In the 1500s, Japan was fought over by hundreds of rival warlords. They battled for territory and power, resulting in a century of near-constant war, until the Tokugawa shoguns won a decisive victory

The samurai’s history and legacy, Angela Merkel’s 21st-century military and a new aviation festival

A new exhibition at the British Museum explores the mythmaking of Japan’s feudal warriors

What happened to canine-bothering dog whippers and grime-caked mudlarks? Stephen Roberts explores some unfortunate callings best consigned to history

Inspired ideas and buys for the great outdoors

From voyages to battles, gods to monsters, heroics to cowardice, the Viking sagas explore all of these themes in magnificent detail