Zoughari, Kacem. The Ninja: Ancient Shadow Warriors of Japan (The Secret History of Ninjutsu). 1 ed., Vermont, Tuttle Publishing, 2013, pp. 28-88. The Ninja: Ancient Shadow Warriors of Japan (The Secret History of Ninjutsu), is a book about the art of ninjitsu, including its various forms, how it is practiced and the history of ninjitsu. However, for doing research on historical ninja, its second and third chapters, “The Public Record of Ninjitsu”, and “The Private History of Ninjitsu,” proved the most informative. “The Public Record of Ninjitsu,” is a condensed total history of ninjitsu in Japan. Dr. Kacem goes through the history of ninja, period by period, discussing historical mentioning’s of ninja, and ninja like practices. Most interestingly,
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Upon finding this book, it seemed very rooted in pop culture, and I was weary. However, though he is a martial artist enthusiast and practitioner of ninjitsu today, Dr. Kacem Zoughari’s credentials are quite enough to qualify him in providing accurate and informed research, as he holds a PhD in Japanese history and culture. That being said, the tone of the novel definitely leans towards a sort of idolization of practitioners of ninjitsu and a general willingness to believe ninja tales of yesteryear. However, even despite that overall tone, the book is written in an easy to read manner, that someone with no knowledge of ninja would learn a great deal, not just about the art of ninjitsu, but also the history behind the real ninja of Japan. After already having read quite a great deal about the historical ninja, I wish I could have read this first, as it is a great guide of historic places, wars, and people, that would have served as a roadmap for my research. However, even with background knowledge I had, there was still information I had not previously learned, and much of the other articles and books I read corroborated much of this text which made me more confident in the information I have acquired so far. I would recommend it as a general guide, although maybe not something to use as research is coming to a
Upon finding this book, it seemed very rooted in pop culture, and I was weary. However, though he is a martial artist enthusiast and practitioner of ninjitsu today, Dr. Kacem Zoughari’s credentials are quite enough to qualify him in providing accurate and informed research, as he holds a PhD in Japanese history and culture. That being said, the tone of the novel definitely leans towards a sort of idolization of practitioners of ninjitsu and a general willingness to believe ninja tales of yesteryear. However, even despite that overall tone, the book is written in an easy to read manner, that someone with no knowledge of ninja would learn a great deal, not just about the art of ninjitsu, but also the history behind the real ninja of Japan. After already having read quite a great deal about the historical ninja, I wish I could have read this first, as it is a great guide of historic places, wars, and people, that would have served as a roadmap for my research. However, even with background knowledge I had, there was still information I had not previously learned, and much of the other articles and books I read corroborated much of this text which made me more confident in the information I have acquired so far. I would recommend it as a general guide, although maybe not something to use as research is coming to a