As many of you may realize, every once in a while, Osprey will take several of their standard books that are on a similar subject and, along with additional material, combine these into a hardback edition. For the reader this has two major benefits. One is that all the information on the subject is in one edition, secondly, one gets the equivalent of several of the standard books for what is little more than the price of one. The only downside is having to wait for it to come out.

 This latest book is a compilation of four books from the 'Fortress' series on Japanese castles. . Specifically #5, 34, 67, and 74.

The book is divided into four major sections once one gets past the introduction and chronology sections. First is on Japanese castles from 250 - 1540, Next is a chapter on Japanese fortified temples and monasteries from 710-1602. Then castle building in Japan picks up again with those more modern structures from 1540 to 1877 and their opening and greater exposure to Western culture put an end to the construction of castles. The final part is on castle construction in Korea during the brief Japanese take-over of parts of that country from 1592 to 1598.

The author covers the wide variety of structures and looks into their construction as much as to how they were arranged to provided the greatest defensive strongholds. When firearms and cannon were introduced, it required a change in how these castles were built to meet the new threats and also how best to integrate them into the design of the castles.

It is fortunate for us that many of these places have survived in some form or another. A few are little more than earth works while others have been fully restored or have survived intact from when they were first built. Many of these are open to the public and there is an extensive section on these castles and how to visit them. It is a testament to their strong construction that the castle at Edo is still used as the home of the Japanese Emperor and his family.

All of this is superbly illustrated using period artwork or full color photos of the structures as they now exist. It adds a great deal to the book and makes it just that much more interesting a read.

Put all of that together, and you get another superlative book from Osprey. Add to it the most reasonable price and you have a book that I can highly recommend to you.

April 2009

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