What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi
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
Born in 1584, Miyamoto Musashi was the legendary samurai known throughout the world as a master swordsman, spiritual seeker, and author of the classic book on strategy, The Book of Five Rings . Over 350 years after his death, Musashi and his legacy still fascinate readers worldwide, inspiring artists, authors, and filmmakers.
In The Lone Samurai , respected translator and expert on samurai culture William Scott Wilson presents both a vivid account of a fascinating period in feudal Japan and a portrait of the courageous, iconoclastic samurai who wrestled with philosophical and spiritual ideas that are as relevant today as they were in his time. For Musashi, the way of the martial arts was about mastery of the mind rather than simply technical prowess—and it is this path to mastery that is the core teaching in his Book of Five Rings . This special volume includes supplemental material on Musashi’s legacy as a martial arts icon, his impact on literature and film, and the influence of his Book of Five Rings .
Born in 1584, Miyamoto Musashi was the legendary samurai known throughout the world as a master swordsman, spiritual seeker, and author of the classic book on strategy, The Book of Five Rings . Over 350 years after his death, Musashi and his legacy still fascinate readers worldwide, inspiring artists, authors, and filmmakers.
In The Lone Samurai , respected translator and expert on samurai culture William Scott Wilson presents both a vivid account of a fascinating period in feudal Japan and a portrait of the courageous, iconoclastic samurai who wrestled with philosophical and spiritual ideas that are as relevant today as they were in his time. For Musashi, the way of the martial arts was about mastery of the mind rather than simply technical prowess—and it is this path to mastery that is the core teaching in his Book of Five Rings . This special volume includes supplemental material on Musashi’s legacy as a martial arts icon, his impact on literature and film, and the influence of his Book of Five Rings .
287 pages, Hardcover
First published August 11, 2004
173 people are currently reading
5253 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
May 21, 2019
3.5 stars
This tells the story of perhaps the most skilled, and certainly the most famous, of the samurai swordsmen of the Edo period in Japan. Known for having fought at the battle of Sekigahara which brought the Tokugawa Shogunate to power, and never losing one of the sixty duels he was said to have undertaken, Musashi has become a legend. Surprisingly he was a ronin, a masterless samurai and even a shugyosha, or itinerant wandering swordsman, as opposed to the perhaps more popularly imagined established warrior affiliated with (or even leading) a famous clan or house; thus the book’s title of “The Lone Samurai”. I find it intriguing that one of the greatest heroes of a culture that seems to have enshrined the values of obedience to one’s lord even to the point of death and compliance to the mores of society upon which one’s honour is based, is a man who appears to have been something of an individualist and a loner, a man intent on making his own way regardless of the opinions of others or even, quite often, the social standards of his day. Indeed despite being born into a culture based on influence and patronage Musashi stands out as a man who claimed to have no teacher in the various Ways he pursued (and he was not only a swordsman, but also an artist, metallurgist, and perhaps even a Zen master). Is this the height of self-aggrandizing arrogance or merely astonishing talent and individualism? It is perhaps because of this that Musashi can be seen as “the ultimate outsider” despite his cordial relationships with several high ranking daimyo.
There is certainly something of hero worship in this narrative of Musashi’s life, though one must admit that he seems to have been a figure of immense talent and drive. On the one hand the author’s research has obviously been extensive and his knowledge of the culture and era is impressive. Wilson has done his best to stick to the facts (as many as are known anyway) and present a historically accurate version of a life that has subsequently become shrouded in myth and legend. On the other hand I did sometimes find myself shaking my head at his penchant for attributing to Musashi specific thoughts and feelings, declaring what Musashi “must have thought”, or “must have felt” based on, for example, his own interpretation of the swordsman’s ink paintings, or using a passage from Musashi’s writings to go on and imagine a hypothetical conversation the swordsman may have had with a famous daimyo or Buddhist monk of his acquaintance. One gets the impression that he is so close to his subject that he feels he has gained an intuitive insight into Musashi’s character based on what I think can be fairly called circumstantial evidence. This being said, though, I can’t wholly blame him for indulging in such speculations.
In addition to providing an informative framework for Musashi’s life the book also gave me some insight into some of the foundations of Musashi’s thoughts on the martial arts. Psychology (knowing and exploiting one’s enemy) and fluidity of thought and movement appear to have been keys to Musashi’s Way of the Sword. His teachings appear to promote individuality in his students, as opposed to slavish emulation of a ‘perfect style’ as is appropriate for such an apparent individualist. One must not be beholden to a particular style, stance, or weapon, but be open to whatever proves necessary, to be able to respond to events as they unfold. There are no secret stances, thrusts, or movements in Musashi’s work and one becomes a master of the sword primarily through rigorous practice, keen observation, and openness to any circumstance that may occur.
After the main portion of the text detailing Musashi’s life and thought is complete the remainder of the book (and a significant portion) is taken up by the appendices. These cover the various developments of the story of Musashi in Japanese culture (both traditional and popular) from kabuki and bunraku drama to novels, movies, and manga; the possible influences on his famous work on the way of the sword, The Book of Five Rings, from other sources such as Sun Tzu, The Mysterious Record of Immovable Wisdom a contemporary work that examines the connections between martial arts and the philosophy of Zen by the Zen Buddhist monk Takuan Soho, and the famous swordsman Yagyu Munenori’s martial arts manual The Life-Giving Sword There is also an exhaustive list of the movies based on Musashi’s life.
All in all I’d say this is a great place to start for a look at the ‘real’ life of the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, especially after you have thrilled to his more fanciful (though perhaps not any more exceptional) adventures in Eiji Yoshikawa’s Musashi or Takehiko Inoue’s Vagabond.
This tells the story of perhaps the most skilled, and certainly the most famous, of the samurai swordsmen of the Edo period in Japan. Known for having fought at the battle of Sekigahara which brought the Tokugawa Shogunate to power, and never losing one of the sixty duels he was said to have undertaken, Musashi has become a legend. Surprisingly he was a ronin, a masterless samurai and even a shugyosha, or itinerant wandering swordsman, as opposed to the perhaps more popularly imagined established warrior affiliated with (or even leading) a famous clan or house; thus the book’s title of “The Lone Samurai”. I find it intriguing that one of the greatest heroes of a culture that seems to have enshrined the values of obedience to one’s lord even to the point of death and compliance to the mores of society upon which one’s honour is based, is a man who appears to have been something of an individualist and a loner, a man intent on making his own way regardless of the opinions of others or even, quite often, the social standards of his day. Indeed despite being born into a culture based on influence and patronage Musashi stands out as a man who claimed to have no teacher in the various Ways he pursued (and he was not only a swordsman, but also an artist, metallurgist, and perhaps even a Zen master). Is this the height of self-aggrandizing arrogance or merely astonishing talent and individualism? It is perhaps because of this that Musashi can be seen as “the ultimate outsider” despite his cordial relationships with several high ranking daimyo.
There is certainly something of hero worship in this narrative of Musashi’s life, though one must admit that he seems to have been a figure of immense talent and drive. On the one hand the author’s research has obviously been extensive and his knowledge of the culture and era is impressive. Wilson has done his best to stick to the facts (as many as are known anyway) and present a historically accurate version of a life that has subsequently become shrouded in myth and legend. On the other hand I did sometimes find myself shaking my head at his penchant for attributing to Musashi specific thoughts and feelings, declaring what Musashi “must have thought”, or “must have felt” based on, for example, his own interpretation of the swordsman’s ink paintings, or using a passage from Musashi’s writings to go on and imagine a hypothetical conversation the swordsman may have had with a famous daimyo or Buddhist monk of his acquaintance. One gets the impression that he is so close to his subject that he feels he has gained an intuitive insight into Musashi’s character based on what I think can be fairly called circumstantial evidence. This being said, though, I can’t wholly blame him for indulging in such speculations.
