Description

The definitive history of the ninja, based on a wealth of historical texts, local Japanese sources, and John Man's own treks across Asia

“An immensely entertaining history, packed with splendidly blood-thirsty tales of derring-do, feats of endurance and self-sacrifice.” —The Guardian

Out of the violent chaos of medieval Japan, a remarkable band of peasants rose to become the world's most feared warriors—trained to perfect the art of ninjutsu, the deadly union of martial arts and deception. Today, however, these real life ninjas are overshadowed by legend and pop culture caricatures. Could they fly? Climb walls? Make themselves invisible?

Drawing on a wealth of historical texts, local Japanese sources, and his own comprehensive treks across Asia, acclaimed author John Man takes us back to the ninjas' origins in China, through to their heyday in the bloody civil wars that ended with the unification of Japan in 1600. Man also illuminates the twentieth-century reemergence of the Japanese tradition of shadow warfare through the Nakano Spy School—the elite military-intelligence academy that operated as an extensive spy network during World War II—and reveals one former Nakano soldier, Onoda Hiroo, who may be the last surviving ninja.

Compelling and absorbing, Ninja reveals at last the fascinating true history behind one of the world's most enduring legends.

About the Author

John Man is the author of Attila, Genghis Khan, The Great Wall, Gobi: Tracking the Desert, Ninja, Samurai, and other works. Educated at Oxford and the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, he was awarded Mongolia’s Friendship Medal in 2007.

Praise For…

“An immensely entertaining history, packed with splendidly blood-thirsty tales of derring-do, feats of endurance and self-sacrifice.” — The Guardian

“Ninja is a racy popular history of a difficult and often mythologised subject and should appeal to the armchair warrior in us all.” — Literary Review

“One could ask for no better storyteller than John Man.” — Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem: The Biography

“An intriguing look at the enigmatic world of the deadly Asian assassin. ... Fascinating. ... A thoroughly researched, appealing examination of the original ‘men in black.’” — Kirkus Reviews

“As colorful and intriguing as the warriors it so vividly brings to life.” — Bookreporter.com