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The Book of Five Rings Hardcover – May 15, 2012

by Miyamoto Musashi (Author), Shiro Tsujimura (Illustrator), William Scott Wilson (Translator)

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When the undefeated samurai Miyamoto Musashi retreated to a cave in 1643 and wrote The Book of Five Rings, a manifesto on swordsmanship, strategy, and winning for his students and generations of samurai to come, he created one of the most perceptive and incisive texts on strategic thinking ever to come from Asia.

Musashi gives timeless advice on defeating an adversary, throwing an opponent off-guard, creating confusion, and other techniques for overpowering an assailant that will resonate with both martial artists and everyone else interested in skillfully dealing with conflict. For Musashi, the way of the martial arts was a mastery of the mind rather than simply technical prowess—and it is this path to mastery that is the core teaching in The Book of Five Rings.

William Scott Wilson’s translation is faithful to the original seventeenth-century Japanese text while being wonderfully clear and readable. His scholarship and insight into the deep meaning of this classic are evident in his introduction and notes to the text. This edition also includes a translation of one of Musashi’s earlier writings, “The Way of Walking Alone,” and calligraphy by Japanese artist Shiro Tsujimura.

The Book of Five Rings

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Editorial Reviews

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“Embraced by many contemporary readers as a manual on how to succeed in life.”—"Library Journal"

"Embraced by many contemporary readers as a manual on how to succeed in life."--"Library Journal"

About the Author

Miyamoto Musashi, who lived in Japan in the 1600s, was an undefeated dueler, a masterless samurai, and an independent teacher. He spent the last decades of his life refining and teaching his military science.

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Product details

Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Shambhala; Bilingual edition (May 15, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590309847
ISBN-13: 978-1590309841
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 7.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (845 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Martial Arts
- #11 in Books > History > Military > Strategy
- #63 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Eastern

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Top Customer Reviews

Immediately Applicable and Relatable for anyone studying strategy or training themselves to find and leverage advantage in their

BySTEPHEN C MCINTOSHon May 30, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I would place Musashi-san's Book of the Five Rings on par with classical teachers like Sun Tzu, Laozi. His book lacks detail compared to some of the classics, but that is one of its strengths. He spends approximately 1/6th of the short book on the movements and tactics for sword-fighting, which may be of varying value to readers - depending on their interest on the subject.

Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" places emphasis on large scale military operations; which lends itself to modern business (in the mind of the reader, and in many modern expositions on a domain-by-domain basis) - supply chains, market saturation, globalization, operational budgeting, etc., Musashi-san's "Way" is likewise applicable. Musashi-san focuses on large scale and small scale (individual) battle, offering useful comparisons and contrasts. For me, the individual focus was extremely insightful and personal. It may suit individuals who have situations of high responsibility or discretion (e.g., negotiations, debate, martial arts, software development), or cases where an individual does not have an abundance of resources or allies - and opportunity is gained through competition.

The book is highly quotable, and I found myself reading this short <100 page book over a month's time because every few pages gave me something to think about, research, mull over, and discuss. Almost paradoxically, his vagueness and insistence that the reader practice, research, and train builds toward a thesis - "By learning one thing, one should know 10000 (myriads)."

As a retired IT person and CIS college instructor - my lesson on any topic was not to memorize procedures or things easily looked up in technical references; but principles, how information flows, how to identify processes (and problems in them), to detect the presence of patterns, or put simply "How is this problem or system similar or different from others you've encountered. I wish I had known about this book sooner, as he does an excellent job demonstrating this approach to learning.

0Comment 5 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Great translation of an excellent book in a small but ...

ByKindle Customeron January 12, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This Edition:
Great translation of an excellent book in a small but well constructed hardback. The addition of various calligraphy and Musashi's The Way of Walking Alone are a welcomed treat that adds further depth to an already remarkable book.