In addition to providing an informative framework for Musashi’s life the book also gave me some insight into some of the foundations of Musashi’s thoughts on the martial arts. Psychology (knowing and exploiting one’s enemy) and fluidity of thought and movement appear to have been keys to Musashi’s Way of the Sword. His teachings appear to promote individuality in his students, as opposed to slavish emulation of a ‘perfect style’ as is appropriate for such an apparent individualist. One must not be beholden to a particular style, stance, or weapon, but be open to whatever proves necessary, to be able to respond to events as they unfold. There are no secret stances, thrusts, or movements in Musashi’s work and one becomes a master of the sword primarily through rigorous practice, keen observation, and openness to any circumstance that may occur.
After the main portion of the text detailing Musashi’s life and thought is complete the remainder of the book (and a significant portion) is taken up by the appendices. These cover the various developments of the story of Musashi in Japanese culture (both traditional and popular) from kabuki and bunraku drama to novels, movies, and manga; the possible influences on his famous work on the way of the sword, The Book of Five Rings, from other sources such as Sun Tzu, The Mysterious Record of Immovable Wisdom a contemporary work that examines the connections between martial arts and the philosophy of Zen by the Zen Buddhist monk Takuan Soho, and the famous swordsman Yagyu Munenori’s martial arts manual The Life-Giving Sword There is also an exhaustive list of the movies based on Musashi’s life.
All in all I’d say this is a great place to start for a look at the ‘real’ life of the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, especially after you have thrilled to his more fanciful (though perhaps not any more exceptional) adventures in Eiji Yoshikawa’s Musashi or Takehiko Inoue’s Vagabond.
August 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this biography. Learned a lot, about the man, about the culture of the time, and how roaming swordsmen would seek each other out and fight against each other to prove skill or technique. I was not aware either that the famous WWII battleship was named after this samurai.
I would say that he was quite the Renaissance man being that he was an author, artist, master swordsman, among many other things, but it seemed to be fairly common for the time period that the warriors were involved in many other mindful pursuits. This does not cheapen his abilities or craft though, his art is widely regarded today as being on the same level as his sword abilities, which was arguably second to none.
I would say that he was quite the Renaissance man being that he was an author, artist, master swordsman, among many other things, but it seemed to be fairly common for the time period that the warriors were involved in many other mindful pursuits. This does not cheapen his abilities or craft though, his art is widely regarded today as being on the same level as his sword abilities, which was arguably second to none.
November 15, 2008
Miyamoto Mushashi, Japanese kensai (sword-saint), definitely one of the greatest swordsmen of all time. During his first 30 or so years, he fought in over 60 duels, loosing none. He also took part in 4 major battles. In his later years he took up painting, sculpting, even writing (his classic The Book Of Five Rings is still in wide use today). He eventually died in his 60s of old age.
But perhaps the most impressive fact is that he did this all as a masterless, wandering swordsman (shugyosha). In medieval Japan, with it's rigid social structure, Musashi managed to live his entire life as a free man, occasionally accepting guest status under a lord but nothing more.
The author (who is the one responsible for translating Hagakure into English) not only tells the tale of Miyamoto Musashi, but takes time to tell the other side when there are alternate accounts of the same event. He also goes into great detail on the artists and monks that Musashi met during his lifetime, and speculates on meetings that probably happened but were not documented.
As an added bonus, the book also includes an extensive chapter on dramatic work about the life of Musashi, not just films but Kabuki theater and the like.
But perhaps the most impressive fact is that he did this all as a masterless, wandering swordsman (shugyosha). In medieval Japan, with it's rigid social structure, Musashi managed to live his entire life as a free man, occasionally accepting guest status under a lord but nothing more.
The author (who is the one responsible for translating Hagakure into English) not only tells the tale of Miyamoto Musashi, but takes time to tell the other side when there are alternate accounts of the same event. He also goes into great detail on the artists and monks that Musashi met during his lifetime, and speculates on meetings that probably happened but were not documented.
As an added bonus, the book also includes an extensive chapter on dramatic work about the life of Musashi, not just films but Kabuki theater and the like.
May 18, 2025
Great insight into a sword saint
What a fantastic biography! I've seen people argue that this account of the life of Miyamoto Musashi is dry and uninteresting, but I couldn't disagree more. With the description of each duel, you feel as if you can see the fight taking place. Beyond that, we get an insight into the incredible psychological awareness that Musashi employed in order to gain an advantage over his opponents before any conflict even began. I found the section on his painting to be quite thought provoking, too.
What a fantastic biography! I've seen people argue that this account of the life of Miyamoto Musashi is dry and uninteresting, but I couldn't disagree more. With the description of each duel, you feel as if you can see the fight taking place. Beyond that, we get an insight into the incredible psychological awareness that Musashi employed in order to gain an advantage over his opponents before any conflict even began. I found the section on his painting to be quite thought provoking, too.
December 4, 2022
Японская классика. Лучшая книга про стратегию, на мой взгляд.
March 2, 2011
The book the Lone Samurai is about the life of Miyamoto Musashi. The author William Scott Wilson wrote this because he wanted to get a better understanding of the man behind the legend. Which in my opinion the author gives get information of Musashi’s that most do not know.
Musashi is a legend in Japanese history because he is considered the greatest samurai of his time period from about the late sixteenth century to the early seventeenth century. Unlike most samurai of legend Mushashi is a “ronin,” or a masterless samurai. How you became a ronin was your clan was either destroyed by a rival, while you survived, or you were banished from the clan because of disrespect, or because of crimes. Ronin tend to be trouble makers for other samurai clans due to their tendencies to duel great samurai. This is done so that they may be noticed, and possibly assimilated into a clan as an instructor. However didn’t seem to be interested in joining a single clan, although he did favor some clans when going to war.
Musashi was unlike most samurai in the period. Most samurai wore very flashy or nice formal garment with clean hair and skin showing their dominance through wealth. Musashi was described as unkempt, and tended to take baths when he felt like it, and yet he always won. More importantly than his looks; it was his mind set that set him apart from other samurai. Durring many of his duels he would show up late, but not five or ten minutes late; he would show up two to four hour late. Why did he do this? He did this to mess with his opponent’s mind which would lead him to victory. Another thing he would do was use an weapon that was on hand, and in some cases he would use a wooden sword against his opponents.
During his many duels; he never truly lost to any opponent no matter how skilled the opponent he used a mixture of strategy and wit to fight his foes. By doing this he became a legend among Japanese history. If you wish to learn more of the man behind the legend read the Lone Samurai, and you will see the life of Musashi unfold; from his first duel to his last duel; to the writing of his famous book “the book of five rings,” as well as the battles he went through. You will know the life of the arguably greatest warrior of all time.
Musashi is a legend in Japanese history because he is considered the greatest samurai of his time period from about the late sixteenth century to the early seventeenth century. Unlike most samurai of legend Mushashi is a “ronin,” or a masterless samurai. How you became a ronin was your clan was either destroyed by a rival, while you survived, or you were banished from the clan because of disrespect, or because of crimes. Ronin tend to be trouble makers for other samurai clans due to their tendencies to duel great samurai. This is done so that they may be noticed, and possibly assimilated into a clan as an instructor. However didn’t seem to be interested in joining a single clan, although he did favor some clans when going to war.
Musashi was unlike most samurai in the period. Most samurai wore very flashy or nice formal garment with clean hair and skin showing their dominance through wealth. Musashi was described as unkempt, and tended to take baths when he felt like it, and yet he always won. More importantly than his looks; it was his mind set that set him apart from other samurai. Durring many of his duels he would show up late, but not five or ten minutes late; he would show up two to four hour late. Why did he do this? He did this to mess with his opponent’s mind which would lead him to victory. Another thing he would do was use an weapon that was on hand, and in some cases he would use a wooden sword against his opponents.
