The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido, by William Gleason

From the Amazon.com web site:

The spiritual world of Morihei Ueshiba, Aikido's Founder
Reviewer: aikigeorge@msn.com from Bellevue, WA January 23, 1998 - A student of Yamaguchi Sensei at Hombu Dojo in Japan for many years, Gleason Sensei has succeeded in giving us the first comprehensive exposition of the spiritual beliefs of the Aikido Founder, Morihei Ueshiba. A great companion volume for Aikido and the Harmony of Nature, this volume expresses theses concepts in the terms that he Founder himself would have used. Not an easy read, this book is best digested in manageable pieces. For the serious student of Aikido this book provides a wonderful window on how the physical techniques of the art are really a form of spiritual expression and allows one to go far beyond the viewpoint afforded by the very smell amount of writing that has been translated from the Founder's own words into English.

Reviewer: danieljm@pacbell.net from California, November 22, 1997
This book is an invaluable source of information regarding a truly spiritual martial art. One will leave this book with a foundational grasp of the history and techniques of Aikido.

ISBN: 0-8928-1508-6

The Essence of Aikido : Spiritual Teachings of Morihei Ueshiba
by John Stevens, Kisshomaru Ueshiba & Eric Chaline

From the Amazon.com web site:

A serious study of Aikido with scholarly precision.
Reviewer: Heng Liew (pliew@ihug.co.nz) from Auckland, New Zealand, January 23, 1998
A venture into the mysterious depth of Aikido. A must for all serious scholars interested in the study of O-Sensei's work and art. Unsuitable for half-hearted novices as most contents require critical study.

ISBN: 4-7700-1727-8

The Hidden Roots of Aikido, : Aiki Jujutsu Daitoryu, by Shiro Omiya

From the Amazon.com web site:

The Daitoryu is a brutally effective fighting method thought to have been first developed more than a thousand years ago by members of the Japanese imperial family. It was then refined and honed in great secrecy through centuries of hand-to-hand combat by highly trained warriors. It was this tradition that Morihei Ueshiba spent years studying just before he set out on his own to found Aikido - which has in recent years become one of the world's most popular martial arts. The roots of Aikido are in the Daitoryu, and for that reason Aikido practitioners will want to learn all they can about this martial art. The Hidden Roots of Aikido is the first book to appear in English that offers a detailed visual introduction to techniques of the Daitoryu tradition. Heavily illustrated with approximately 800 photographs, it gives a clear, complete picture of the steps involved in about 90 techniques.

Good cross reference for Aikidokas
Reviewer: A reader from Singapore, July 5, 1999
I was surprised by how similar daito ryu aiki-jujutsu techniques are to Aikido. This book is a good source of reference for me as I am curious about the relationship between Aikido and Aiki-jujutsu.It also provides a couple of different moves that I have not seen in the dojo.

A book for all Martial Artists
Reviewer: A reader from Tennessee, May 19, 1999
This book should not be limited to practitioners of the Aiki arts. Karateka who study this book will find a great wealth of information on the application of techniques present in their katas. If you have always seen a certain technique or series of techniques as limited to a particular interpretation, this book will help you move forward in understanding your art more fully.

ISBN: 4-7700-2327-8

Budo Training in Aikido, by Morihei Ueshiba

From the Amazon.com web site:

This book is the perfect "study at home" manual for the Aikido student. It's hard to remember all the Aikido techniques, and this book is exactly what the student needs for that purpose. I would recommend it to anyone studying Aikido.

Budo Training in Aikido is a book filled with 166 different Aikido techniques with steps on how to do each of them. This book, however, has very little written about the founder or the style itself. It talks a little about the techniques that are in the book and includes some Budo poems. This is more of a manual of the techniques of Aikido rather than an explanation for the style itself. If you are looking for a good book that explains everything about Aikido and [its] founder, Morihei Ueshiba, rather than one that walks through 166 techniques, then I would strongly recommend looking for a different book, such as "Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere", and "Invincible Warrior", both by John Stephens.

ISBN: 0-8704-0982-4

The Secrets of Police Aikido, Controlling Tactics Used by Law Enforcement Professionals, by Bill Sosa

From the Amazon.com web site:

Synopsis: Due to its nonaggressive nature, aikido is rapidly becoming the martial arts form most preferred by law enforcement officers. Now readers can learn valuable skills needed to thwart an attack and subdue an aggressor in The Secrets of Police Aikido, written by the founder and director of the International Aikido Association.

Written by an accomplished sixth-degree black belt in Aikido (the highest rank available to a non-Japanese adept), this book is an up-to-date manual for mastering the martial art preferred by police officers all across the country. Although Aikido is nonaggressive, skilled practitioners can easily control many challenging situations. Readers will learn how to heighten awareness, how to maintain readiness and advantage when approaching an opponent, and how to move out of the way of a punch and quickly take down an assailant. Here you'll also learn the history of this ancient art and its most effective preparatory exercises.

Reviewer: grochowski@ti.com from Dallas, Texas, January 4, 1998
More than just a manual of restraining and controlling techniques, this new book from the author of previously published "The Essence Aikido," comes with solid compilation of Aikido history and philosophy. Furthermore, he presents here, in concise and easy-to-follow manner, the underlying principles of the art, as well as the practical methods of Aikido training. In this new look at Aikido techniques, the author concentrates on several fundamentals as applied to self-defense. Every Aikidoka will be able to map the techniques, used in the situations presented on the pages of this book, to the basic Aikido exercises. Non-Aikidoka, seeking "self-defense tips," will find this manual to be a bountiful source of ideas. This publication represents an important step in the spread of awareness of practical aspects of the art of Aikido and a tribute to O-Sensei's creative effort. A must for anyone interested in learning what makes Aikido such a powerful martial art.

ISBN: 0-8065-1932-0