Hi all, first thank you for the hard work and great content that goes into this sub - I'm looking to learn more about the Mongol invasion of Japan in 1274 and 1281 and curious if there are any good books (in English) that you all would recommend. Academic or pop history are both fine with me, but it the first of my Japanese history dives so would appreciate any guidance here.
Astoundingly, from the Japanese side, not really.
Stephen Turnbull has something out on the military campaign of it called The Mongol Invasions of Japan 1274 and 1281. I haven't read it yet, so I can't say how good it is, but, seeing how it appears to be one of his later works, I would assume its readable. (Still, I wouldn't mention it if there were better alternatives out there.)
The only other book I am aware of would be Thomas Conlan's In Little Need of Divine Intervention: Takezaki Suenaga's Scrolls of the Mongol Invasions of Japan. Conlan is one of the preeminent still-active scholars concerning medieval Japan, and the book is good. However, it is also rather specific, and fragmented; and therefore, its definitely not recommendable as an introductory text to the subject. A rather significant part is dedicated to a translation and commentary of a picture scroll created in the name of a shogunate vassal who journeyed to Kamakura (the seat of the shogunate at the time) in order to advocate for his deeds and receive a reward for doing his duty, and it contains several translations of relevant original documents, but otherwise there's only an essay providing some context. At least it has many nice pictures!