During his many duels; he never truly lost to any opponent no matter how skilled the opponent he used a mixture of strategy and wit to fight his foes. By doing this he became a legend among Japanese history. If you wish to learn more of the man behind the legend read the Lone Samurai, and you will see the life of Musashi unfold; from his first duel to his last duel; to the writing of his famous book “the book of five rings,” as well as the battles he went through. You will know the life of the arguably greatest warrior of all time.
March 8, 2023
I've been reading this book on and off for many months now. I believe it's boring at times and extremely interesting at others, but in the end it succeeds in telling the story of Mushashi who is a fascinating person and I always wanted to learn more about his life.
July 23, 2016
This book paints a picture of an extraordinary man from a culture markedly different from current day American culture. I admit that I don't know much about the Edo period in Japan and thus most of the names of the people that Mushashi encountered during his life meant little to me. I suppose to truly appreciate the man you need to understand the times and the culture in which he lived. I came away with a sense of who Mushashi was, but much of the Zen Buddhist philosophy was lost on me. I felt there was quite a bit of unnecessary repetition of his character in the book. I got the point that his Way was to empty his mind of everything but the task at hand and to live fully in the moment. He lived a wanderer's existence with no care to acquisition. He had no formal education and yet was very well educated and accomplished in the arts in addition to being an undefeated swordsman. I feel this book was more geared toward a student of Japanese history and culture, than just the curious reader who wanted to know what made Musashi so special and revered.
November 16, 2017
This read like a long book report on Miyamoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings (of which I now have no desire to read, ever). I'm not a samurai aficionado but I'm less than impressed by Musashi. Maybe I just don't get it. It seemed like his teaching was really just "figure it out yourself." Also, sounds like he harped on other teachers who taught specific moves and stances, saying it slows you down learning all this stuff. Being a samurai and fighting is all about survival. In my mind, that's just silly. I mean, you don't HAVE to duel anyone. If you're going to challenge someone to a duel, I feel you need rules. Otherwise, you basically just invited someone to their death and how is that better? I don't know. I don't get it.
March 15, 2018
This is an interesting topic, and a difficult book to write because of the paucity of hard information about the subject. The book is interesting and covers Musashi's life and the legend as well as can be expected. The problem for me is that it is written like a martial arts book, of which I have read many. As a biography it does not pull in the reader and make them part of the story. It is clinical and very 3rd person. There are way too many other people named rather than telling a story with all the characters in it. The difficulty for non-Jananese speakers is that so many of the names cited in the telling sound very similar to western ears and are hard to keep track of.
August 4, 2008
A very interesting character, a skilled, undefeated warrior and a gifted artist at the same time. The book takes you to a different time - 17th century Japan - and follows the life of Miyamoto Musashi from the time he left home until his death. The author also talks about Musashi's book - "The Book of Five Rings".
March 26, 2013
Far too long winded. Only about a quarter of the book is about Musashi Miyamoto and most of that about his post fighting days. The rest is waffling on about other people and unnecessarily talking about other books. An eighty paged book on his life would have been much better than 250 odd pages of mostly filler.
December 26, 2007
If you like Japanese history, philosophy in action, and reading a true life story of a legend, then this is a good book. This man was amazing and whose impact is still felt today in Japan and the modern world.
April 10, 2008
This is the biography of Miamoto Musashi; the greatest Samurai that ever lived. He was an artist, warrior, and poet. Even if this is not in your related interests, everyone will be astonished by the life this man lead.
April 16, 2008
Musashi is one of the great martial artist, philosopher, performed-artist, painter etc. His Zen's influences on his arts is amazing and very meaningful for application in life. Nice book for collections.
May 9, 2008
The lone Samurai is based on the life of Miyamoto Musashi. It is a pieced together of scrolls and written accounts of his life as a swordsman, artist, zen master, budist priest, and hermit. Great book! I plan on passing it off to a few friends to read and recommend it for everyone.
October 1, 2019
I'm finished with The Lone Samurai: An excellent story about the focus and desire of one of the greatest swordsmen in the history of mankind. Teaching himself to master several arts and skills, he became the master of all he attempted. A life of dedication wonderfully told.
July 27, 2009
beautiful biography of one of the last true bushi of Japan
September 28, 2020
Long time fan of Will Wilson... its cause I knew him.
Great action and another fine story
Great action and another fine story
September 3, 2021
Pretty dry, and not very approachable for a Westerner unless you are already intimately familiar with Japanese history.
February 13, 2008
Salah satu biografi terakhir yg gue baca - dan akan sangat gue sarankan; the Lone Samurai - Miyamoto Musashi, karya Wilson. Bahasanya sgt bagus (terjemahannya jg), strukturnya menarik, ulasannya detil, tp nggak kehilangan kejelasan nya maupun juga tdk terjebak mjd bertele2. Buku tsb juga tidak terjebak ke salah satu sisi; tdk memuji2, tetapi juga tidak mencaci-maki. Akan sgt disarankan bila elo terlebih dahulu sudah baca novel nya Eiji Yoshikawa yg segede bantal itu (tapi udah gue baca ulang 20x, hanya dalam waktu 3 tahun, hehe.. My most fave book ever; pertama baca dlm bentuk serial di majalah Hai th 80-an.. Bener nggak sih?).
Tak dapat disangkal betapa besar nya pengaruh Miyamoto Musashi dlm membentuk jiwa bangsa Jepang modern spt saat ini, dan bahkan pengaruhnya pun juga terasa di dunia Barat. Musashi lah, tokoh sejarah satu2nya di seluruh dunia yg seolah tak pernah habis diceritakan dan diceritakan ulang; tentunya semua dg versi masing2 dan mnrt kepentingan sendiri2. Tak jarang masing2 cerita tsb bertabrakan dg seru nya, atau bahkan menggambarkan Musashi scr ngawur - baik dari segi sifat, penggambaran suatu kejadian, maupun lokasi & waktu kejadian. Tetapi dari kesemua versi tsb, tiba2 Yoshikawa Eiji menyodok dg novel Musashi, yg pertama kali diterbikan sbg cerita serial pada sebuah surat kabar Jepang terkemuka.
Semangat Musashi digambarkan dg baik saat nama nya dipilih sbg nama salah satu dari 2 (dua) kapal tempur (battleship) terbesar di Jepang, dan bahkan terbesar di dunia, yg dibangun & diluncurkan menjelang berakhirnya Perang Pasifik. Nama kapal lain nya adalah 'Yamato', yg merp nama kuno Jepang (mungkin spt nama 'Nusantara' utk menunjuk Indonesia). Dari situ dapat terlihat cerminan semangat, harapan, dan pertaruhan bangsa Jepang menjelang saat2 yg sangat menentukan tsb.
FYI, saking menariknya novel tsb, sebagian besar dari kita secara tidak sadar lantas menerima nya sbg suatu kebenaran; sbg sosok Musashi yg sebenarnya! Hal tsb dapat dimengerti karena adanya kebutuhan mendasar kita yg scr psikologis merindukan sosok yg spt kita. Sosok pejuang sejati pencari kebenaran; yg tdk dapat diikat dg kenikmatan, kemewahan, dan kepalsuan duniawi. Sosok yg tegar, jujur, independen, dan gaung nya yg sayup terasa romantis.. Sosok yg karena kemampuannya bersosialisasi dan berdiplomasi dapat berada di mana2, tetapi sekaligus juga tidak berada di mana2. Sosok yg dapat bergaul & diterima oleh semua kalangan; di zaman yg masih mengandalkan pada perbedaan kelas.
