The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi

by William Scott Wilson

Book Overview

An expert on samurai history paints a vivid, multi-faceted portrait of feudal Japan and Miyamoto Musashi--the legendary swordsman who wrote the classic martial arts treatise, The Book of Five Rings... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 477002942X
• ISBN13: 9784770029423
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Kodansha
• Length: 287 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Art and spiritual balance warrior image

Being a novice student of both the martial arts and Japanese culture and history (though I have a good collection of Japanese swords--fueling much of my interest in both the above subjects), I found Wilson's book both readable and enlightnening. I have read "The Book of Five Rings" three or four times, but after reading "The Lone Samurai" it is much more meaningful to me. The best contribution of Wilson's book is his emphasis on Musashi the artist. I did not know previously that Musashi is also known not only as a great swordsman (and strategist), but is one of Japan's greatest artists in the india ink painting style. It is easy to see Wilson's point about the similarity between the total commitment of a deadly sword strike and the brush stroke of non-erasable ink. (This comparison also explains and qualifies one of Musashi's most famous and apparently mistranslated quotes from "The Book of Five Rings": "The way of the warrior and the way of the pen are the same." It should read, "the way of the warrior and the way of the BRUSH," which is more accurate if not quite so profound and philosophical-sounding.) I was also very interested to learn for the first time that of Musashi's famous "over sixty duels" in fact most of them were not to the death. This, and the extensive discussion of Musashi's art, make him seem much less the grim fanatic that sometimes dominates Musashi's image. Don't be fooled, therefore, by the inappropriately lurid style of the book's cover art! This is not another sensational/specialized publication for the macho martial artist and samurai wannabees. (I delayed buying this book for years because I was so put off by the misleading cover.) "The Lone Samurai" is actually and elegant and respectful study, written in a way that balances thorough scholarship with affection and readability. My only criticism (other than the book's cover) is what other reviewers have noted already: Wilson could have included a chapter, or expanded parts of the existing book to include more context about the history and culture of Japan, especially during Musashi's time. However, this did not keep me from being able to follow the basic "plot" of the book. Also, this is not really a "288-page" book. Wilson has tried hard (and fairly) to flesh out the limited factual material available with interesting comparative sources, but be advised that the actual biography is less than 165 pages, including analysis of Musashi's "Principles."

Great For Starters

Miyamoto Musashi is something of a folk hero in Japan, and like many others, there has been a lot of legend attached to his name. In Japan, volumes have been written about him, and there is often some debate about him, as well. All in all, Musashi makes an interesting character to learn about. Miyamoto is perhaps most famous for his style of swordsmanship, mostly for using two swords simultaneously. He is also famous for his pyschological tactics, his use of a wooden sword and also his fights where killing his opponent did not happen. Musashi was also an accomplished painter, gardener, and poet. For this, and much more, he is worthy of some serious study. "The Lone Samurai" is one of the few books, (relatively speaking to the reams and reams written in Japanese), available to English speaking readers. It is not a detailed book, but it provides you with a good overview of the man and his life. In addition to a very well written text, the book provides some pictures of Musashi's work in paintings and so on. For such a short book, "The Lone Samurai" introduces the reader well to many aspects of this complex and deep individual. I honestly came away from this book with a feeling of intimidation mixed with inspiration. Musashi was man who had achieved a large amount of success in many fields, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to what he was doing. In that sense, my own lack of devotion to living life was highlighted. Musashi is a guy who may leave you with some moments of self-reflection. "The Lone Samurai" is not going to give you all the detail, but it will serve as a great launching point for further reading into Musashi's life and philosophy. It is a great book about one of the central figures in the history of Japanese martial arts. I highly recommend it to martial artists and non-martial artists alike: a great read!

Very good

What first attracted me to this book was the cover illustration although the one that i own has a different image of musashi on it. When i began to read the book it was hard for me to put it down. Wilson does a very good job of presenting the life of Musashi to the reader. Included in this book is a map and a section of notes that help you to follow and understand every one of Musashi travels. According to Wilson himself the difficult aspect of writing a biography on Musashi is that not much was known about the man however through his studies Wilson carefully weaves the story of this man together. His approach is very realistic in the sense that there are no parts of the book that made me think that a particular incident could not have happened. Also included towards the end of the book were sections from the art of war and the book of five rings including others in which Wilson compares and contrasts the work of Musashi to other well respected men. If you have an interest in Musashi or just admire the samurai pick it up.

The historical Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi, like Billy the Kid, Rob Roy MacGregor and Robin Hood, is a historical figure who has become so obscured by fictionalized accounts and romantic dramas that it is difficult to separate fact from fancy. In "The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi," William Scott Wilson has stripped the legends away and presents a true historical account of the wandering swordsman, artist and philosopher. In this instance, the history is no less interesting than the fantasy. Wilson, who has an impressive resume when dealing with Musashi and the Samurai, having translated Samurai works such as "Hagakure," "The Life-Giving Sword" as well as Musashi's own "The Book of Five Rings," presents us with a "Real Live Human Being." He has sifted through the various conflicting history books and biased clan records, investigated the several "confirmed" birth places and graves of Musashi, and logically assembled an accurate history of the man, his philosophy and his biography. From his first lethal match at 13, to the famous duel at Ganryu Island that was to secure Musashi's place in history, followed by his later years refining his technique and maturing into the warrior-poet who would write "The Book of Five Rings," secluded in an isolated cave on the grounds of a Buddhist temple, Musashi's complete life is detailed. More than Musashi the warrior, it is clearly the seemingly contradictory image of Musashi the philosopher and artists that interests Wilson the most. Of Musashi's 60 duels, only the most important are given any coverage, but several of his paintings and works of art are analyzed in-depth, discussing both the skill Musashi had with an ink brush as well as the Zen Buddhist philosophies backing each piece. Backgrounds are given on the various art styles, including an analysis of the kanji (Chinese characters) that make up each art form. Perhaps he felt that Musashi the warrior had received enough attention from other sources, but the artists needed a bit more spotlighting. It does make one wish for a Musashi art book, detailing his works. Wilson does assume some familiarity regarding Japanese history and Musashi's life on the part of the reader. Such things as the Waring States period, familiar to anyone who knows Japanese history, are not explained but are put forward as common knowledge. There is some interesting analysis of the kanji for the various names of the warriors, and Wilson shows how, in spite of the books title, Musashi was not an actual Samurai at all, as he never served a lord. Musashi was a bushi, a warrior. In addition to the main text, Wilson includes some fascinating appendixes, juxtaposing the legend of Musashi as told in Kabuki plays, movies and Yoshikawa Eiji's famous book with the accurate history. Also of interest is a comparison of the philosophies of "The Book of Five Rings" with similar tomes such as Sun Tzu's "The Art of War." All of this is packed into a fairly slim and highly readable book.