"Elephants and Gunpowder Southeast Asian Warfare 1380-1700" Topic

so unexpected unusual exotic!…well helionesque…

a great gap covered

This book presents for the first time ever a chronological, detailed and richly illustrated account of the development of warfare in mainland Southeast Asia during the Early Modern Period. It begins by describing the region's medieval military inheritance that was dominated by the use of war elephants. Firearms began to appear during the late fourteenth century and would be used alongside elephants and cavalry in a long series of wars between Burma (Myanmar) and Siam (Thailand). Exciting sieges and dramatic naval combat will also be discussed along with much fascinating material about beliefs in omens and divination and the impact of foreign mercenaries. While cannons fire around them elephants act as mounts for noble hand-to-hand combat, as living battering rams to use against city gates and, in the form of the precious and much coveted white elephant, as both an excuse and a pretext for war itself. The text is complemented by a large number of carefully selected photographs, maps and specially commissioned artwork that present the arms and armaments of the Southeast Asian warrior and his elephants in a way never seen before.
link

the text seems to concern only Burmese–Siamese wars (19 wars in 3 centuries of which 9 for the period mentionned),
however I hope that the rest of the Indochinese peninsula will be also included Cambodia Đại Việt Champa Vietnamese already divided in North and South

map 1686

Great subject Elephants and in my opinion and a lot of books on it. I got most of my research books from when I was contributing to the FOG system , from the American Inter-library loan program. A later Thai prince was very good at writing about the wars. One company that published in English was White Orchid publishing.
In regards to other countries of the region research was harder but the info was there. The data covers mainly pre-contact with Europeans time frame. However though the Chinese guarded their gunpowder secrets some trickled out.

Oh I can't wait to pick this one up.

What a shame such a interesting looking book will be a paperback, and one whose covers curl up horribly if all my other Helion books are anything to go by.

BillyNM: a solution is to buy more books. My paperbacks are all pressed between two other books and therefore never curl ;-)))

updated – beautiful definitive card cover

the text seems to concern only Burmese–Siamese wars (19 wars in 3 centuries of which 9 for the period mentionned),
however I hope that the rest of the Indochinese peninsula will be also included Cambodia Đại Việt Champa Vietnamese already divided in North and South

seeing Stephen Turnbull's website the book will not concern only Burmese-Siamese wars but whole Indochina

For the first time an authoritative and well illustrated history of the Art of War in Southeast Asia from the Medieval to the Early Modern Period.

It will be based on contemporary source material and will tell the story of how war was conducted in Burma, Siam, Cambodia and Vietnam. The war elephant will feature prominently along with the development of firearms, the use of mercenaries and unique accounts of battles and sieges. The wide range of never before seen pictures will also give modellers information they have always wanted.

The kings of Siam employed Japanese bodyguards, so in 2024 you can all look forward to reading about samurai elephants!

AVAILABLE IN DECEMBER!

Stephen Turnbull

Even if you don't want or like the rules it seems this one would make a good sourcebook for an understudied period in human history.

Almost 40 years have passed since I saw Akira Kurosawa's films 'Ran' and 'Kagemusha', that I became fascinated with samurai heraldry. At that time I bought my first books by Dr. Stephen Turnbull to start my research. All that time I didn't know he was aware of my illustrations here and at the Samurai Forum. Last year Dr. Turnbull reached out to me. I was able to do the bookcover for his book 'Hojo Warlords'. I was excited to get to do the bookcover for Elephants and Gunpowder!

I thought I recognised your style; great work!

Available