Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Good product

So this was the only available Hagakure in India, I bought the hardcover for 300 INR something which is a pretty good deal. The content is priceless; for me this is better than Art of War. The book is a mixture of anecdotes and advices. Some advices don’t really make any sense but that’s alright considering much has changed since the time it was written. You occasionally come across good tips which are even useful today. It’s quite a “masculine” book and glorifies war, bloodshed and death (WHICH I ABSOLUTELY LOVE 🫶). The author, Yamamoto (who btw lived in the 1700s) is disappointed with Modernity and have a nostalgia for the past which he couldn’t live and therefore he writes how we can maintain the Metaphysical ideals of a warrior class even today. The only issue i have is that the translation isn’t that good and there are few grammatical errors (in one case “diary” is spelled as “dairy” making it quite funny 💀). Also the fifth chapter seems missing or perhaps the index and labelling of the chapter has something wrong. Anyways It doesn’t hamper much with the reading experience and i really recommend it for those interested in the Samurai tradition or just classical self improvement. This is like the Japanese equivalent of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius but more violent and practical. 8/10

This book is great this book is for medium level of people

Mast hai

Very interesting and informative book

This is good book to read if you're looking to know th way of the samurai. Its contains short stories and things to meditate wiyh.

The content is good and is timeless but some of the pages have been formatted incorrectly (all text in a single column!) and chapter 5 is missing completely.

I can't speak to the quality of the source material, but as to this edition, I have a LOT to say. Absolutely shoddy, amateur translating and proofreading! On the title page alone, they say "shell no" instead of "shall not", and "Your support to the author's rights is appreciated." On the first page of the text (Page 6), we get "gaming" instead of "gaining", "pains" instead of "gains", as well as three clumsy translations to "retainer" and "earnestly esteem one's master". I will read Hagakure, but it won't be this copy. Shame on the translator, shame on the editor, and shame on the publisher for ruining such an historical text...

A fascinating read full of insights into another world. Sadly the spell checker stops this getting five stars.