The Pocket Samurai

by William Scott Wilson (Translator)

Selected writings from the most influential texts of the samurai era—in a pocket-size edition.

The samurai of Japan, who were the country's military elite from medieval times to the end of the nineteenth century, were synonmous with valor, honor, and martial arts prowess. Their strict adherence to the code of bushido ("the way of the warrior"), chivalry, and honor in fighting to the death continues to capture the imagination of people today, inspiring authors, filmmakers, and artists. The Pocket Samurai contains the essential writings of the era by the most esteemed samurai and philosophers of the age, including the iconic Miyamoto Musashi, author of The Book of Five Rings ; Yamamoto Tsunetomo, author of Hagakure , the best-known explication of the samurai code; Takuan Soho, the Zen priest and adviser to samurai; Yagyu Munenori, whose The Life-Giving Sword describes a deeply spiritual approach to sword fighting; and others.

Genres: Nonfiction, Martial Arts

272 pages, Paperback

First published July 21, 2015

Reviews

[Blindzider · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Excerpts from various writings be different people, detailing their views on the Way and how to live that life. Some were more explicit than others and it was interesting to see some commonality between them. Worth rereading every once in awhile as a reminder or get a new perspective on the writing.

[Sabin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informativă pentru curiosii de istorie militară japoneza/samurai. Aceștia vor găsi referințe biografice și literare ale celor mai importanți luptători și gânditori ai epocii feudale, printre care îi amintesc pe Musashi, Shingen, și Mototada.

[Madman Reads & Rocks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of interesting samurai references. Most of which I don't know much about but found it intriguing nonetheless.