Once Upon a Time in Iga a Shadow Warriors Tale Review
Ninja: 1,000 Years of the Shadow Warrior
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Ninja reads less like a "1000 Twelvemonth" history and more like an extended Esquire article. Not necessarily a bad thing - information technology's a moderately interesting, informal volume. But if you're looking for a comprehensive history of the concept of ninjas dating from feudal Nihon to the present, wait elsewhere. As a skilful example in point, one sentence begins as follows: "To cram four centuries into a sentence..." So what is covered by the rest of the 300 pages? Some anecdotes almost famous Japanese warriors, rulers, aspiring unifiers, samurai, shogun, and assassins; some "ninja wisdom" akin to the 7 secrets of highly successful ninjas; and some extended discussions in the last few chapters nearly how James Bail brought ninja into the pop civilisation in the 1960's and how ane Japanese "ninja" connected to fight WWII in the jungles of Manila until 1972.
I hovered between a ii and a 3 on this. I found him glib and sometimes condescending towards his discipline. He also meandered into personal anecdotes related to his travels and research. Equally in the book I read on the Samurai recently, I felt the subject got curt shrift.
(Originally posted on my blog, Misprinted Pages.) [Annotation: I want your questions near real-life ninjas! Please include them in the comments here or on my weblog, and I'll try to pass them on to author John Human to reply.] Our thought of the quintessential ninja is a little curt of historical reality. In fact, what does the average person really know besides that they clothes in all black and are masters of stealth and assassination techniques? They didn't utilize magic, they couldn't walk on water, and their primary goal was non to impale or be killed. John Human'southward new book Ninja: ane,000 Years of the Shadow Warrior traces this order through history — from the first proto-ninjas to the true ninjas' rising prevalence in Iga and Kōga in Japan and their fall and last years. Much of the foundation of ninjutsu (the way of life) came from Chinese origins, and the ninja were more concerned with survival than their flashier counterparts, the samurai, who chose self-sacrifice and would commit seppuku, or suicide by disembowelment, rather than face up defeat. A ninja's objective involved gathering information and relaying it back to his employer, where information technology could be of apply — and that couldn't happen if ninjas charged in on enemy territory, prepared to die. Blackness wasn't fifty-fifty the necessary go-to color for a ninja. Brown worked just fine, too, and dark blue was preferable under moonlight. They weren't sell-outs who took any job every bit long every bit the price suited them. Ninjas believed in a crusade. Many doubled as samurai (and vice versa), but they did more than than sneak into castles nighttime later on night. They were farmers who built upward other expertise, such as medicine. When peace took hold and their occupation was in danger of vanishing completely, that's when they opened their teachings to the world and started writing them down. Some of the most fascinating aspects of Human's volume regard the myths and legends — the stories and rumored ninja tricks and equipment — which he analyzes and debunks. For case, he examines the falsity of how ninjas could tell time by looking at the eyes of a cat, dispels the conventionalities that ninjas could walk on water with special shoes chosen "water spiders," and picks autonomously the tale of the resourceful ninja dwarf Ukifune Jinnai. The best part is saved for concluding: the story of the "last of the ninjas," Onoda Hiroo, who survived in the jungle for thirty years, assertive World State of war Two hadn't ended. Ninja is quite the meandering history book, however. Sometimes the writing is utterly engrossing, and you can't pull away from the page. Other times, you'll find yourself needing a timeline or a sidenote that reminds y'all how certain sections are relevant to ninja history. That's usually when the volume strays from Homo's unique and compelling interview reporting — a commencement-hand investigation complete with observations and honest reflections equally the author learns from his visits and conversations with sources — and turns into a textbook. Ninja switches back and forth between being an astonishing reference, perfect for pop-culture enthusiasts who want an accessible dose of history, to a dry academic read. Lesser line: I greatly enjoyed my time with Ninja, but information technology'south not as much of a straight feed on ninjas every bit I expected. It can be fun, but it digresses too much into battle stories and other historical developments that the author only loosely connects back to the bailiwick at hand. Readers will likely experience lost at times. What I liked: The emphasis on kickoff-hand reporting, discrediting (or recounting) myths and legends, and the in-depth profile of Onoda Hiroo. What I wasn't expecting: A lot of talk of "ninjas" who weren't really ninjas. Grade: C+ This volume was provided by the publisher for honest review.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian. Ninja is another travelogue-ish, easy to read history of a broad and fascinating topic, in this example the history and afterlife of ninjas in Japanese culture. Information technology felt more bird-brained than Man's other books, and was more than of a chore to read; I wasn't really impressed, and although there were some very informative chapters virtually bodily ninjas and what they did, at that place'due south a lot of fluff nearly traditions and stories well-nigh ninjas that didn't actually add up to much. Of Homo'south books, I definitely wouldn't recommend this; if at that place's a amend volume out there about ninjas and their history, I remember I'd actually like to read information technology, please.
John Human'southward Ninja: 1,000 Years of the Shadow Warrior volition likely disappoint those looking for a proper history of one of Nihon's most famous cultural exports, as there's merely too much conjecture with the subject field matter to consider it reliable. Despite the premise of demystifying what the term 'ninja' has become in western civilization, Human freely uses information technology as an adjective, applying it to subjects that might not qualify - James Bond gets an inordinate amount of attention hither. While there' plenty of interesting bits here for those interested in Japanese history, even this as well ofttimes comes beyond like a superficial documentary on cable tv; one can almost hear the voice-over narration and audio effects added to still pictures already. Those expecting an exhaustive and meticulously researched account on the field of study may want to look elsewhere. Ninja: 1,000 Years of the Shadow Warrior Review on Popzara
Excellent history of the Ninja, but I call up the author may have bitten off more than he could chew with this book. Trying to tie the growth of the ninja clans into the other threads of feudal Japanese history with little to no background info on the history of the shogun and the samurai makes for a VERY confusing read for anyone not already familiar with Japan. If you lot have read anything else regarding the period, and then Ninja is an excellent companion piece. If not, the sheer number of names and places tin be very overwhelming...an appendix of famous names and clans would have been very helpful.
This book is a good "beginner book" on ninjas. It hits certain primal points throughout the history of ninjas and helps you lot better understand myth vs. fact. I gauge what sticks out to me though is when the writer talks about his travels in Japan to try and understand the history behind ninjas the discipline of the book becomes more well-nigh him and less near the topic he is writing about. Don't go me wrong, it's not that it totally destroys the volume, simply I could have washed without some of the ramblings and commentary he has about the people he is talking to for information in Japan.
An easy to read cursory history of Ninjas. The author switches betwixt history text and researcher'due south travelogue occasionally which makes certain parts of the ninja story more than real (ie the onetime guy in Japan with an attic total of quondam armor) and relieves the Japanese history newbie from to many names from Japanese history. Some of the more interesting parts are the modern legacy of the ninja (in that location is even a chapter on James Bond).
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Edited June 13, 2013 Pretty good book. The author has a tendency to conflate whatsoever war machine activeness involving the Japanese and charade into being "ninja-like" merely information technology definitely covered the history of the Koga/Iga region well. He does capture the chaos and shifting allegiances of feudal Nihon, although he tries to push button the idea that ninja regions were Athenian democracies pretty hard. And so, long and curt, I'grand skeptical about a lot of it, only it's a ripping read.
The multitude of names and places was a tad confusing. It took me a twelvemonth to read "Ninja" then I will admit that my stance may have differed if I had read it all in i sitting. Having said that, the book really shines when it details the beginnings of ninja culture. The "How to be a ninja" sections were slap-up, also as the chapters about the ceremonious war.
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Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15818347-ninja
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