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He was the preeminent independent Japanese man of his time. The history of this much-mythologized
17th century samurai swordsman is a fascinating story of a man striving for an ideal on his own terms, in
the face of very difficult odds. The figure of Musashi has fascinated the Japanese for nearly 400
years!his name and exploits are more widely known than many of Japan’s other historical figures. To
understand his story is to get a certain insight into the Japanese psyche.
Up until now, all we have known about this great man has come from fictionalized accounts: stories,
dramas, novels, movies, and television series. Fans of the hugely popular novel Musashi (Kodansha
International, 1981) by Eiji Yoshikawa and Musashi’s treatise on swordsmanship and independent living,
The Book of Five Rings, have been clamoring for a work of non-fiction to sort out the “Musashi myth” for
almost 20 years now.
The answer is THE LONE SAMURAI: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi (Kodansha International;
$24.00; October 2004) by samurai expert and translator William Scott Wilson. The first biography of
Musashi to be published in English, it is the result of meticulous processing of often-conflicting
information and Wilson’s expert use of original sources, culminating in the most accurate depiction of his
life to date.
William Scott Wilson is available for interviews to discuss THE LONE SAMURAI. To schedule an
interview, please contact Kodansha America Publicity Manager Heather N. Drucker at (917) 322-6219 or
via e-mail at drucker@kodanshaamerica.com.