A new and unabridged translation of Eiji Yoshikawa's bestselling novel about Miyamoto Musashi—the most famous swordfighter in Japanese history! The Novel is the first unabridged translation of Eiji Yoshikawa's great novel, the top-selling novel in Japan. Masterfully translated for the first time in its entirety by Alexander Bennett, this vivid and fast-paced story reveals the exploits and inner life of a man who finds not only his true purpose but also his humanity. This first book of a three-book series begins in the year 1600 at the epic Battle of Sekigahara, a scene of unimaginable carnage, where Miyamoto Musashi lies wounded on the battlefield having fought on the losing side. After being imprisoned for three years, he wanders the countryside as a vagabond. Desperate to make a name for himself as a warrior, he becomes a dueling ronin—a swordfighter without master or purpose. Musashi, accompanied by Otsu, the love of his life, faces many trials from the spear-wielding monks of Hozoin temple to the students of the Yoshioka dojo. He wins easily but his greatest challenges are yet to come. Famous for fighting 62 duels without a single defeat, Musashi is a true philosopher warrior, author of the monumental treatise, The Book of Five Rings—one of the most widely read books in history. Although he was without peer, his path to glory was fraught with seemingly impossible challenges, tragic losses and emotional turmoil. And while his destiny seems clear, in order to achieve it he must open a new chapter and leave his old life behind.
Author
Pen-name of Yoshikawa Hidetsugu. Yoshikawa is well-known for his work as a Japanese historical fiction novelist, and a number of re-makes have been spawned off his work. In 1960, he received the Order of Cultural Merit. Eiji Yoshikawa (吉川 英治, August 11, 1892 – September 7, 1962) was a Japanese historical novelist. Among his best-known novels, most are revisions of older classics. He was mainly influenced by classics such as The Tale of the Heike, Tale of Genji, Outlaws of the Marsh, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, many of which he retold in his own style. As an example, the original manuscript of Taiko is 15 volumes; Yoshikawa took up to retell it in a more accessible tone, and reduced it to only two volumes. His other books also serve similar purposes and, although most of his novels are not original works, he created a huge amount of work and a renewed interest in the past. He was awarded the Cultural Order of Merit in 1960 (the highest award for a man of letters in Japan), the Order of the Sacred Treasure and the Mainichi Art Award just before his death from cancer in 1962. He is cited as one of the best historical novelists in Japan.