Utk pertanyaan, "...Apa sebagus buku musashinya eiji yoshikawa?..". Jawabannya; keduanya JELAS tidak bisa diperbandingkan. Karena hukum dasar perbandingan adalah harus "apple-to-apple"; alias hrs membandingkan hal yg sama persis. Sementara buku Wilson merp BIOGRAFI sedangkan buku Yoshikawa Eiji jelas2 merp NOVEL, walaupun berlandaskan sejarah, dan dapat dipertanggungjawabkan. Bila kita tela'ah lebih mendalam, akan segera terlihat bhw banyak kasus, atau bahkan sosok, di dalam novel tsb yg ternyata FIKTIF; guna lebih 'menghidupkan' jalan cerita.
Akan tetapi, nah ini dia yg menarik; Yoshikawa Eiji menciptakan tokoh2 fiktif tsb dg pertimbangan teliti, dengan cara membuat personifikasi atas unsur2 dasar dlm kehidupan manusia, maupun berdasarkan prinsip2 Jalan Pedang Musashi. Hal ini dimaksudkan guna mengisi 'bolong-bolong' yg terdapat pada diri Musashi sbg catatan sejarah. Contoh gamblang dapat segera terlihat; Matahachi (karib Musashi) merp perwakilan sifat malas & gampang menyerah, ibu Matahachi merp perwakilan sifat dengki, iri hati, dan kebencian yg membabi-buta, Oetsu merp perwakilan cinta kasih, kepercayaan, kesetiaan, dan ketulusan.. dsb
Kesemua hal tsb, yg digambarkan scr implisit di dlm novel Yoshikawa Eiji, sebaliknya disebutkan secara sangat eksplisit dalam biografi Wilson, yg didukung dg penelitian sangat intensif dg menggunakan berbagai sumber otentik ttg diri Sang Maestro. Dengan pengamatan yg penuh perhatian tapi tetap kritis, Wilson mencoba menelaah pikiran Musashi sbg seorang samura legendaris dg berbagai ide filosofis dan spiritual, yg masih sgt relevan hingga hari ini, sbgmn relevan pada zaman nya dahulu. Musashi menemukan kedamaian dan kebahagiaan sprititual dalam upaya pencarian cara utk menyempurnakan Jalan Pedang yg dipilihnya, dan akhirnya menyadari bahwa apapun Jalan yg kita pilij utk kita tempuh, pastilah akan menuju pada kesempurnaan.
The Lone Samurai bukan hanya sekedar cerita ttg zaman feodalisme Jepang; biografi tsb jg menceritakan ttg kisah seorang manusia dlm perjalanannya utk mencari jawaban, kesempurnaan, dan 'Jalan' itu sendiri..
Fakta lain yg diungkapkan dlm biografi tsb adalah bhw Musashi tdk pernah mandi selama hidup nya, kecuali hanya membasuhkan handuk dingin ke sekujur tubuh & wajahnya. Dengan demikian, salah satu adegan yg terjadi dalam novel Musashi, di mana beliau masuk & bertahan di bawah curahan ber-ton2 arus deras air terjun (setelah seorang diri membantai puluhan samurai Klan Yoshioka yg terkenal), sedangkan Oetsu terpuruk di tepian karena cinta, tampaknya tidak pernah terjadi --> pdhl ini salah satu adegan terkuat & paling emosional dlm novel yg sangat gue sukai itu..sayang sekali..hiks..:p
Ada bbrp fakta menarik lainnya dlm biografi tsb; terutama yg paling menarik adalah kehidupan Sang Maestro stlh 'duel Pulau Ganryu' melawan Sasaki Kojiro. Duel itu sendiri merp duel satu lawan satu yg paling terkenal dlm kehidupan Musashi, yg lantas merubah jalan hidup nya, dan kelak akan sangat mempengaruhi sejarah bangsa Jepang selama bbrp ratus tahun berikutnya.
Kemudian fakta2 menarik lain ttg kehidupan 'keluarga' Musashi (beliau mengangkat bbrp murid mjd anak nya; salah satu nya, Miyamoto Iori), ttg kebebasannya dan keluasan pergaulannya (termasuk dg kalangan bangsawan & penyair/seniman terkemuka saat itu), dan ttg betapa sbnr nya Musashi juga terkenal dlm banyak bidang lain di luar perkelahian dg pedang - yaitu sbg pemahat, pelukis, seniman minum teh, seniman kaligrafi, pelempar pisau ulung, arsitek pertamanan, ahli strategi, ahli tata kota (planologi), dsb.
Btw, dari buku itu, gue tertarik utk eksplorasi lbh jauh dg cara beli buku sampingannya - yg saling melengkapi & banyak sekali disebut2 dalam pembahasan buku biografi tsb (kmrn, beli di amazon jg);
The Unfettered Mind - Takuan Soho
(pendeta Zen pengembara yg mjd guru spiritual nya Musashi, dan pencipta 'Acar Takuan' yg hingga skrg msh mjd makanan pendamping wajib di Jepang). Buku tsb disebut2 sbg saling melengkapi dg The Books of Five Rings. Dan tentunya..
The Books of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi
kitab ke-3 & terakhir karya Musashi, yg diselesaikan hanya bbrp saat sblm beliau wafat. Berisi konsep Jalan Pedang yg diyakini & diamalkannya, strategi tempur, dan pedoman2 lain. Sejak terbit hingga skrg luas dibaca di barat & seantero dunia sbg Buku Strategi Manajemen yg mumpuni; bersaing dg Kitab Perang Sun Tzu. Hanya saja perlu diingat, bhw kitab Musashi yg fenomenal tsb tnyt tidak berisi ttg metode2 "How To", tetapi utama nya berisikan konsep2 pengendalian diri yg adiluhung, di mana keahlian kita telah berkembang sedemikian rupa hingga telah mjd bagian dari diri kita & kesadaran kita sendiri, yang bersatu mjd 'kehampaan'. Atau disebut juga 'Konsep Bergeming' (terjemahan Gramedia dlm 'the Lone Samurai' yg mnrt gue agak kurang pas) - bergerak tapi tidak bergerak, berpikir tapi tidak berpikir. Singkatnya (penafsiran pribadi gue) mungkin dapat disebut sbg 'Just Do It', jangan kebanyakan pikir2 nanti gimana.
Hints: mungkinkan pengarang buku laris "Blink" terpengaruh oleh konsep Musashi tsb?
Setahu gue, the Unfettered Mind blm diterjemahkan (adakah rekan yg tahu barangkali ada penerbit yg merencanakan penerjemahan buku tsb?). Sedangkan the Books of Five Rings pernah gue beli terjemahannya 3 th lalu (Kitab Lima Cincin) di toko buku Newsstand, Pasar Festival, Kuningan. Sayangnya, buku tsb skrg sulit dicari; mungkin karena diedarkan oleh penerbit kecil dg modal kecil pula (3,000 exp only?). Sayangnya lagi, buku tsb terlihat jelas HANYA merp ringkasan kasar dari pikiran2 Musashi, dan ternyata merp terjemahan dari Thomas Clearly, dan bukannya Wilson. Kelebihannya, buku tsb juga memuat buku "Sejarah Keluarga" karangan Yagyu Munenori. Kitab tsb sendiri merp pusaka keluarga Daimyo besar & terkenal Klan Munenori; yg merp pendekar pedang dg gaya pedang tersendiri. Selain berisikan metode pedang, kitab tsb juga berisikan berbagai hal lain yg tak kalah menariknya.
Lebih jauh, sbnrnya sih, Clearly juga merp seorang penerjemah karya2 Jepang (dan Timur) yg cukup terkenal. Tapi spt nya cara penulisan (dan pemahaman) Wilson jauh lbh menarik; just a though. Faktanya; Wilson merp penerjemah edisi bhs Inggris novel-nya Yoshikawa Eiji.