This book:
The Go Rin No Sho (a.k.a. The Book of Five Rings) is the definitive book on Samurai Philosophy by the archetype of The Wandering Samurai himself, Miyamoto Musashi. Throughout his remarkable life, Musashi developed a philosophy and a style all his own. As stated early in the text, his philosophy is not Budhism, nor Taoism nor any other existing philosophy. It is rather a hard won and practical philosophy, almost a code of conduct and a way of viewing the world that is not bound by esoteric nor abstract thinking. Instead, his writing is about a gradual awakening and clarity of thought that his many and varied experiences led him to. Despite being written by a rampant, unwashed and bewilderingly intelligent swordsman with an odd smattering of formal education, his ability to elucidate the intricacies of strategy and apply it to all aspects of life are staggering and surprisingly relevant even now. You do not have to be a fan of Japan, Samurai, the Edo period, eastern philosophy or any other genre you may want to file this book under in order to appreciate it. It is relatively short, easy to read, to the point and like the man himself, deadly accurate. Enjoy the genius that is The Book of Five Rings.

0Comment 17 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Less of a read, more of a guide. ...

ByTroy Brinkeron January 25, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Less of a read, more of a guide. One that should be read over and over. If you practice the teachings in conjunction with the book, you will find that not only your fighting skills will benefit, but overall awareness, well-being, wisdom, etc. will be enhanced. Just because sword fighting is a lost art form does not mean that it should be studied less or does not apply to many other art forms or forms of combat. My only issue with the book is that it should be longer. However, perhaps that is the point. Since every word has immense substance, and though there are little, every inch should all be taken heavily.

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A great read. It's about more than just sword play

ByAmazon Customeron March 28, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

A great read. It's about more than just sword play. It's strategy. Musashi sure used his noggin. All the swords in the world won't protect you if you can't use your noggin. At first it will seem difficult. Everything is difficult at first.

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Good advice

ByVergilon June 7, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

It is usually summed up in three actions, train really hard everyday, be knowledgeable of _____, or be of dual nature. Fairly easy to say summed up but the book goes into great detail of what to look for and train yourself on

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Loved it

ByMaddieon March 9, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Interesting book. Parts of it were hard for me to follow. Such as the parts on types of attacks and parrying... but I had to read everything because even In those paragraphs such as stabbing the heart there would be a lesson in life. I got a great picture in my head while reading this of what was being said. If you open your mind and really read it. You caN learn something from each paragraph if not each sentence

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Most Recent Customer Reviews

Five Stars

Came in great condition, exactly what I was looking for.

Published 2 days ago by Amazon Customer

This is the 2nd Best English Translation

This is the 2nd Best English Translation, WILLIAM SCOTT WILSON is the better version, buy that one, this one has some stuff like more artwork & pictures about Musashi's Life.

Published 4 days ago by Amazon Customer

As Usual, Xist Classics Version Falls Short

This is specifically for the Xist Classics version, since Amazon can't see fit to keep reviews sorted with their specific version.Read more

Published 4 days ago by DAJ

Enlightening view from Miyamoto Musashi

Exactly what I expected from the "greatest swordsman". Musashi. Everything centers around the sword and its use in combat, but the subtleties about how to approach life is...Read more

Published 12 days ago by Barbara K.

I'm glad I did

Lovely book. I was told by a friend to purchase it!!! I'm
glad I did!!!

Published 16 days ago by Deb Ea

Not what I expected. I had heard that it ...

Not what I expected.I had heard that it was a philosophical book about being a warrior and balancing that life with other pursuits..Read more

Published 19 days ago by Amazon Customer

Four Stars

I chopped off 7 heads in just three weeks, and you can too! Thanks, Book of Five Rings!

Published 26 days ago by Amazon Customer

History has a a comeuppance

Once again David has written an intriguing mystery that includes twists, turns and surprises. Along the way he offers clues that indicate possible solutions, but be careful what...Read more

Published 1 month ago by Floyd Sylvester

Good book

This book Is ancient but vital to anyone that wants to use strategy to succeed in life wether it's warrior or business strategies.

Published 1 month ago by Kindle Customer

Don't let olympic rings vision dissuade you from this beauty

This is my 5 book(ironic that it's the 5th I have bought) that I have bought but I keep giving them as gifts, it's really a great book for those wishing to learn of an ancient way...Read more

Published 1 month ago by Amazon Customer

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