Miyamoto Musashi

When it come to books of strategy - Sun Tzu's - The Art of War - comes to mind. So does The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli . One book you can't overlook if you're into strategy - is The Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi. Just like the other books listed above (and several other's that are not as popular) - the book takes a mind into the darker and marvelous side of mans tactical skills and nature.

Where do these skills and tactics come from and how are they realized? Read the book - Sun Tzu took us on a millitary strategy - Musashi takes us on this path through his own personal and individual experience. As a man on his own - who was fighting for reasons that were apparent at that time. Feudal Japan was no ordinary walk in the park at the time of the Samurai - you had to hold onto your balls!!


This short insert is from: Wikipedia.
Miyamoto Musashi ( Miyamoto Musashi?) (c.1584–June 13 (Japanese calendar: May 19), 1645), also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke, or by his Buddhist name Niten Dōraku[1], was a famous Japanese samurai, and is considered to have been one of the most skilled swordsmen in history. Musashi, as he is often simply known, became legendary through his outstanding swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age. He is the founder of the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū or Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship and the author of The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho), a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today.

Musashi wrote The Book of Five Rings on startegy based on his encounters as a samurai in feudal Japan:

"I have trained in the way of strategy since my youth, and at the age of thirteen I fought a duel for the first time. My opponent was called Arima Kihei, a sword adept of the Shinto ryu, and I defeated him. At the age of sixteen I defeated a powerful adept by the name of Akiyama, who came from the province of Tajima. At the age of twenty-one I went up to Kyoto and fought duels with several adepts of the sword from famous schools, but I never lost."

— Miyamoto Musashi, Go Rin No Sho.

Read this book if you've already read Sun Tzu or Machivelli. Offcourse there are several translations available, just like with the other books - by various author's. We recommend the one above.

Peace!