FYI, adapun the Books of Five Rings diterbitkan dlm bhs Inggris baik oleh Clearly maupun Wilson. Tetapi pilihan gue tentu tetap pada Wilson (karena alasan2 di atas). Dan walaupun gue udah punya edisi Clearly versi bahasa Indonesia yg ringkas itu, kmrn gue tetap beli edisi Wilson versi bhs Inggris. Mudah2an akan jauh lebih berguna..:p
Jakarta 14130 Cilincing
Wed, Feb 01, 2006 - 2:48 PM
Harga:
edisi Indonesia (ongkos kirim tak termasuk)..... IDR 51.000.- www.inibuku.com
edisi bhs Inggris (ongkos kirim tak termasuk) .. USD 16.72 - www.amazon.com
Tak dapat disangkal betapa besar nya pengaruh Miyamoto Musashi dlm membentuk jiwa bangsa Jepang modern spt saat ini, dan bahkan pengaruhnya pun juga terasa di dunia Barat. Musashi lah, tokoh sejarah satu2nya di seluruh dunia yg seolah tak pernah habis diceritakan dan diceritakan ulang; tentunya semua dg versi masing2 dan mnrt kepentingan sendiri2. Tak jarang masing2 cerita tsb bertabrakan dg seru nya, atau bahkan menggambarkan Musashi scr ngawur - baik dari segi sifat, penggambaran suatu kejadian, maupun lokasi & waktu kejadian. Tetapi dari kesemua versi tsb, tiba2 Yoshikawa Eiji menyodok dg novel Musashi, yg pertama kali diterbikan sbg cerita serial pada sebuah surat kabar Jepang terkemuka.
Semangat Musashi digambarkan dg baik saat nama nya dipilih sbg nama salah satu dari 2 (dua) kapal tempur (battleship) terbesar di Jepang, dan bahkan terbesar di dunia, yg dibangun & diluncurkan menjelang berakhirnya Perang Pasifik. Nama kapal lain nya adalah 'Yamato', yg merp nama kuno Jepang (mungkin spt nama 'Nusantara' utk menunjuk Indonesia). Dari situ dapat terlihat cerminan semangat, harapan, dan pertaruhan bangsa Jepang menjelang saat2 yg sangat menentukan tsb.
FYI, saking menariknya novel tsb, sebagian besar dari kita secara tidak sadar lantas menerima nya sbg suatu kebenaran; sbg sosok Musashi yg sebenarnya! Hal tsb dapat dimengerti karena adanya kebutuhan mendasar kita yg scr psikologis merindukan sosok yg spt kita. Sosok pejuang sejati pencari kebenaran; yg tdk dapat diikat dg kenikmatan, kemewahan, dan kepalsuan duniawi. Sosok yg tegar, jujur, independen, dan gaung nya yg sayup terasa romantis.. Sosok yg karena kemampuannya bersosialisasi dan berdiplomasi dapat berada di mana2, tetapi sekaligus juga tidak berada di mana2. Sosok yg dapat bergaul & diterima oleh semua kalangan; di zaman yg masih mengandalkan pada perbedaan kelas.
Utk pertanyaan, "...Apa sebagus buku musashinya eiji yoshikawa?..". Jawabannya; keduanya JELAS tidak bisa diperbandingkan. Karena hukum dasar perbandingan adalah harus "apple-to-apple"; alias hrs membandingkan hal yg sama persis. Sementara buku Wilson merp BIOGRAFI sedangkan buku Yoshikawa Eiji jelas2 merp NOVEL, walaupun berlandaskan sejarah, dan dapat dipertanggungjawabkan. Bila kita tela'ah lebih mendalam, akan segera terlihat bhw banyak kasus, atau bahkan sosok, di dalam novel tsb yg ternyata FIKTIF; guna lebih 'menghidupkan' jalan cerita.
Akan tetapi, nah ini dia yg menarik; Yoshikawa Eiji menciptakan tokoh2 fiktif tsb dg pertimbangan teliti, dengan cara membuat personifikasi atas unsur2 dasar dlm kehidupan manusia, maupun berdasarkan prinsip2 Jalan Pedang Musashi. Hal ini dimaksudkan guna mengisi 'bolong-bolong' yg terdapat pada diri Musashi sbg catatan sejarah. Contoh gamblang dapat segera terlihat; Matahachi (karib Musashi) merp perwakilan sifat malas & gampang menyerah, ibu Matahachi merp perwakilan sifat dengki, iri hati, dan kebencian yg membabi-buta, Oetsu merp perwakilan cinta kasih, kepercayaan, kesetiaan, dan ketulusan.. dsb
Kesemua hal tsb, yg digambarkan scr implisit di dlm novel Yoshikawa Eiji, sebaliknya disebutkan secara sangat eksplisit dalam biografi Wilson, yg didukung dg penelitian sangat intensif dg menggunakan berbagai sumber otentik ttg diri Sang Maestro. Dengan pengamatan yg penuh perhatian tapi tetap kritis, Wilson mencoba menelaah pikiran Musashi sbg seorang samura legendaris dg berbagai ide filosofis dan spiritual, yg masih sgt relevan hingga hari ini, sbgmn relevan pada zaman nya dahulu. Musashi menemukan kedamaian dan kebahagiaan sprititual dalam upaya pencarian cara utk menyempurnakan Jalan Pedang yg dipilihnya, dan akhirnya menyadari bahwa apapun Jalan yg kita pilij utk kita tempuh, pastilah akan menuju pada kesempurnaan.
The Lone Samurai bukan hanya sekedar cerita ttg zaman feodalisme Jepang; biografi tsb jg menceritakan ttg kisah seorang manusia dlm perjalanannya utk mencari jawaban, kesempurnaan, dan 'Jalan' itu sendiri..
Fakta lain yg diungkapkan dlm biografi tsb adalah bhw Musashi tdk pernah mandi selama hidup nya, kecuali hanya membasuhkan handuk dingin ke sekujur tubuh & wajahnya. Dengan demikian, salah satu adegan yg terjadi dalam novel Musashi, di mana beliau masuk & bertahan di bawah curahan ber-ton2 arus deras air terjun (setelah seorang diri membantai puluhan samurai Klan Yoshioka yg terkenal), sedangkan Oetsu terpuruk di tepian karena cinta, tampaknya tidak pernah terjadi --> pdhl ini salah satu adegan terkuat & paling emosional dlm novel yg sangat gue sukai itu..sayang sekali..hiks..:p
Ada bbrp fakta menarik lainnya dlm biografi tsb; terutama yg paling menarik adalah kehidupan Sang Maestro stlh 'duel Pulau Ganryu' melawan Sasaki Kojiro. Duel itu sendiri merp duel satu lawan satu yg paling terkenal dlm kehidupan Musashi, yg lantas merubah jalan hidup nya, dan kelak akan sangat mempengaruhi sejarah bangsa Jepang selama bbrp ratus tahun berikutnya.
Kemudian fakta2 menarik lain ttg kehidupan 'keluarga' Musashi (beliau mengangkat bbrp murid mjd anak nya; salah satu nya, Miyamoto Iori), ttg kebebasannya dan keluasan pergaulannya (termasuk dg kalangan bangsawan & penyair/seniman terkemuka saat itu), dan ttg betapa sbnr nya Musashi juga terkenal dlm banyak bidang lain di luar perkelahian dg pedang - yaitu sbg pemahat, pelukis, seniman minum teh, seniman kaligrafi, pelempar pisau ulung, arsitek pertamanan, ahli strategi, ahli tata kota (planologi), dsb.
Btw, dari buku itu, gue tertarik utk eksplorasi lbh jauh dg cara beli buku sampingannya - yg saling melengkapi & banyak sekali disebut2 dalam pembahasan buku biografi tsb (kmrn, beli di amazon jg);
The Unfettered Mind - Takuan Soho
(pendeta Zen pengembara yg mjd guru spiritual nya Musashi, dan pencipta 'Acar Takuan' yg hingga skrg msh mjd makanan pendamping wajib di Jepang). Buku tsb disebut2 sbg saling melengkapi dg The Books of Five Rings. Dan tentunya..
