John Donohue Books In Order

Connor Burke and Yamashita Sensei Books In Publication Order

  1. Sensei (2003)
  2. Deshi (2005)
  3. Tengu (2008)
  4. Kage (2011)
  5. Enzan (2014)

Standalone Novels In Publication Order

  1. The Qi Eaters (2014)
  2. Wave Man (2016)

Non-Fiction Books In Publication Order

  1. Forge of the Spirit (1991)
  2. Human Condition in the Modern Age (1994)
  3. Warrior Dreams (1994)
  4. Herding the Ox (1998)
  5. Complete Kendo (1999)
  6. The Overlook Martial Arts Reader (2004)

Connor Burke and Yamashita Sensei Book Covers

Standalone Novels Book Covers

Non-Fiction Book Covers

John Donohue Books Overview

Sensei

In every case, the modus operandi is the same, and the only clue available is a cryptic message scrawled on the wall bearing the signature ‘Ronin’ the Japanese name for a masterless samurai. Connor Burke, a part time college teacher with a passion for the martial arts, is called in to help out with the investigation by his brother, an NYPD detective. With the help of his teacher, the master warrior Yamashita Sensei, Burke begins to follow the trail of clues that stretches across time and place, ultimately confronting his own fears, his sense of honor, and the ruthless killer who calls himself ‘Ronin’. Combining the exotic world of the Japanese martial arts with the gritty nuts and bolts aspects of a murder investigation, Sensei is a fast paced, riveting thriller that explores the links between people as they struggle for mastery, identity, and a sense of belonging.

Deshi

In each life the wheel of karma turns. Asian scholar and martial artist Connor Burke, who continues to labor under the stern tutelage of the master warrior Yamashita Sensei, is drawn once again into a murder investigation when the police discover a link between the victim and a mysterious martial arts sensei named Kita Takanobu. Kita has created a powerful New Age synthesis of Tibetan mysticism and the lethal heritage of the samurai. Along the way, Burke also finds himself pulled into the strange orbit of the Tibetan Lama Changpa, a mystic and clairvoyant who sees the dark clouds drawing in around Kita but is helpless to prevent a tragedy, as he follows a trail that ultimately leads to Kita’s elite mountain temple where he will face his most deadly challenge ever.

Tengu

Japan An intelligence analyst is murdered on temple grounds.

Manila Two embassy guards go missing and a bizarre execution video is discovered by a special forces team.

New York Martial arts expert Connor Burke is hired as a consultant for an elite US Army training program.

Mindanao Philippines A young Japanese ethnographer from Harvard University is kidnapped by a terrorist cell of Abu Sayeff.

A renegade martial arts Sensei known as the Tengu has been recruited to train a splinter group of Asian terrorists with links to Al Qaeda. The Tengu mourns the vanished prestige and cultural heritage of Imperial Japan. He, like the men he trains, believes the West is responsible for destroying the spiritual essence of a once great culture.

In a series of violent clashes spawned by the bizarre intersection of contemporary fundamentalist terrorist ideology and the personal vendettas of the Tengu, Connor Burke and his martial arts teacher Yamashita are pawns in a game that will ensnare them while they search for the most deadly of foes: the Tengu.

Warrior Dreams

This is an analysis of the martial arts as socio cultural and symbolic phenomena. As Americans search for a sense of purpose, belonging, and structure in life, they have chosen an Asian cultural tradition and changed it to suit the needs of contemporary American society. A brief historical summary of the development of martial arts in Japan sets the scene for the reinterpretation of the role of these arts by American mass media. Donohue, an anthropologist with a black belt in karate, explores the important role that the martial arts play in the American psyche. As a means of developing personal power, self defense systems are aesthetic and spiritual practices as well as statements of urban paranoia reacting against street violence and life threatening situations. Martial arts organizations are seen as symbolic vehicles for enmeshing participants in constellations of actions and philosophies that create a sense of self and community.

Herding the Ox

This book uses the Ten Oxherding Pictures of Zen as a springboard to discuss the spiritual and ethical dimensions of martial arts training. By combining historical vignettes about some of Japan’s greatest warriors with thought provoking analysis, it illuminates the relationship between Zen concepts and real life experience in the martial arts. Written by a martial artist who is also a professional educator, ‘Herding the Ox‘ takes the reader on an entertaining and enlightening journey into the search for a deeper meaning in the martial arts.

Complete Kendo

A thorough introduction to the Japanese martial way of the sword, ‘Complete Kendo‘ covers every aspect of the discipline, from equipment and terminology to technique and strategy. Photos throughout.

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