The Pocket 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 eighteenth-century samurai, Yamamoto Tsunetomo. It is a window into the samurai mind, illuminating the concept of bushido--or the Way of the Warrior--which dictated how samurai were expected to behave, conduct themselves, live, and die. This edition, translated by the esteemed William Scott Wilson, is considered the definitive version of this classic. No other translator so thoroughly and eruditely renders this text into English. Wilson's introduction gives the historical and philosophical background for a more metaphorical reading of Hagakure, and through this lens, the classic takes on a fresh and nuanced appeal.