Turnbull attended Cambridge University where he gained his first degree. He currently holds 2 MAs in Theology and Military History and a PhD^{[clarification needed]} from the University of Leeds where he is a lecturer in Far Eastern Religions.^[2]

He was on the editorial board of the short-lived Medieval History Magazine (2003–2005), which was published in association with the Royal Armouries. He was a consultant for the widely successful PC game Shogun: Total War and also its well-received sequel Total War: Shogun 2, both products of Creative Assembly, as well as historical advisor on the Hollywood film 47 Ronin starring Keanu Reeves.^[3][4] He was also a narrator for the Netflix documentary series Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan in 2021.^[4]

He became semi-retired, but holds the post of Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies at Akita International University in Japan.^[2]

• 1979 – Samurai armies, 1550–1615. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-302-7; OCLC 6489751
  • reprinted by Osprey, 2003: OCLC 225518299
• 1980 – The Mongols. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-372-0
• 1982 – The Book of the Samurai. Leicester, England: Magna Books. ISBN 978-0-948509-30-8; OCLC 15875673
• 1985 – The Book of the Medieval Knight. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 978-0-85368-715-3; OCLC 12501653.
• 1987 – Samurai Warriors.^{[permanent dead link]} Poole, Dorset: Blandford Press. ISBN 978-0-7137-1767-9; OCLC 17551861
• 1989 – Samurai Warlords: The Book of the Daimyō.^{[permanent dead link]} London: Blandford. ISBN 978-0-7137-2003-7; OCLC 22628902
• 1991 – Ninja: The True Story of Japan's Secret Warrior Cult. Poole, Dorset: Firebird Books. ISBN 978-1-85314-109-6; OCLC 24701255
• 1996 – The Samurai: A Military History. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-873410-38-7
• 1997 – Samurai Warfare.^{[permanent dead link]} London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 978-1-85409-432-2; OCLC 38030598
• 1998 – The Samurai Sourcebook.^{[permanent dead link]} London: Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 978-1-85409-371-4; OCLC 60220867
  • reprinted by Cassell, London, 2000. ISBN 978-1-85409-523-7; OCLC 59400034
• 2000 – Nagashino 1575: Slaughter at the Barricades.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-619-4
• 2001 – Ashigaru 1467–1649: Weapons, Armour, Tactics.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-149-7
• 2001 – The Knight Triumphant: The High Middle Ages, 1314–1485. London: Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-35971-4; OCLC 51108644
• 2002 – Samurai Heraldry.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-304-0
• 2002 – Samurai Invasion: Japan's Korean War, 1592–1598.^{[permanent dead link]} London: Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-35948-6
• 2002 – War in Japan: 1467–1615.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-480-1
• 2003 – Genghis Khan & the Mongol Conquests 1190–1400. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-523-5
• 2002 – Fighting Ships of the Far East (1): China and Southeast Asia, 202 BC-AD 1419.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-386-6
• 2003 – Fighting Ships of the Far East (2): Japan and Korea AD 612-1639.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-478-8
• 2003 – Japanese castles, 1540–1640.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-429-0
• 2003 – Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949–1603.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-573-0
• 2003 – Kawanakajima 1553–1564: Samurai Power Struggle.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-562-4
• 2003 – Ninja AD 1460–1650.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-525-9
• 2003 – Tannenberg 1410: Disaster for the Teutonic Knights. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-561-7; OCLC 51779463
• 2003 – Samurai: The World of the Warrior. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-740-6
• 2004 – The Walls of Constantinople: AD 324–1453.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford:Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-759-8
• 2004 – Samurai: The Story of Japan's Greatest Warriors. London: PRC Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85648-703-0
  • reprinted by Metro Books, 2013
• 2005 – Warriors of Medieval Japan.^{[permanent dead link]} Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-220-2
• 2005 – Samurai Commanders. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-743-3
• 2007 – The Great Wall of China 221 BC - AD 1644 Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-004-8
• 2008 – The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War. London: Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1-84415-712-9; OCLC 181927617
• 2010 – Katana: The Samurai Sword. Oxford: Osprey Publishibg ISBN 978-1-84908-151-1
• 2011 – The Revenge of the 47 Ronin. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-427-7
• 2016 – The Genpei War 1180-85: The Great Samurai Civil War. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-47281-384-8
• 2017 – Ninja: Unmasking the Myth Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-47385-042-2

Journal articles edit

• "Legacy of Centuries: The Walls of Constantinople", Medieval History Magazine (MHM), Issue 2, October 2003.
• "Mongol strategy and the Battle of Leignitz 1241", MHM, Issue 3, November 2003.
• "The Teutonic Knights' battle for Riga", MHM, Issue 6, February 2004.
• "The Passing of the Medieval Castle", MHM, Issue 9, May 2004.
• "St Catherine's Monastery: Sanctuary of Ages", MHM, Issue 11 July 2004.
• "Fighting Cardinals: Henry Beaufort & Guiliano Cesarini", MHM, Issue 13, September 2004.
• "A Tale of Two Cities: Siege success and failure at Constantinople and Belgrade", MHM, Issue 16, December 2004.
• "The Blunted Arrowhead: The defensive role of the great medieval fortresses of Albania", MHM, Issue 17, January 2005.
• "The Ninja: An Invented Tradition?", Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective, Vol. 9: No. 1, Article 3, 2014.

These are notable works in film, TV and video games.^[4]

• British Association for Japanese Studies, Cannon Prize.^[5]
• Japan Festival Literary Award (1998).^[1]

• Stephen Turnbull's website