Samurai and Ninja (9784805313343)

The myths of the noble Samurai and the sinister Ninja are filled with romantic fantasy and fallacy.

Samurai and Ninja expert Antony Cummins shatters the myths and exposes the true nature of these genuine—and very lethal—medieval Japanese warriors. The Samurai and Ninja were, in fact, brutal killing machines trained in torture and soaked in machismo. Many were skilled horsemen and sword-fighting specialists, while others were masters of deception and sabotage. Some fought for loyalty, others for personal gain. What these warriors all shared in common was their unflinching personal bravery, skill and brutality.

In Samurai and Ninja, Cummins separates myth from reality and shows why the Japanese were the most skilled warriors of all time:

• He describes the Samurai and the Ninja as they were in earlier times when battles raged across Japan—not in later times when war became obsolete and Japanese warriors became philosophers, scholars and courtiers.
• He describes the social context of the day and the feudal world into which the warriors were trained to fight and die for their lords.
• He exposes the fundamentally brutal nature of warfare in medieval Japan.

This book is illuminated by many rare Japanese manuscripts and texts which are translated into English for the very first time.


About the Author:
Antony Cummins is a world-renowned Ninja historian. His background as an archaeologist gives him unique insight into the mysterious world of the historical Ninja and Samurai. Cummins' works include translations of the most authentic Ninja documents available to modern researchers and readers. He is the author of several books on Ninja and Japanese warfare, including: True Path of the Ninja, The Book of Ninja, Iga and Koka Ninja Skills, The Secret Traditions of the Shinobi, In Search of the Ninja, Samurai War Stories and The Book of Samurai.