Ninja: The true story of Japan's secret warrior cult

by stephen-turnbull

This is a true and revealing account of the Ninja, the Japanese clandestine warrior cult of assassins and spies that has acquired a legendary status among martial arts enthusiasts and military historians. From material previously unpublished in the West, Stephen Turnbull recounts the history, battles, science, mysticism and even the modern aspects of the Ninja. Many of the sources for this book are his own translations from Japanese archives. Myths about the Ninja are exploded but the truth emerges here as far stronger than any fiction, making this work destined to become the standard work.

Genres: Nonfiction, Martial Arts, History, Japan, Japanese Literature

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Real ninjas - really? Good source material for roleplaying games but how accurate is it? Oh what is the son of the widow to do? Published near the end of the 80s ninja craze.

[Thieving Magpie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative! I've been quite interested into Japanese culture, especially in Ninjas. To be fair - my "knowledge" about them has so far come from Animes and books and they've always been portrayed rather different.
It was great to read some more actual references about Ninjas and Japanese culture and get a more realistic view on that.
Very informative and an actually educational read!
I received an ARC by Netgalley. Thank you!

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Little hardcover, nice illustrations, well written. Great warriors, good history.

[Keith Rainville · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ninja history" may be a grey area - some can argue what we know as ninja today never actually existed, others can site all sorts of alleged 'secret scrolls' that chart centuries of martial arts techniques. My personal belief is the truth is probably somewhere in between, but what IS true is that for centuries, black-clad commandos with outre tools and skills unique in the samurai world have been popular in historical lore, fictional media and the minds of millions worldwide.

Turnbull's book is a great place to get an introductory and rather level-headed look at the history behind the supposed men in black. He debunks some myths, traces the evolution of others, cites the infrequent historical texts that may actually prove the existence of shinobi, and looks at why the character idiom is so strong in today's mass media culture.

Plenty of photo matter and illos. Well worth your time to track down.