The Art Of The Samurai (yamamoto Tsunetomo’s Hagakure The New Illustrated Edition Of The Classic Japanese)

Discover the secret teachings of the ancient Japanese warrior culture with a new translation of this highly readable 18th-century masterpiece The life’s work of the former samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo, this is a treatise written 300 years ago, preserved for generations in northern Kyushu by warrior chiefs as moral and practical instruction for themselves and their samurai retainers. Closely guarded as secret teachings and shown only to a chosen few, the manuscript became generally available only in the post-samurai Meiji era(1868 onwards). The Art of the Samurai offers a fascinating insight into the Japanese ethic. This was a culture in which death was embraced rather than feared. Yamamoto tells his readers how to foster courage, how to serve selflessly, how to become a skilled master of your own destiny, and how to infuse life with beauty while acknowledging its transience. Yamamoto’s penetrating insights and profound maxims reflect important moral principles that still apply to us today. This illustrated edition of the ancient classic will enlighten anyone with an interest in Japanese culture and world literature. 300 years ago, the former samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo wrote Hagakure, a masterpiece on the art and values of these much-revered Japanese fighters; ever since, warrior chiefs have preserved it as a moral and practical treatise for themselves and their samurai retainers. Once closely guarded and shown to just a chosen few, it is now available to us all in this visually breathtaking new version. Whereas Machiavelli’s The Prince shows how to succeed amid treacherous political intrigues and Sun Tzu’s The Art of War reveals battle strategies for bloodless victory, Hagakure offers fascinating insight into Japanese "warrior-ness"—a mindset steeped in Zen-Confucian philosophy. Yamamoto Tsunetomo tells his readers how to foster courage, serve selflessly, become a skilled master of your own destiny, and infuse life in the here and now with beauty—while still acknowledging its transience. His timeless wisdom and profound aphorisms reflect important principles that still apply to life today. This illustrated edition of the classic text is an essential and stunning addition to any home library