The Book of Bushido

The Complete Guide to Real Samurai Chivalry

By: Antony Cummins

Narrated by: John Chancer

Dive into Japanese history—and discover who the samurai really were—in this fascinating study that reveals the flawed human warriors behind the idealistic myths.

This is the go-to volume on bushido (“the way of the warrior”), drawing on a wide range of historical sources to paint a vivid picture of the samurai in action and separating the truth from the myth of samurai chivalry. It offers a long-overdue update to the attractive but inaccurate portrait of the samurai painted in Bushido: The Soul of Japan, which has been a bestseller ever since its publication in 1905, and the equally idealistic Hagakure (c.1716).

The Book of Bushido explores the reality of warrior behavior versus the idealistic depiction created for an Edwardian audience by the author of Bushido: The Soul of Japan. It reveals the truth of how the samurai really behaved and of what they considered to be a warrior ethos. The image of the perfect eastern warrior is replaced with a much more interesting reality: hardened, bloodstained military leaders with human failings and a complex set of ideas about the world; men who engaged in ritual, magic and ceremony...who led their followers in war and peace...and who fought a battle between addiction to power and morality.

This is the story of bushido—the way of the samurai.

©2022 Antony Cummins (P)2024 Watkins Publishing

Outstanding material

Finally an honest look at Samurai culture! The truth is more brutal than any fiction.

Decent info but poorly organized and heavily biased

Overall info collection is decent. However it is presented in a very haphazard way and the author comes off as an arrogant (albeit somewhat ignorant) academic. Starts of the book casting all kinds of shade at others for misunderstanding Bushido. Even on some Japanese. Then goes on to cite European visitors as their primary source for half the book.

So if you are interested in Japanese history and Samurai, it’s got some decent info. However, be prepared to roll your eyes and hold your nose from time to time.