This is a true and revealing account of the Ninja, the Japanese clandestine warrior cult of assassins and spies that has acquired a legendary status among martial arts enthusiasts and military historians. From material previously unpublished in the West, Stephen Turnbull recounts the history, battles, science, mysticism and even the modern aspects of the Ninja. Many of the sources for this book are his own translations from Japanese archives. Myths about the Ninja are exploded but the truth emerges here as far stronger than any fiction, making this work destined to become the standard work.