Stephen Turnbull is the world s leading authority on samurai culture and an expert on ninja. He took his first degree at Cambridge and has two MAs (in Theology and Military History) from Leeds University. In 1996 he received a PhD from Leeds for his thesis on Japan s Kakure Kirishitan. In its published form the work won the Japan Festival Literary Award in 1998\. Having lectured in East Asian Studies and Theology he is now retired and is an Honorary Lecturer at Leeds, a Research Associate at SOAS and Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies at Akita International University. In lighter vein his expertise was put to use in helping design the award-winning computer strategy game _Shogun Total War_, and in 2010 he acted as Historical Adviser to Universal Pictures for the movie _47 Ronin_.
A valuable book that deftly steers through confusing and controversial materials. Even ninja apologists will feel that honour has been served. Turnbull admirably exposes and investigates the careless retrospective interpretations of the 20th century, but in doing so, manages to reclaim the historical shinobi--Jonathan Clements, Author of A Brief History of the Martial Arts An absolutely fascinating and impressively informative read from cover to cover, Ninja: Unmasking The Myth is an extraordinary and detailed study --Midwest Book Review