The Pocket Samurai

Author:
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834830493
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 354

Book Description
The samurai of Japan, who were the country’s military elite from medieval times to the end of the nineteenth century, were synonymous 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, a Zen priest and adviser to samurai; Yamaoka Tesshu, a master swordsman whose colorful life was devoted to martial arts and Zen; along with many others.

The Pocket Hagakure

Author: Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 1611806992
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 249

Book Description
The definitive translation of the seminal treatise on the code of the samurai. Living and dying with bravery and honor is at the heart of Hagakure, a series of over 1,300 short texts written by eighteenth-century samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo. These texts illuminate the classic Japanese concept of bushido (the Way of the Warrior), which dictated how samurai were expected to behave, conduct themselves, live, and die. Acclaimed translator William Scott Wilson has selected and translated here three hundred of those texts to create an accessible distillation of this guide, making it one of the most thorough and astonishing windows into the captivating world of the samurai available. This edition includes an introduction that delves into the Zen concept of muga, or “death” of the ego, giving an in-depth historical and philosophical background for the more metaphorical reading of Hagakure that is based on Tsunetomo’s reference to bushido as “the Way of death.” Through this lens, which has held a morbid fascination for readers through the years, the classic takes on a fresh and nuanced appeal. This book was previously published under the title Hagakure. This book is part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series. The Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to everyday life.

#1 Pranks and Attacks!

Author: Laurent Richard
Publisher: Graphic Universe ?
ISBN: 146772095X
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 68

Book Description
Tao is studying martial arts at the famous Master Snow's school. But no matter how hard he concentrates on his lessons, mischief gets in the way! Tao plays pranks and jokes around with his friends Ray, Lee, and Kat. He also struggles to get to school on time, learn new moves, and?most importantly?avoid doing his chores.

Pink Samurai

Author: Nicholas Bornoff
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780671742669
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 520

Book Description
This extraordinary book reveals the exotic realm of the Water Trade--a world of bars and brothels, love hotels, baths and massage parlors, theaters and strip shows--and takes American readers on their first tour of Japan's sexual mores and practices. 8-page insert.

Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Author: Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Publisher: Xist Publishing
ISBN: 1681950448
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 105

Book Description
A Collection of Thoughts, Sayings and Meditations on the Way of the Samurai "It is said that what is called "the spirit of an age" is something to which one cannot return. That this spirit gradually dissipates is due to the world's coming to an end. For this reason, although one would like to change today's world back to the spirit of one hundred years or more ago, it cannot be done. Thus it is important to make the best out of every generation." — Tsunetomo Yamamoto, Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai A formerly secret text known only to the Samurai, Hagakure is a classic text on Bushido--the Way of the Warrior. More than just a handbook for battle, Hagakure is a text that filled with teachings that still apply in business, political and social situations today. This Xist Classics edition has been professionally formatted for e-readers with a linked table of contents. This eBook also contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it.

The Swordless Samurai

Author: Kitami Masao
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780312365448
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 284

Book Description
Hideyoshi, who called himself the Swordless Samurai, is the Japanese Horatio Alger. He was of peasant origin, but by bonding to powerful Lord Nobunaga, and being useful to him day and night, Hideyoshi secured a powerful patron. Much later, Hideyoshi became the most powerful man in Japan. This book tells how he did it.

Samurai

Author: Saburōshi Sakai
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description

Lethal Elegance

Author: Joe Earle
Publisher: MFA Publications
ISBN: 9780878467754
Category : Samurai
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
As the "soul of the samurai," the sword is famously both the symbol and instrument of Japanese military prowess. Less known, at least in the west, is its role as a fashion accessory or status symbol. More than the weapon itself, it was the sword's metal fittings--from the hand guard to the small decorative plates on the hilt--that reflected the complexities of samurai life. Some fittings were meant to convey the honor and self-control expected of a samurai, while other, more flamboyant fittings reflected the samurai's leisure-time persona as "man about town." Later, when the wearing of swords spread beyond the samurai class, both the decorative function of the fittings and the variety of their designs increased, leading to some of the most accomplished metalwork ever created. Now in paperback for the first time, Lethal Elegance presents 150 of these remarkable sword fittings, and is one of the few books to focus on their styles and techniques. It discusses the visual effects achieved with different alloys, the evolution of fittings following changes in warfare, symbolism and standards for connoisseurship. Though these objects were created for violent ends, their variety and beauty also reveal them as wonders of self-expression.

Samurai Wisdom Stories

Author: Pascal Fauliot
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834840758
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 161

Book Description
A collection of samurai stories of battles, strategy, conflict, and intrigue—featuring some of the greatest warriors and military leaders of the samurai era Martial artist and samurai scholar Pascal Fauliot has collected and retold twenty-eight wisdom tales of the samurai era. The tales are set in the golden age of bushido and represent the pinnacle of traditional Japanese culture in which aristocratic tastes, feudal virtues, and martial skills come together with the implacable insights of Zen. Some of the stories—like “The Samurai and the Zen Cat”—are iconic; others are obscure. They feature notable figures from samurai history and legend: military leaders and strategists such as Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu; sword masters; ronin; the warrior monk Benkei, and the ninja-samurai Kakei Juzo, among many others. These samurai stories are pithy and engaging, and include tales of battle, strategy, loyalty conflicts, court intrigues, breakthroughs in a warrior’s development, and vengeance achieved or foregone. Each tale reveals a gesture or an outcome that represents greater insight or higher virtue.

Rex

Author: Robert Gould
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780572033132
Category : Adventure stories
Languages : en
Pages : 95

Book Description
Six young friends become Time Soldiers when they stumble onto a secret time portal, leading them to an ancient world of dinosaurs and danger. The Time Soldiers fight to survive, escape the T. rex's fury, and make it home alive