The culmination of 25 years of research, Alex Bennett's groundbreaking new English translation of The Book of Five Rings reveals the true meaning of the original. Written by the famous Samurai Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), The Book of Five Rings is the most influential work on Samurai swordsmanship ever written, offering insights into Samurai history, the Zen Buddhist state of "no-mind" that enables warriors to triumph and the philosophical meaning of Bushido-"the way of the warrior." Unlike existing versions that are translations of copies of Musashi's work, Bennett's is the first to be based on a careful reconstruction of the long-lost original manuscript. Capturing the subtle nuance of the classical Japanese text, the result is the most accurate English translation of The Book of Five Rings available. The Book of Five Rings is richly annotated including an extensive introduction as well as a collection of Musashi's other writings translated into English for the first time. A respected scholar, Bennett is also a skilled martial artist. His understanding of Musashi's method's provides a unique perspective. This book will be widely read by students of Japanese culture, Samurai history and martial arts. It sets a new standard against which all other translations will be measured.