen Richard Turnbull
BornStephen Richard Turnbull
February 1948 (age 76)
United Kingdom
OccupationWriter, military historian, researcher, narrator
LanguageEnglish
NationalityBritish
Alma materUniversity of Cambridge, University of Leeds (Philosophiæ doctor) (1996)

Stephen Richard Turnbull (born 6 February 1948) is a British historian concentrating on Japanese military history, especially the samurai period, and has published numerous books.[1] He has worked as a historical consultant for the film 47 Ronin,[2][3] as well multiple television documentaries,[4] and the Shogun: Total War series of video games.[5][6]

Biography

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Turnbull attended Cambridge University where he gained his first degree. He currently holds 2 MAs in Theology and Military History and a PhD for his research on Kakure Kirishitan from the University of Leeds, where he is presently a lecturer in Far Eastern Religions,[2] in a program of study jointly overseen by both the Departments of East Asian Studies and Theology and Religious Studies. [7]

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 PC game Shogun: Total War[5] and also its sequel Total War: Shogun 2,[8] both products of Creative Assembly, as well as historical advisor on the Hollywood film 47 Ronin starring Keanu Reeves.[9] He also appeared as a subject matter expert for the Netflix documentary series Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan in 2021. [3]

He is semi-retired, but still holds the post of Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies at Akita International University in Japan. [2]

Selected works

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Journal articles

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  • "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.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
2021 Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan Self-Historian TV documentary [3]
2013 47 Ronin Historical advisor Film [2]
2013 Samurai Headhunters Self—Japanese historian TV documentary [10]
2012 Ninja Shadow Warriors Self—Historian TV documentary [4]
2011 Total War: Shogun 2 Historical consultant Video game [6][8]
2008 Heroes and Villains (TV series) Historical consultant TV Documentary[11]


2000 Shogun: Total War Historical consultant Video game [5]
2004 Samurai: The Last Warrior Historical consultant (as Dr. Stephen Turnbull) TV documentary [4]

Honours

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b "Home – Stephen Turnbull". www.stephenturnbull.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Stephen Turnbull". Thames & Hudson. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Low, Samantha. "'Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan' Sets the Story Straight For The Japanese Warriors of the Past". Tokyo Weekender. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Stephen Turnbull". Plex.tv. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Lessons on the Art of War". IGN. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b Younger, Paul. "Dr. Stephen Turnbull, Shogun 2 Total War Interview". PC Invasion. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  7. ^ Breen, John; Williams, Mark, eds. (1996). Japan and Christianity: Impacts and Responses (1st ed.). New York, N.Y.: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC. p. x. doi:10.1007/978-1-349-24360-0. ISBN 978-0-312-12872-2. Retrieved 13 July 2024. He is currently taking a part-time PhD on the subject of the Kakure Kirishitan at Leeds University, working under the joint auspices of the Departments of East Asian Studies and Theology and Religious Studies.
  8. ^ a b Parrish, Peter. "Advisor On Shogun 2: Total War Divulges New Game Details". inc gamers. Archived from the original on 3 September 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Dr Turnbull Profile". University of Leeds. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  10. ^ "Samurai Headhunters". Watch Plex. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Shogun". Heroes and Villains. 29 March 2008. BBC.
  12. ^ Turnbull, Stephen. (2005). Samurai Commanders, p. 2.
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