Miyamoto Musashi: A Life in Arms: A Biography of Japan's Greatest Swordsman

One of the better books of Musashi I have read. This book only goes into Musashi, the swordsman and warrior. Having read a number of Musashi books, this is one of the better. It is taken from old records so some has to, IMO, be taken with a grain of salt as to where and who the information came from. The author gave a description of Musashi's defeat of the first Yoshida Brother he fought that I have problems with. Although Musashi had no problem with arriving late or early, in a one on one duel, the idea of Musashi playing sick and attacking an unaware opponent goes against Musashi's idea of Honor and Strategy. Further, there are other documented accounts that make more sense based on Musashi's Character then this one. This author's idea that Musashi fought with his father on the side of the Tokugawa Shogunate is exceptional and, IMO, makes more sense then majority's belief Musashi fought at Sekigahara against the Tokugawa Shogunate. This book is written not to give the reader a look at the complete Musashi, but of Musashi The Fighter.Based on that narrow look, it's in the top two books I have read of Musashi's Duels And Battles.

A very insightful book to whoever wishes to expand their knowledge on the famous Swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. The book is pretty hefty with details on his duels, his art commision, his political and military involvement, his adopted children, etc... A surprising amount of detail that is usually left out and when mentioning Musashi!It is also hefty in the source, and explanation of where the details come from, keeping the detail on the book as historically accurate as possible (as opposed to the Musashi novel written in 1930s by Eiji Yoshikawa which people assume is the facts).I cannot recommend this astounding book enough!

This is perhaps one of the most vital and important texts on the life of Miyamoto Musashi. In many aspects the book was a revelation. As a student of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu, (the art Musashi founded and developed) I try to read as much as I can about Musashi and have read many of major biographies - however many of these are as much a work of fiction and supposition as Eiji Yoshikawa's fictional masterpiece on Musashi - This is not the case in de Lang's work.Unlike the many bio's I have read, William de Lang cites original Japanese sources such as the detailed military records kept by the various Japanese army divisions during the pivotal battles Musashi was involved in and is thus able to provide accurate information as to where Musashi was and what he did. This simply has not been done in any other biographies and as result the vast majority of publications make multiple errors and draw poor conclusions.Perhaps the most damning example of this is that Musashi fought against the Tokugawa during the battle of Sekigahara. The majority of English language books and documentary's (including National Geographic, Discovery etc) state that Musashi fought for the Western Army against the Tokugawa. Thus, he could not find a position in a samurai house after Tokugawa won and remained a wandering swordsman all his life. This is not fact however, this is nothing more than key plot point from Yoshikawa's fiction of Musashi to give the character drama. It has sadly become part of the accepted history.By contrast de Lang asserts that Musashi was in fact not on the field of Sekigahara at all and was in fact, along with his father Muni part of the attacking force of Kuroda Yoshitaka, a supporter of Tokugawa Ieyasu ,on the plains of Ishigaki. Musashi continued to fight and distinguish himself in the taking of several castles.This of course has a MAJOR impact on the every aspect of Musashi's life following - the fact that so many authors repeat fiction as thiugh it was fact has led to enormous errors's being made about Musahi's life.Unlike many other author's, rather than basing his account of Musashi on fiction and commonly accepted knowledge, William de Lang has spent a lifetime translating the original Japanese accounts of Musashi's life as written by the students of his school and those samurai houses with whom he found employment. In addition to this, de Lang has also sought the original military records of the campaigns Musashi was involved with and other supporting documents to provide, the first accurate assessment of Musashi's life in the English language. He directly quotes these sources on many occasions (such as text describing Musashi's valour in the siege of castles during Sekigahara campaign).William de Lang's, Miyamoto Musashi: A Life in Arms is a MUST read for the martial artist or anyone with an interest in such an impactful figure as Musashi. The book is filled with detailed facts, supported and continuously cross referenced by multiple sources. No where have I seen such detailed information in the English language on Muni, Musashi's father who would perhaps have the strongest influence on Musahi's life, his battles, and his famous duels which serves to highlight and illuminate many aspects of Musashi's strategy.This book is a must read and should be in every serious martial artists library.

I recently obtained a copy of William De Lange’s new book the Real Musashi - A Life in Arms - having read two of his other Musashi books (The Bushu Denraiki and Bokuden ) as part of this series on the famous Japanese swordsman. I was looking forward to the read as I have found the writing style very easy to understand and digest unlike other books on the Japanese sword arts, which can be quite difficult and disjointed.Firstly I would say the book is very enlightening and again like previous books, a very easy read but fascinating with references used to weave the story of Musashi in a way that allows room for further study. It also provided access to resources that I had not come across before, so the sword geek in me now has some others sources to investigate.The actual book is split into two - there is the written narrative section with the sources interwoven, then there is a huge appendix of related resources and historical references.The book is suitable for all - so students of Japanese swordsmanship and historical students looking for some further insight into Musashi.If you are looking for a looking for a good read and fantastic resource into the period Musashi lived then this is a great addition to your Koryu Library.

I have so far read 3 of Mr De Lange's books around Miyamoto Musashi. These include The Real Musashi: The Bokuden, Bushi Denreiki and this book Miyamoto Musashi: A Life in Arms.I am really impressed with the amount of research, drawing on many historical sources in order to separate the reality versus misconception. I highly recommend Mr De Lange's books as a student of Musashi-sensei's ryuha (Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu) tomembers of my study group and for people who want to learn more about the Real Miyamoto Musashi.Lastly what I like about this book and frankly the other two books is that it is so straightforward to read, with additional numbered notes to give you the idea of where the sources come from. Reviewing the different view points etc. So my conclusion is if you have an interest in Miyamoto Musashi get this book. If you have read the previous Real Musashi books which give you contrasting view points (which at the same time complement each other) GET THIS BOOK! This is a great follow on to those books.

Fantastic historical record of the life of Musashi. Well written and a pleasure to read. Wonderful insights into a complicated character.