Complete Musashi: The Book of Five Rings and Other Works

Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) is the most famous Samurai who ever lived. His magnum opus, the Go-Rin-Sho or Book of Five Rings is a classic that is still read by tens of thousands of people each year—Japanese and foreigners alike. Alex Bennett''s groundbreaking new translation of The Book of Five Rings reveals the true meaning of this text for the first time. Like Sun Tzu''s The Art of War, Musashi''s book offers unique insights, not just for warriors, but for anyone wanting to apply the Zen Buddhist principle of awareness to achieve success in their endeavors. This book sheds new light on Japanese history and on the philosophical meaning of Bushido—the ancient "code of the Japanese warrior." Unlike other translations that are based on incomplete and inaccurate versions of Musashi''s work, Bennett''s is the first to be based on a careful reconstruction of the long-lost original manuscript. Capturing the subtle nuances of the