Stephen Turnbull contributes an effective and enlightening look
at the career of Hideyoshi Toyotomi in
the sixth installment of Osprey's Command series. The
series, with entries detailing famous commanders such as Hannibal,
Henry V of England, and Erwin Rommel, had been missing an Eastern
military leader, and Turnbull's contribution fills the void nicely. Stephen
Turnbull has published over thirty books dealing primarily with military
history, and specifically the military history of medieval Europe
and Japan. He currently lectures at Leeds University in the
United Kingdom, from whom he received his Ph.D. in 1996. [ed. note:
he is also the historical consultant on Keanu Reeve’s new samurai
movie, so we expect at least a reasonable historical portrayal]
Turnbull brings his wealth of experience with comparative military
history to bear on this slender, and generously illustrated, volume. His
use of modern military nomenclature and imagery, while occasionally
bordering on the anachronistic, does succeed in placing Hideyoshi into
the broader context of military history, a field that is often dominated
by western examples from the ancient world, early modern Europe,
and modern Europe. Turnbull thus succeeds in presenting Hideyoshi in a way that is familiar to those who have a general
(Western) background in military history.
In style and presentation, the book is both attractive and appealing. Turnbull,
and his illustrator Guiseppe Rava,
make excellent use of both contemporary and modern paintings to bring Hideyoshi's remarkable story, and the vitality of sixteenth-century
Japan, to life. Turnbull also utilizes a number of clear, attractive
maps to track Hideyoshi's campaigns, and
his use of simplified NATO symbols make them easy to interpret.
Turnbull seeks to provide as comprehensive an overview of Hideyoshi the general and the man as can be expected in a
short work. In the introduction he contextualizes Hideyoshi within
the political fragmentation of sixteenth century Japan, and immediately
credits him with establishing the circumstances, namely the unification
of Japan, of the rise of Tokugawa Ieyasu in
1603.
The bulk of the book is divided into chronological chapters dealing
with the historical background to the sixteenth century, a basic
overview of sixteenth century military life, and then a careful narration
of Hideyoshi's career. The bulk of the text is devoted
to Hideyoshi's active career in service
to Oda Nobunaga and then on his own between
1558 to 1591. The final three chapters are brief, though fascinating,
thematic studies devoted to Hideyoshi's "mind",
post-war politics, and the early historiography on his life.
Turnbull does not simply present Hideyoshi's military genius and strategic brilliance through
a careful narration of his battles and campaigns, but instead he
illuminates the complex and nuanced political approach that Hideyoshi took
to subjugate Japan. He stresses the importance that Hideyoshi placed
on diplomacy as part of a broader look at his strategy for national
control, especially in his dealings with daimyo such as Mori Terumoto and
Date Masamune. He also speaks at
length about the importance of the battles that Hideyoshi chose not to
fight, including his decision not to wage a war of attrition in subjugating
Shikoku, nor in invading Dewa province
to contend with the multiplicity of minor lords there. (56) He concludes
this look at Hideyoshi's restraint and
overall strategic competence by noting Tokugawa Ieyasu's invocation
that the most powerful sword is the one in the scabbard. (56)
The book concludes with a fascinating look at Hideyoshi's "mind". Here
Turnbull illuminates various aspects of Hideyoshi's strategic,
diplomatic, and political thought, though he does not offer a coherent
synthesis of Hideyoshi's overall personality. He does discuss Hideyoshi's use
of the existing court system of ranks to augment his power, first
through his appointment as kampaku (a
regent who acts on behalf of a minor emperor) and eventually as taiko (a retired kampaku), and also Hideyoshi's refusal
to take the position of shogun, but he does not bring these two strands
together effectively.
Turnbull paints a lively and entertaining picture of early modern
Japan's most famous and successful general. Drawing on his
vast wealth of knowledge about Japanese history, as well as his expertise
in military history, he crafts a compelling narrative of Hideyoshi's life
and times. He also includes a valuable glossary of standard
Japanese terms, as well as an abbreviated, but valuable Further Reading
section. Overall, the book makes a fine addition to the Command
series, as well as an excellent introduction to sixteenth century
Japanese warfare.