Review by Booklist Review
Countless numbers of teens (or even preteens) know ninja warriors only as the masked throwers of star-shaped, razor-edged projectiles, as seen in video games, comic books, graphic novels, or films. Man, a British historian and travel writer who has written extensively on Asia, strives to separate that mythological image from the reality of this mysterious warrior caste. Man traces the origin of the ninja to the fifteenth century, when Japan was wracked by a series of civil wars. To survive, they learned the arts of espionage, disguise, and infiltration of enemy strongholds to gather information and attack opponents. Initially, they formed tight bonds of loyalty to each other; eventually, they became the tools of local rulers, which placed them in opposition to each other. Man effectively demolishes much of the nonsensical romanticism that surrounds views of the ninja in the West. Unfortunately, he comes close to fostering his own counter mythology by suggesting they were valiant, honorable victims of historical change. Still, this is a useful, popular history suitable for general readers.--Freeman, Jay Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A historian and travel writer specializing in Asia, Man exposes the history of the secretive ninja, a.k.a. shinobi, and differentiates him from his public counterpart, the samurai. Unlike the latter, the survivalist ninja eschewed self-sacrifice and the seppuku (hara-kiri) ordeal, aiming to "get close to the enemy" in order "to learn and return." Westerners recognize ninjas as "sinister men in black" acting as "spies, scouts, surprise attackers, and agitators," but may not realize they originated in the old Japanese provinces of Iga and Koga as peasant farmers linked to neighbors and communities in self-defense networks. Man explains other salient figures of the ninja heyday (1400-1600C.E.) like the shogun (chief samurai and military dictator) and daimyo (feudal lord). As experts in covert warfare, ninjas underwent extensive training including the casting of spells, which were "useful but not infallible." Ninjas were believed to "guarantee a quick victory" during wartime, up until their 17th century demise. Man employs humor and a casual, travelogue style, interposing relevant personal anecdotes to illustrate how the ninja's day is long past, or else his art of invisibility is more effective than ever. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
In a book that is part history and part travelog, British popular historian Man (Attila) takes a wide view in searching for the truth about historical "shadow warriors" and their modern counterparts. Early chapters trace the development of ninjas and their skills by sweeping through Japan's tumultuous history with accounts of their exploits, interspersed with Man's own observations on rumored ninja techniques and various historical locations (such as the former sites of the Koga and Iga schools of ninjutsu). Later chapters explore the concept of the "modern" ninja, ninja ideals in World War II espionage, the romanticization of the ninja figure, and the transmission of the idea to Western culture (focusing in particular on the James Bond film You Only Live Twice). Man writes entertainingly while providing vivid anecdotes and dispelling myths, but he's limited by both the paucity of historical accounts of ninjas and his own reliance on English-language sources or a translator. While the later chapters supply some interesting viewpoints, their connection to legitimate ninja history at times feels tenuous. Verdict An engaging volume for the casual reader or those with a general interest, but others in search of a sturdier volume on the subject might prefer to rely on Stephen Turnbull's works such as Ninja: The True Story of Japan's Secret Warrior Cult.-Kathleen McCallister, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Intriguing look at the enigmatic world of the deadly Asian assassin. Historian and travel writer Man (Samurai, 2011, etc.) carefully plumbs the ninja's surprisingly intricate history of stealth strategizing. Popularly thought of as "comic-book creatures," the author re-establishes the folklore of these fearless "shadow warriors" and examines their historical roots in China, where a "proto-ninja" was first thought to have been enlisted. Shrouded in secrecy, these commissioned, intuitive masters of disguise were able to covertly insinuate themselves into situations, carry out orders of espionage or sabotage, and just as elusively, slip out unnoticed from even the most well-guarded fortresses. In an early chapter, the author provides a ninja-style how-to guide of self-protection secrets, though the origins of their skill sets are somewhat sketchy. Man postulates that these ninja talents may have arisen from bandits, mountain ascetics called yamabushi or nomadic monks. With a conversational delivery, the author offers a guided tour through Japan's many ninja tourist attractions and fascinating glimpses into the shinobi legacy, which survived a hierarchy of unifiers and shoguns only to eventually acquiesce to Western culture's mythical interpretation of them. In today's world, Man concludes, a good amount of fantasy is necessary to keep the spirit and the lore of the ninja alive. A thoroughly researched, appealing examination of the "original men in black."]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
