Jennifer Mitchelhill received a PhD in Architectural History from the University of Melbourne. Her fascination with castles began when living on the West coast of Japan and her research has been primarily focused on the influence of Japanese architecture on Western architecture. David Green is a graduate in applied science with Master's degrees in business administration and military history. The author of numerous articles on World War II and an accomplished photographer, his interest in Japanese castles began while he was teaching at a Japanese senior high school.
In her new book Samurai Castles, author Dr. Jennifer Mitchelhill and photographer David Green spent over three years documenting 24 of Japan's samurai-era castles. The idea? To understand the aesthetic details, cultural values and historic happenings surrounding these architectural marvels. -CNN Travel With great beauty, this book uncovers the great function of these epic buildings and how they worked. The book is highly visual, packed with maps and photos which are a testament to Japanese design and building. - Martial Arts & Action Movies blog ...focuses on some of the country's best castles and the stories behind them. -GaijinPot.com ...provides a comprehensive introduction to two dozen of Japan's most prominent castles. History buffs are treated to more aforementioned locales as the author then lists Japan's 100 most important castles...Architecture aficionados will appreciate the chapter dedicated to such structures, and if you're motivated to visit one of Japan's more prestigious castles, you'll have some idea what you're looking at, since Mitchelhill supplies meticulous information about each castle, as well as practical tips for prospective visitors. -JQ Magazine ...a wonderful coffee table book with marvelous photographs of Japanese castles, the interiors and architecture...I would highly recommend that anyone who is going to visit Japan pick up this book and incorporate a few of these castles into their trip. -Man of La Book blog It has tremendous pictures that really capture a certain calm aspect that the castles were originally designed to emote. The write ups are brief, but fulfilling and accurate. If you are interested in expanding your cultural understanding of samurai and how they lived in order to deepen you understanding of your martial art, then this is a great book. -Martial Thoughts