Ninja: The First Complete Encyclopedia

There hasn’t been a book like this—neither in Russia nor in any European language. It is the only complete encyclopedia of NINJUTSU based on authentic Japanese sources. Everything about the martial art of ninjutsu and legendary “invisible” warriors, nicknamed the “demons of the night” (the word “shinobi,” which is synonymous with “ninja,” when translated from Japanese means “scout-saboteur”).

The origin of ninjas and the genesis of their unique combat skills, the formation and flourishing of ninjutsu during the era of civil wars and its decline under the shogunate, the “code of honor” and the secrets of mastery, the greatest “schools” and ninja “clans,” their weapons and equipment, fire weapons and spying devices, medicines and poisons—this encyclopedia has no secrets for you!

It has nothing to do with those cheap sensationalisms, advertising myths, and clichés that are fed to the uninitiated public. This is a serious professional study, based on the enormous amount of information gathered by the author during his trips to Japan, on medieval “gunki-mono” (“war tales”), where you can find detailed descriptions of reconnaissance operations, on the diaries and orders of military commanders, on genealogies of famous ninja families, and on authentic manuals and instructions that were passed down from generation to generation over hundreds of years.