Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This non-fiction piece, explores the intriguing phenomenon of Japanese warriors acting as mercenaries in Southeast Asia during the late 16th and 17th centuries. The book delves into the history of these samurai who found themselves in foreign lands following the tumultuous periods of warfare in Japan, such as the Sengoku period and the pacification under the Tokugawa shogunate. Turnbull examines how and why these samurai left Japan—often due to the unification under Tokugawa Ieyasu, which left many warriors without a role in their homeland—and ventured into Southeast Asia. They were employed by various regional powers, including the Dutch and the Siamese, who valued the samurai for their military skills and discipline. The narrative covers significant historical events involving these samurai, including their roles in battles and as personal guards, and discusses the cultural and political impacts they had on the regions where they served. Through detailed historical analysis and storytelling, Turnbull provides insights into a lesser-known aspect of samurai history and their influence beyond Japan’s borders.

NetGalley, Trey the Narratist

This is an interesting book, covering a wider subject than it’s title would lead you to believe, combining an account of these Japanese mercenaries with a wider look at Japan’s place in the world as the Tokogawa secured power.

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History of War

"Definitely a book that explores a little-known area of Japanese history."

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Portland Book Review

"The portrayal of the historical actors is fascinating, sometimes even moving, and Turnbull successfully contextualizes the story with interesting political, diplomatic, and military insights on the stormy period of Ming-Qing transition."

Journal of Military History

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This was a interesting book about Samurai, I enjoyed going through this book as it was well researched and interesting. I would read another book by Mr. Turnbull.

NetGalley, Kay McLeer

This book provides an interesting look at the Samurai from this period in Japanese history and gives a different perspective of what a Samurai warrior was. This book will definitely appeal both to historians interested in the Samurai, but also will be a great resource for those war gamers wanting to campaign outside of Japan and utilize Samurai warriors in their forces. It would also be a useful for those interested in a possible alternative history campaign where the warring clans expand over seas fighting for additional territory. I found the book quite an interesting read and would highly recommend anyone interested in the Samurai or Japanese history to pick up a copy.

Irregular magazine, Issue 16 Volume 2 / Summer 2021 - review by Jason Hubbard

Turnbull is without peer in bringing the complex world of the Samurai to a public audience yet works like this demonstrate that he is no lightweight historian. This is also a bit of a detour for Turnbull, away from the history of Japan he clearly loves and into southeast Asia with its ancient civilizations and early modern European interlopers. Turnbull follows the sources, sketchy as they might be sometimes, to paint a colourful picture of individual and collective exploits, some of them very gruesome indeed. He also provides the background and context for the use of Japanese mercenaries, which uncovers a familiar but alien world in many respects. The structure of Turnbull’s book is short, self-contained chapters like an edited book of essays on a theme, and it works well, though some chapters are deeper than others. Readers interested in the Samurai and southeast Asian early modern history will no doubt enjoy this book.

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Beating Tsundoku

The book has drawn upon much detailed research, archival sources and it references many documents from the period. This volume is quite superb, and the author needs congratulating for this. He has produced a remarkably interesting book which undoubtedly will have many surprises to the reader as the author has uncovered many previously little-known details about expatriate Samurai history. Those people who are interested in Japanese martial history should read this tome as it will give you a vastly different perspective to the “traditional” image of the Samurai. These were Samurai who fought for foreign masters and eventually they became “Wild Geese” who could not return to their home islands after Japan closed its borders. This book will have many surprises for the reader and anyone with an interest in Samurai history / culture ought to read this wonderful tome.

Dr Stuart C Blank

An inherently fascinating, impressively well written, exceptionally informative, and meticulously detailed history, "The Lost Samurai: Japanese Mercenaries in South East Asia, 1593 - 1688" is a unique and unreservedly work of seminal scholarship. Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a thirteen page Bibliography and a four page Index, "The Lost Samurai: Japanese Mercenaries in South East Asia, 1593 - 1688" is an extraordinary and especially recommended addition to community, college and university library Japanese/India/Philippines history collections in general, and Samurai Martial History reading lists in particular.

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Midwest Book Review

This is a fascinating read and something that warrants further investigation. If you are interested in the martial cultures of Japan and the samurai, this is an excellent book to give you a very different set of stories.

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Medieval Sword School

An interesting and engaging read, I have an interest in Japanese history and culture , but I’m no expert, so I found this book well presented, immersive and really interesting, it really was well thought out, researched and laid out. Thoroughly recommended to anyone interested in history, Japan or even war, great read.

NetGalley, Tara Keating

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A very interesting book looking into a history group that I honestly had no idea had even been around, but this book was engaging and well written . History and Japanese buffs will love this book!

NetGalley, Heather Bennett

As my father was captured at the fall of Singapore, I wanted to know more detail of the Japanese in battle.
The book tells the history of the Samurai very well.
I learnt much more about the Japanese way of thinking.
Ron - FEPOW Family

Ronnie Taylor