The Books of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi
kitab ke-3 & terakhir karya Musashi, yg diselesaikan hanya bbrp saat sblm beliau wafat. Berisi konsep Jalan Pedang yg diyakini & diamalkannya, strategi tempur, dan pedoman2 lain. Sejak terbit hingga skrg luas dibaca di barat & seantero dunia sbg Buku Strategi Manajemen yg mumpuni; bersaing dg Kitab Perang Sun Tzu. Hanya saja perlu diingat, bhw kitab Musashi yg fenomenal tsb tnyt tidak berisi ttg metode2 "How To", tetapi utama nya berisikan konsep2 pengendalian diri yg adiluhung, di mana keahlian kita telah berkembang sedemikian rupa hingga telah mjd bagian dari diri kita & kesadaran kita sendiri, yang bersatu mjd 'kehampaan'. Atau disebut juga 'Konsep Bergeming' (terjemahan Gramedia dlm 'the Lone Samurai' yg mnrt gue agak kurang pas) - bergerak tapi tidak bergerak, berpikir tapi tidak berpikir. Singkatnya (penafsiran pribadi gue) mungkin dapat disebut sbg 'Just Do It', jangan kebanyakan pikir2 nanti gimana.
Hints: mungkinkan pengarang buku laris "Blink" terpengaruh oleh konsep Musashi tsb?
Setahu gue, the Unfettered Mind blm diterjemahkan (adakah rekan yg tahu barangkali ada penerbit yg merencanakan penerjemahan buku tsb?). Sedangkan the Books of Five Rings pernah gue beli terjemahannya 3 th lalu (Kitab Lima Cincin) di toko buku Newsstand, Pasar Festival, Kuningan. Sayangnya, buku tsb skrg sulit dicari; mungkin karena diedarkan oleh penerbit kecil dg modal kecil pula (3,000 exp only?). Sayangnya lagi, buku tsb terlihat jelas HANYA merp ringkasan kasar dari pikiran2 Musashi, dan ternyata merp terjemahan dari Thomas Clearly, dan bukannya Wilson. Kelebihannya, buku tsb juga memuat buku "Sejarah Keluarga" karangan Yagyu Munenori. Kitab tsb sendiri merp pusaka keluarga Daimyo besar & terkenal Klan Munenori; yg merp pendekar pedang dg gaya pedang tersendiri. Selain berisikan metode pedang, kitab tsb juga berisikan berbagai hal lain yg tak kalah menariknya.
Lebih jauh, sbnrnya sih, Clearly juga merp seorang penerjemah karya2 Jepang (dan Timur) yg cukup terkenal. Tapi spt nya cara penulisan (dan pemahaman) Wilson jauh lbh menarik; just a though. Faktanya; Wilson merp penerjemah edisi bhs Inggris novel-nya Yoshikawa Eiji.
FYI, adapun the Books of Five Rings diterbitkan dlm bhs Inggris baik oleh Clearly maupun Wilson. Tetapi pilihan gue tentu tetap pada Wilson (karena alasan2 di atas). Dan walaupun gue udah punya edisi Clearly versi bahasa Indonesia yg ringkas itu, kmrn gue tetap beli edisi Wilson versi bhs Inggris. Mudah2an akan jauh lebih berguna..:p
Jakarta 14130 Cilincing
Wed, Feb 01, 2006 - 2:48 PM
Harga:
edisi Indonesia (ongkos kirim tak termasuk)..... IDR 51.000.- www.inibuku.com
edisi bhs Inggris (ongkos kirim tak termasuk) .. USD 16.72 - www.amazon.com
October 13, 2025
This was a beautiful book. I have not come across a biography written with such a respect to the person of interest without becoming cringe or little bit over the top, especially in the world of martial arts or war.
Musashi presented in this book is a man that even after all his deeds and written works remains a mystery (and as such great basis for various works, novels and movies about his life and deeds). We do know that he was dedicated to his martial arts, to the philosophy of it than he also applied in ordinary, non-martial-art-related, life. But we only see the surface,with occasional glimpse of his views and attitude toward life, very interesting views obviously built through his experiences (that unfortunately remain hidden and majorly unknown). We follow him from early days when he made his name by mercilessly defeating the challengers. Then we get to know the man who decides that actual killing of his challengers is to be avoided because it does not have a purpose, so he decides to leave a trace and create a school of his own. This is period of Musashi's life during which he starts playing more of a role of wise man (in positive, true, meaning, not mafia or wise cracker way). He shows that he knows a lot of things, from governing to arts, and is more than capable to make a very durable friendships. This is a side of him that I was not aware. It shows that he was truly a quite capable polymath. Again, how did he manage to acquire this much knowledge is left unknown.
He is practical man, and has a very clear approach to combat and martial arts - goal is defeating the enemy, means are not important, important thing is to finish the fight with the other side completely defeated and no longer a danger. I like how he considers opinions (prevalent in other martial art schools) that combat involves deception as silly. It is silly to Musashi because for him combat is use of all means, all weapons and techniques available to defeat the enemy. There is nothing to consider deception when in combat everything is allowed to win. His comments how one needs to train in order to win using what is available to him in ordinary life are also very interesting. If one is dedicated to life of the martial arts, then one is always ready to engage in combat. There is no need for additional rituals or preparation. If one is at his senses, he is ready for fight at any time. Also I like his approach to death in combat. While death in combat was looked through prism of Samurai being able to understand how every day, every new conflict brought with it, can also mean warrior's death, this became sort of a cult like approach, with even some works on warrior conduct starting to state how death is the way of the warrior (as they say when simplification takes place.....). For Musashi death was something that can happen (and thus is in line with the old views on death and combat) but goal in combat was not death in any way of the warrior but defeat and death of his opponents.
Parts on Musashi's phase as artist and later as a teacher are truly epic. I did not know he was such an accomplished painter.
It is very refreshing to read about the person that never put himself under the stage light (although fame and rank was something he was always after, and good advertisement was always welcome). This, considering the way various schools and techniques fought for their spot under the sun, was extraordinary then, but is exceptional today, in time when everyone has a need to share more than required with everyone else.
Excellent story of a very interesting man, who seems to have lived by the creed of do-and-learn, but was also more than capable to learn other skills, looking at them as if they are just another facets of martial arts gem, and thus worthy to know and master. If one just takes this idea from this book, it is incredible, it opens a lot of potential. Life is something we need to embrace, live fully and recognize that any skill, any bits of knowledge we come across, every experience, is a way to grow and become stronger. Important thing - do not just read about these things, live them. That is the only way to achieve greatness.
One of the best books I ever read.
Highly recommended.
Musashi presented in this book is a man that even after all his deeds and written works remains a mystery (and as such great basis for various works, novels and movies about his life and deeds). We do know that he was dedicated to his martial arts, to the philosophy of it than he also applied in ordinary, non-martial-art-related, life. But we only see the surface,with occasional glimpse of his views and attitude toward life, very interesting views obviously built through his experiences (that unfortunately remain hidden and majorly unknown). We follow him from early days when he made his name by mercilessly defeating the challengers. Then we get to know the man who decides that actual killing of his challengers is to be avoided because it does not have a purpose, so he decides to leave a trace and create a school of his own. This is period of Musashi's life during which he starts playing more of a role of wise man (in positive, true, meaning, not mafia or wise cracker way). He shows that he knows a lot of things, from governing to arts, and is more than capable to make a very durable friendships. This is a side of him that I was not aware. It shows that he was truly a quite capable polymath. Again, how did he manage to acquire this much knowledge is left unknown.
