Hagakure

The Book of the Samurai

Living and dying with bravery and honor is at the heart of Hagakure, a series of texts written by an 18th-century samurai, Yamamoto Tsunetomo. It is a window into the samurai mind, illuminating the concept of bushido (the Way of the Warrior), which dictated how samurai were expected to behave, conduct themselves, live, and die. While Hagakure was for many years a secret text known only to the warrior vassals of the Nabeshima clan to which the author belonged, it later came to be recognized as a classic exposition of samurai thought. The original Hagakure consists of over 1,300 short texts that Tsunetomo dictated to a younger samurai over a seven-year period. William Scott Wilson has selected and translated here 300 of the most representative of those texts to create an accessible distillation of this guide for samurai. No other translator has so thoroughly and eruditely rendered this text into English.

For this edition, Wilson has added a new introduction that casts Hagakure in a different light than ever before. Tsunetomo refers to bushido as "the Way of death", a description that has held a morbid fascination for readers over the years. But in Tsunetomo's time, bushido was a nuanced concept that related heavily to the Zen concept of muga, the "death" of the ego. Wilson's revised introduction gives the historical and philosophical background for that more metaphorical reading of Hagakure, and through this lens, the classic takes on a fresh and nuanced appeal.

©1979, 2002, 2012 English translation by William Scott Wilson. Introduction by William Scott Wilson (P)2014 Audible Inc.

AWESOME

I loved this book! If one seeks to learn Samurai culture and history, this book is for you. It is simply beautifully crafted in its words and wisdom.

Great listen to this masterful translation.

Excellent narration by Mr. Nishii whose knowledge of the japanese language brings clarity to the stories and samurai names. Well done, thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook.

Great Book with Many Great Hidden Gems

I've read this as a printer book twice and decided to try the audio version, and I was not disappointed. William Scott Wilson did a fantastic read as well!

Familiarity with terminology needed

I admit to little knowledge of japanese terms. Some books are much harder to understand and follow in audio format. I have found that this book is one of those.

Amazingly performed, a look into Edo Japan

Brian Nishi gives a beautiful rendition of Hagakure, the book itself providing great Edo insight