Stephen Turnbull brings his usual meticulous detail and writing flair to Ninja: Unmasking the Myth, a fascinating account that does its best to dig through centuries of growing mythology to uncover the truth of Japan's famous spies and assassins. It's something of an update to Turnbull's 1991 book Ninja: The True Story of Japan's Secret Warrior Cult, using new sources and information (much of which has not been available in English before now) to paint a fuller, more accurate picture.

Turnbull traces the path from the espionage and covert tactics that weren't unusual in the Sengoku era, but weren't necessarily the domain of highly-trained specialists, to the image we see of ninja today, heavily influenced by comics and pop culture. The common assumption is that the mythical depictions we often see are heavily embellished but nonetheless based on kernels of truth, but Turnbull's research throws that into question as he unpicks the accuracy of even the more realistic, "historically accurate" portrayals.

Which isn't to say this book completely rejects or discredits the idea of and cultural fascination with ninja, either. As someone with a lifelong fascination with ninja, I was a little concerned about shattering that illusion, but the truth is every bit as interesting, as is piecing together how those myths came to be in the first place. This is a must read for anyone with even the slightest interest in ninja, whether in a pop cultural or historical sense, or in Japanese history more generally.

Ninja: Unmasking the Myth was a fascinating read from start to finish. I enjoyed the way the book covered both the known facts and the way the myth of the ninja has developed in popular culture. The work was clearly well researched and full of interesting information; however, a couple of the chapters felt a little 'dry', which is why it gets four stars from me, rather than five, as I did have to persevere through those before things picked up again. As someone currently learning Japanese, I appreciated the inclusion of kanji for some of the terms mentioned, with explanations of their meaning and origin, as that added an extra layer to the book. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to those interested in the idea of the ninja or anyone keen to learn more about Japanese history and culture.

This was a very interesting book, and I particularly liked that it dove into the difference between historical evidence and commonly accepted 'truth' and the role of media and myth. There were a few places, where I felt that more historical sources could have been useful for making points, and I was not as gripped by the writing style as I was by the subject matter. However, a fascinating read especially for anyone with an interest in ninjas whether from the historical pov or because of their role in the eyes of modern society.

Very informative! I've been quite interested into Japanese culture, especially in Ninjas. To be fair - my "knowledge" about them has so far come from Animes and books and they've always been portrayed rather different.
It was great to read some more actual references about Ninjas and Japanese culture and get a more realistic view on that.
Very informative and an actually educational read!
I received an ARC by Netgalley. Thank you!