The ashigaru were the foot soldiers of old Japan. Although recruited first to swell an army's numbers and paid only by loot, the samurai began to realise their worth, particularly with arquebuses and spears, until well-trained ashigaru made up a vital part of any samurai army. This book tells the st[...]

The most familiar characteristics of the traditional Japanese castle are the huge sloping stone walls and the graceful yet militarily sophisticated structures built on top of them. This title covers the entire period of Japanese castle development from the first introduction of stone walls and tower[...]

The walls of Constantinople are the greatest surviving example of European medieval military architecture in the world. They withstood numerous sieges until being finally overcome by the artillery of Mehmed the Conqueror in 1453, and exist today as a time capsule of Byzantine and Medieval history. T[...]

The most extensive and famous example of fortification in the world, the Great Wall of China stretches for more than 4,000 miles across inhospitable terrain. Charting its development from construction in the 7th century BC through to the present day, this account reveals the true history of the wall[...]

The invasions of Korea launched by the dictator Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1592-1593 and 1597-1598) are unique in Japanese history for being the only time that the samurai assaulted a foreign country. Hideyoshi planned to invade and conquer China, ruled at the time by the Ming dynasty, and when the Korean [...]

Each great samurai warlord, or daimyo, had a division of troops known as the Hatamoto, 'those who stand under the flag'. The Hatamoto included the personal bodyguards, the senior generals, the standard bearers and colour-guard, the couriers, and the other samurai under the warlord's personal command[...]

There is a universality about the creation of gardens across time and in diverse cultures that has inspired this entirely different garden book: a playful and affectionate typology of gardens; a pattern book in which a score of landscapes and gardens are drawn, described, and analyzed not just as a [...]

Take control of IBS so IBS doesn't take control of your life IBS Relief, Second Edition is an extensively updated, hands-on guide to help you manage your symptoms and limit the frequency, intensity, and duration of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) episodes. Written by a doctor, a dietitian, and a psyc[...]

Since the 1990s, the technologies employed in the production of dry pasta and semolina have changed dramatically. This practical book examines these changes and gives commercially relevant information to the reader in the areas of durum wheat, semolina production, pasta mixing and extrusion.[...]

- Colin M. Turnbull's best-selling, classic work - describes the author's experiences while living with the BaMbuti Pygmies, not as a clinical observer, but as their friend learning their customs and sharing their daily life.Turnbill conveys the lives and feelings of the BaMbuti whose existence cent[...]