He is practical man, and has a very clear approach to combat and martial arts - goal is defeating the enemy, means are not important, important thing is to finish the fight with the other side completely defeated and no longer a danger. I like how he considers opinions (prevalent in other martial art schools) that combat involves deception as silly. It is silly to Musashi because for him combat is use of all means, all weapons and techniques available to defeat the enemy. There is nothing to consider deception when in combat everything is allowed to win. His comments how one needs to train in order to win using what is available to him in ordinary life are also very interesting. If one is dedicated to life of the martial arts, then one is always ready to engage in combat. There is no need for additional rituals or preparation. If one is at his senses, he is ready for fight at any time. Also I like his approach to death in combat. While death in combat was looked through prism of Samurai being able to understand how every day, every new conflict brought with it, can also mean warrior's death, this became sort of a cult like approach, with even some works on warrior conduct starting to state how death is the way of the warrior (as they say when simplification takes place.....). For Musashi death was something that can happen (and thus is in line with the old views on death and combat) but goal in combat was not death in any way of the warrior but defeat and death of his opponents.
Parts on Musashi's phase as artist and later as a teacher are truly epic. I did not know he was such an accomplished painter.
It is very refreshing to read about the person that never put himself under the stage light (although fame and rank was something he was always after, and good advertisement was always welcome). This, considering the way various schools and techniques fought for their spot under the sun, was extraordinary then, but is exceptional today, in time when everyone has a need to share more than required with everyone else.
Excellent story of a very interesting man, who seems to have lived by the creed of do-and-learn, but was also more than capable to learn other skills, looking at them as if they are just another facets of martial arts gem, and thus worthy to know and master. If one just takes this idea from this book, it is incredible, it opens a lot of potential. Life is something we need to embrace, live fully and recognize that any skill, any bits of knowledge we come across, every experience, is a way to grow and become stronger. Important thing - do not just read about these things, live them. That is the only way to achieve greatness.
One of the best books I ever read.
Highly recommended.
November 17, 2020
In The Lone Samurai, William Scott Wilson gives a detailed biography of the infamous Japanese swordsman and artist Miyamoto Musashi. Having read Miyamoto Musashi’s text The Book of the Five Rings a few times over the years, I’ve always had a fascination for his life and philosophies and wanted to read an actual biography to get more details and to fill in the gaps on the reality of his life (as much as we can tell from the information we have). In this, I was not disappointed in The Lone Samurai.
There were moments of good writing in this book; the retelling of the famous duel on Ganryu Island was particularly enthralling and I learned some details about that duel that I hadn’t known before. Other stories reminded me of why I’d been so inspired by Musashi and made me that much more enthusiastic about visiting some of the sites associated with him in Japan someday. I also learned a lot about his artistic side (paintings, calligraphy, etc.) and some points about his life that are far less known such as some love interests and that sort of thing. The details that you may not have heard elsewhere is where this book shines and you can tell a lot of research went into it.
With that being said, there were some parts about this book that I didn’t like as much. My main gripe with it is all of the guessing/speculating about how people felt or what people thought. It is rampant throughout the book. It wasn’t just “Musashi may have felt this way” it was always Musashi “would have felt” or “must have felt” which often felt like speculation and sometimes just pure posturing by the author. There were times where the author would find a Japanese person who lived about the same time as Musashi and had a similar life to him and just declare that the two “must have” met and influenced each other, with no evidence. This speculation happened so often that it actually became frustrating.
More minor gripes include the inclusion of a lot of Japanese words that were in romaji and in italics, but had no explanation or footnote which made me have to google and figure out what the words meant on my own. Not a huge deal but still mildly annoying. The author could also be quite repetitive at times where things he had just said were repeated again and again like, for example, “Musashi despised the showy techniques and hidden meanings taught by other schools” would be said, and then an almost identical sentence would start the next paragraph. And finally, I really do hate to come off disrespectful because that is not my intention at all, you can tell a lot of hard work went into this book, but some of the writing almost came across like a school book report - does that make sense? Just one random example describing him like “extraordinarily manly and heroic” - I don’t know, I just thought generally it could have used some better writing.
To conclude, I’d recommend this book, especially if you’re a first timer into the world of Musashi. You will learn most of what you need to know about the reality of his life and duels and art. I just felt there could be a few things tweaked about it, but it’s not a bad book.
There were moments of good writing in this book; the retelling of the famous duel on Ganryu Island was particularly enthralling and I learned some details about that duel that I hadn’t known before. Other stories reminded me of why I’d been so inspired by Musashi and made me that much more enthusiastic about visiting some of the sites associated with him in Japan someday. I also learned a lot about his artistic side (paintings, calligraphy, etc.) and some points about his life that are far less known such as some love interests and that sort of thing. The details that you may not have heard elsewhere is where this book shines and you can tell a lot of research went into it.
With that being said, there were some parts about this book that I didn’t like as much. My main gripe with it is all of the guessing/speculating about how people felt or what people thought. It is rampant throughout the book. It wasn’t just “Musashi may have felt this way” it was always Musashi “would have felt” or “must have felt” which often felt like speculation and sometimes just pure posturing by the author. There were times where the author would find a Japanese person who lived about the same time as Musashi and had a similar life to him and just declare that the two “must have” met and influenced each other, with no evidence. This speculation happened so often that it actually became frustrating.
More minor gripes include the inclusion of a lot of Japanese words that were in romaji and in italics, but had no explanation or footnote which made me have to google and figure out what the words meant on my own. Not a huge deal but still mildly annoying. The author could also be quite repetitive at times where things he had just said were repeated again and again like, for example, “Musashi despised the showy techniques and hidden meanings taught by other schools” would be said, and then an almost identical sentence would start the next paragraph. And finally, I really do hate to come off disrespectful because that is not my intention at all, you can tell a lot of hard work went into this book, but some of the writing almost came across like a school book report - does that make sense? Just one random example describing him like “extraordinarily manly and heroic” - I don’t know, I just thought generally it could have used some better writing.
To conclude, I’d recommend this book, especially if you’re a first timer into the world of Musashi. You will learn most of what you need to know about the reality of his life and duels and art. I just felt there could be a few things tweaked about it, but it’s not a bad book.
December 21, 2025
2.75 - I found this very unsatisfying. The author provided only the most basic outline of Musashi's actions, rarely giving details beyond stating that an event occurred. He seemed to allude to much more detailed descriptions and more interesting recordings, but never included them. Additionally, I felt like he was completely awestruck by Musashi in a way which he does not manage to convey to the reader - Musashi was impressive, no doubt, but the account Wilson gives lowered my opinion of him if anything. He seemed biased towards Musashi as well, not infrequently promoting a favourable interpretation or record of events, despite contrary accounts which I have seen elsewhere. A lot was left out overall, many more illustrations would have been nice. It is obvious that there is very little, even nothing, known with certainty about Musashi's life, but it still would have been nice to hear what various sources claimed. There were some good sections, and the life and work of Miyamoto Musashi are just so incredible that it would be hard to write a truly bad book about him.
There were rarely any specifics i.e. what Musashi did in certain places, where he stayed, the description of his famous duel with Ganryu was very unclear to me, I would have liked a lot more from a Musashi biography, and I am left unsure of what to really think about Musashi.
Was Musashi coasting off of his reputation after his 30's?
There were rarely any specifics i.e. what Musashi did in certain places, where he stayed, the description of his famous duel with Ganryu was very unclear to me, I would have liked a lot more from a Musashi biography, and I am left unsure of what to really think about Musashi.
Was Musashi coasting off of his reputation after his 30's?
June 30, 2022
Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) was an iconoclastic Samurai Warrior Mystic whose martial exploits have acquired him enduring fame and immortality. Undefeated in over 65 singular combat bouts; veteran of two epic military battles and having annihilated several schools and traditions of martial arts, Musashi's legacy is captured in his sui generis paintings and the profound text: The Book of Five Rings.
