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The Book of Five Rings
  • Published: 21 January 2026
  • ISBN: 9781645474685
  • Imprint: Shambhala
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 160
  • RRP: $37.99

The Book of Five Rings

Including The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War by Yagyu Munenori

Formats & editions
Paperback
21 Jan 2026
Paperback
23 Oct 2018
Paperback
15 Apr 2005
Hardback
1 Aug 2012
EBook
15 May 2012
EBook
24 June 2003
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A timeless masterpiece from Japan’s most renowned swordsman on the subtle art of leadership in the face of conflict.

Over 750,000 copies sold!

The Book of Five Rings is one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asian culture. Written not only for martial artists but for anyone who wants to apply the timeless principles of this text to their life, the book analyzes the process of struggle and mastery over conflict that underlies every level of human interaction.

The Book of Five Rings was composed in 1643 by the famed duelist and undefeated samurai Miyamoto Musashi. Thomas Cleary's translation is immediately accessible, with an introduction that presents the spiritual background of the warrior tradition. Along with Musashi's text, Cleary translates here another important Japanese classic on leadership and strategy, The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War by Yagyu Munenori, which highlights the ethical and spiritual insights of Taoism and Zen as they apply to the way of the warrior.
  • Published: 21 January 2026
  • ISBN: 9781645474685
  • Imprint: Shambhala
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 160
  • RRP: $37.99
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About the authors

Thomas Cleary

Thomas Cleary holds a PhD in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. He is the translator of over fifty volumes of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Islamic texts from Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Pali, and Arabic.
TC