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Ninja: Unmasking the Myth

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Description

Produced with the full cooperation of the Department of Ninja Studies at Mie University in Japan, where the author is Visiting Professor. This is the only academic institution in the world devoted to the study of ninja. The ninja is a well-known phenomenon in Japanese military culture, a fighter who is widely regarded as the world’s greatest exponent of secret warfare. He infiltrates castles, gathers vital intelligence and wields a deadly knife in the dark. His easily recognizable image is that of a secret agent or assassin who dresses all in black, possesses almost magical martial powers, and is capable of extraordinary feats of daring. He sells his skills on a mercenary basis and when in action his unique abilities include confusing his enemies by making mystical hand gestures or by sending sharp iron stars spinning towards them. That is the popular view, but it is much exaggerated, as this exciting new book explains. Ninja: Unmasking The Myth is a revealing, fascinating and authoritative study of Japan’s famous secret warriors. Unlike all previous books on the subject the author, who is an expert in the subject, does not take the ninja for granted. Instead he examines the entire phenomenon in a critical manner, ranging from accounts of undercover operations during the age of Japan’s civil wars to the modern emergence of the superman ninja as a comic book character. The popular ninja image is shown to be the result of several influences that were combined to create the world’s greatest secret warrior. Many well-known features of the ninja tradition such as the black clothes and the iron stars are shown to be complete inventions. One important feature of the book is the use of original Japanese sources, many of which have never been translated before. As well as unknown accounts of castle attacks, assassinations and espionage they include the last great ninja manual, which reveals the spiritual and religious ideals that were believed to lie behind the ninja’s arts. The book concludes with a detailed investigation of the ninja in popular culture up to the present-day including movies, cartoons and theme parks. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Frontline Books


Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 28, 2020


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1526796481


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 86


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.75 x 9 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #428,576 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #222 in Japanese History (Books) #295 in Martial Arts (Books) #1,949 in Exercise & Fitness (Books)


#222 in Japanese History (Books):


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Monday, Sep 28

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Don't fall for hype
Format: Hardcover
Just when I read the introduction from this book, I realized that I made the right choice.
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2026 by Kindle Customer

  • Accessible scholarship
Format: Kindle
Turnbull does an incredible job compiling and distilling the history of this facet of Japanese martial history. He also separates invented traditions from their historical roots, while providing depth and objectivity to analyzing both. Another great book by a great historian.
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024 by Kearney

  • Probably the most important book on the subject of ninjutsu.
Format: Hardcover
Could have really used this one 20 or even 40 years ago. Meticulously researched and will throw a lot of "ryuha" into even deeper legitimacy problems. With the exception of Itoh's books published in 1909 (recently published in English, translations done by Eric Shahan), which probably did more than anything else to preserve ideas of ninjutsu and some methods, Turnbulls book on ninjutsu clearly separates the "ninja myth" from "factual ninja history", and while the ninja mythology is a lot more fun it's looks a lot like the US understanding of "ninja / ninjutsu" as well as the Japanese ideas from the 1950s are almost complete fabrication. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2018 by Steyr AUG

  • A great history of ninja
Format: Hardcover
If you have interest in ninja, either the historical or the ones in popular entertainment this is a book I highly recommend. Turnbull is a highly respected writer on Japan who has produced the best book on ninja I have yet to read.
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2018 by Gilles Poitras

  • Mint.
Format: Hardcover
A mint edition to the history of the Shinobi. Thank you Stephen Turnbull for tackling the daunting task of unmasking the ninja in the 20th century!
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2018 by Jeff Ingram

  • Well done!
Format: Hardcover
This is probably the most informative book on the Ninja available. Really good.
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2019 by Amazon Customer

  • Nor what I was looking for.
Format: Paperback
What I was looking for was an in depth real history of Ninja, and the author seemed more interested in the Japanese writing charters for 'Ninja' than creating a history. I became so irritated that I couldn't finish it.
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2021 by Mak Nichols

  • Awesome
Format: Kindle
Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2020 by Amazon Customer

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