Having just read the companion book about samurais, I knew what to expect with this little book on ninjas: a light but comprehensive overview about the history and and activities of the ninja figure in Japanese history accompanied by various illustrations. I certainly got that, but to be honest, I'm not sure exactly why I don't like this book as much as the samurai book. I think it's because ninja history is so scarce (because the best ninja is the one no one knows about) that any "history book" ends up being a compilation of facts and myths by necessity. In fact, the final chapter is all about controversies caused by the myths surrounding ninjas, including the school of thought that ninjas never even existed in the first place. The end result ends up feeling a little clunky while readers are left skeptical. Is what I just read true or not? It's anyone's guess.

My favorite part of the book is the historical overview of the rise and fall of the ninja, at least to our best guess. Personally, I feel like this grounds the ninja figure because it shows how those in this role operated in the larger socio-political climate of the time, as well as how they would have had to adapt in order to survive (allegedly, of course).

The sections about the training and habits of the ninja were certainly fascinating, and they go a long way from dispelling the mystique that the ninja is a glamorous, super human assassin. Their job is grueling, dangerous, and probably the least glamorous profession in Sengoku-era Japan, especially when compared to their counterparts, the samurai. Honestly, I would have loved a little more in-depth comparison between the two classes because they're set up in opposition to the other, and that dichotomy is just fascinating to me.

This book is not nearly as gory as the samurai book (and it's not that the samurai book was gory so much as it shed light on the gory details of the job). It's approachable, light, and an easy read to pass the weekend or after a long day of work. I recommend this book for anyone who's looking to learn a little more substance about ninjas that's not from a tv show capitalizing on their notoriety. ( )

It's a useful book, though I'm not sure how much I trust its contents. It's pretty to look at too. ( )

I picked this book up as a gift for a relative and decided to give it a read before it disappeared into the all consuming black hole that is commonly known as a “teenager’s room”. I’m glad I did, this is a interesting light read on the history of the ninja. It covers from before the time of the first ninjas to the last recorded ninja mission in the 1800’s. It’s written in easy to understand language and does not get bogged down in the details of each section. Each section is pretty through on hitting the important parts of what it is covering and sometimes directing the reader to where they can get more information. If you are getting this for a child / teenager who is interested or may become interested in the subject there is a short bibliography in the back of the book for more information. On a side note it’s not really a long book, half of the pages have a picture of some sort on them, usually showing what the opposite page is describing. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the history of ninjas (child or adult) and to those looking for a place to start on learning about it. M.a.c ( )