Scott Wilson sifts fact from fiction to provide a comprehensive but also an equally realistic perspective of who Musashi was and how his world shaped him in this prescient biography. Relying primarily on fieldwork, avoiding hagiography, while pursuing contemporary sources Wilson weaves a very alluring but also realistic portrait of this much enigmatic armed mystic.
What is significant about The Lone Samurai is that Wilson also dedicates an entire section to understanding Musashi through his own works; the works of contemporaries who he influenced and what his own words reveal about him.
This is a highly sacred read. A tribute to a man whose immortality was assured well in his own life. A must read for all would-be leaders, strategists and men of destiny today.
Scott Wilson sifts fact from fiction to provide a comprehensive but also an equally realistic perspective of who Musashi was and how his world shaped him in this prescient biography. Relying primarily on fieldwork, avoiding hagiography, while pursuing contemporary sources Wilson weaves a very alluring but also realistic portrait of this much enigmatic armed mystic.
What is significant about The Lone Samurai is that Wilson also dedicates an entire section to understanding Musashi through his own works; the works of contemporaries who he influenced and what his own words reveal about him.
This is a highly sacred read. A tribute to a man whose immortality was assured well in his own life. A must read for all would-be leaders, strategists and men of destiny today.
May 18, 2020
The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi
“A template as to how simple, and easily accessible biographies should be written.”
A biography should, in essence, provide you with the knowledge of a person’s life, accomplishments, and what the person stood for. After reading a well written biography, you should come out of it with such an intimate knowledge of the person, that you feel like you have known them your entire life, and if well written, even understand them and sometimes relate to them.
William Scott Wilson delivers on these sentiments, with this extraordinary biography of one of the most famous swordsmen in Japan.
In simple words, the book is very well written, factual and immersive.
The author is very well-known figure in Asian language translation circles. He is an authority in translating Japanese samurai, martial and oriental philosophy texts.
No better than him could actually bring to life the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, in what was William Scott Wilson’s first original work.
The book is well divided into 4 chapters and 3 appendices.
The chapters take you through the life of Miyamoto Musashi, from his beginnings in his village on Harima province, near the inland Sea of Japan, his duels, including his most famous ones, his larger battles, devotion to the arts and finally his old age and death.
The writing style is very simple and easy to follow. The events are told in chronological order, and at times the author does a very good job of setting up hypothetical scenes, with a poetic air to them, that make you picture them very vividly and make you even wish you were there.
The appendices are a rich source of information on the legendary swordsman’s life after his death. His influences, especially when writing his “Book of Five Rings”, his observation skills, dedication to other arts (Tea ceremony, painting…) and finally a compilation of the most relevant portrayals of Miyamoto Musashi in Theatre, Cinema and TV. Once more the writing style remains the same, easy to follow and very informative.
I loved the addition of maps at the beginning, it allows one to visualize events and place them geographically. I have very little, if no criticism at all for this book quite frankly, it is one of the best English biographies on Musashi available, the argument could even be made for it being a template as to how simple, and easily accessible biographies should be written.
5 stars easy.
“A template as to how simple, and easily accessible biographies should be written.”
A biography should, in essence, provide you with the knowledge of a person’s life, accomplishments, and what the person stood for. After reading a well written biography, you should come out of it with such an intimate knowledge of the person, that you feel like you have known them your entire life, and if well written, even understand them and sometimes relate to them.
William Scott Wilson delivers on these sentiments, with this extraordinary biography of one of the most famous swordsmen in Japan.
In simple words, the book is very well written, factual and immersive.
The author is very well-known figure in Asian language translation circles. He is an authority in translating Japanese samurai, martial and oriental philosophy texts.
No better than him could actually bring to life the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, in what was William Scott Wilson’s first original work.
The book is well divided into 4 chapters and 3 appendices.
The chapters take you through the life of Miyamoto Musashi, from his beginnings in his village on Harima province, near the inland Sea of Japan, his duels, including his most famous ones, his larger battles, devotion to the arts and finally his old age and death.
The writing style is very simple and easy to follow. The events are told in chronological order, and at times the author does a very good job of setting up hypothetical scenes, with a poetic air to them, that make you picture them very vividly and make you even wish you were there.
The appendices are a rich source of information on the legendary swordsman’s life after his death. His influences, especially when writing his “Book of Five Rings”, his observation skills, dedication to other arts (Tea ceremony, painting…) and finally a compilation of the most relevant portrayals of Miyamoto Musashi in Theatre, Cinema and TV. Once more the writing style remains the same, easy to follow and very informative.
I loved the addition of maps at the beginning, it allows one to visualize events and place them geographically. I have very little, if no criticism at all for this book quite frankly, it is one of the best English biographies on Musashi available, the argument could even be made for it being a template as to how simple, and easily accessible biographies should be written.
5 stars easy.
October 15, 2023
A comprehensive dive into the life of Musashi. While the author does go into great detail on setting the stage for particular events with context, I found that it wasn’t as balanced or well paced from a storytelling point of view. After finishing the book, I realized that the 60 duels of Musashi were given significantly less time than the art and psychology of our hero. The famous battles are given enough context, but it is only on reflection in the philosophy sections of this book that they truly feel like the climax of Musashi’s life. I would’ve preferred a grander perhaps poetic take on his battle with the Yoshioka Clan and the Demon at Ganryu Island.
Nevertheless, it is an incredibly thorough look at Musashi’s “way” and how history has championed him almost 400 years after his death.
Nevertheless, it is an incredibly thorough look at Musashi’s “way” and how history has championed him almost 400 years after his death.
December 15, 2024
Where is the editor? Please, someone get this guy an editor. I'm really trying to enjoy this book but, not even that far in, I'm already rolling my eyes at the blatant errors in grammar, syntax, and vocabulary.
I don't have to research the author to know this was written by "white guy in Japan." I can't quite explain what it is (their arrogance without foundation? The fact they always talk *at* you? Their self-centeredness?), but living in Japan you just become familiar with them. And so it doesn't surprise me that this book was schlepped together not to tell readers about the lone samurai, but to let us know that this yet another white Japanophile man knows all this stuff about Japan. Yes, the book seems to be more about the author than the book's subject - the reader doesn't seem to have crossed anyone's mind.
I don't have to research the author to know this was written by "white guy in Japan." I can't quite explain what it is (their arrogance without foundation? The fact they always talk *at* you? Their self-centeredness?), but living in Japan you just become familiar with them. And so it doesn't surprise me that this book was schlepped together not to tell readers about the lone samurai, but to let us know that this yet another white Japanophile man knows all this stuff about Japan. Yes, the book seems to be more about the author than the book's subject - the reader doesn't seem to have crossed anyone's mind.
March 21, 2022
The book reads like an essay on Musashi and includes the historically available evidence of his life, his legends, and the various interpretations that followed in popular storytelling. There are many "Musashis" due to his being popular, and in fact, a legend in his own time as well as the centuries that followed, and the book does an excellent job of distinguishing them. It also introduces Musashi as an artist—he was a poet, painter, and sculptor in caliber neigh equal to his legendary swordsmanship, which I have read little of, and am grateful it did.
The book also thoroughly covers the latter part of Musashi's life, with the most famous parts over in the first few chapters. For this I am grateful as well. It was well worth the read.
The book also thoroughly covers the latter part of Musashi's life, with the most famous parts over in the first few chapters. For this I am grateful as well. It was well worth the read.
January 11, 2021
This book touched significantly on his non martial arts, which for me was very inserting. It meandered a bit but it's a light read. I got a little too much history about ancillary events, people and places than I cared for. If you're a fan of Miyamoto Musashi then this is a good compliment to your accumulated readings thus far; though the book of 5 rings will take you closer to the man and Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa will take you closer to the journey and the adventure. I suppose this book is an interesting balance between historical fiction and non-fiction.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews