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The Complete Musashi: The Book of Five Rings and Other Works: The Definitive Translations of the Complete Writings of Miyamoto Musashi - Japan's Greatest Samurai
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About The Complete Musashi: The Book Of Five Rings And
Product Description 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 original Japanese classic, the result is a far more accurate and meaningful English version of The Book of Five Rings text. Richly annotated and with an extensive introduction to Musashi's life, this version includes a collection of his other writings—translated into English for the first time. A respected scholar, as well as a skilled martial artist, Bennett's understanding of Musashi's life and work is unparalleled. This book will be widely read by students of Japanese culture, history. military strategy, and martial arts. It sets a new standard against which all other translations will be measured. Review "This is a very good edition of this important document, made more valuable by the lengthy introduction and the inclusion of all six of the works currently attributed to Miyamoto Musashi, which allow us to see how his views developed, and places the famous Book of Five Rings into the context of his life." — History of War blog "Dr. Bennett possesses a profound knowledge of, and deep insight into, the world of Japanese bushido. This expertise has been enhanced by his extensive practical experience of the traditional martial arts of Japan, and his proficiency in this domain is highly acclaimed." — Tetsuo Yamaori, former Director of the International Research Center for Japanese Studies "The classic text on the code of the warrior by legendary samurai Musashi (1584–1645) has been newly and artfully translated by Bennett…In an informative introduction, Bennett takes great care to separate the myths from the known facts of Musashi's life, while covering Japanese history and Musashi's daring exploits…Bennett also addresses the samurai's lasting influence…Extensive footnotes offer illumination on topics ranging from the fragility of weapons in combat to the shades of meaning in ideograms. Color illustrations enhance this superb new edition of a classic, an evident labor of love." — Publishers Weekly About the Author Alex Bennett has two doctoral degrees in Japanese literature and history from Kyoto University and the University of Canterbury (NZ). He is a professor in Japanese history, martial arts and Budo theory at Kansai University. He is Vice President of the International Naginata Federation, International Committee Member of the All Japan Kendo Federation, Director of the Japanese Academy of Budo, and he is Head Coach of the NZ Kendo national team. He co-founded and publishes Kendo World, the first English-language journal dedicated to Kendo. He holds black belts in several martial arts—Kendo Kyoshi 7-dan, Iaido 5-dan and Naginata 5-dan. His published works include Japan: The Ultimate Samurai Guide and Hagakure: The Secret Wisdom of the Samurai.
