112 reviews for:

Art Of The Samurai: Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure

Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Barry D. Steben

3.64 AVERAGE

janyriy's review against another edition

2.0

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2.0 ⭐️

Hagakure ist kein Buch, dass man umbedingt gelesen haben muss. Es ist vielleicht noch am ehesten interessant für Leute die ein Interesse an japanischer Geschichte und Samurai haben, aber als ‘Lebensrategeber’ eignet es sich heutzutage nicht mehr. Tsunemotos Lehren können am besten so zusammengefasst werden:

- folge deinem Fürsten bedingungslos
- wenn dich deine Vorgesetzten schlecht behandeln musst du extra loyal sein
- seppuku
- du bist eigentlich schon tot, gewöhn dich dran
- sei ein MANN
- sepukku
- Kunst macht deinen Geist weich
- schreibe Gedichte
- sepukku
- LOYALITÄT

Dazwischen sind auch ein paar ganz gute Ratschläge (Fehler machen ist keine Schande, schlage deine Frau und Kinder nicht, bestiehl deinen Neffen nicht ums Erbe,…) aber um auf diese Erkenntnisse zu kommen kann man auch jedes andere beliebige Self-Help Buch lesen.

reader_for_the_dead's review against another edition

4.0

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Hagakure (Kyūjitai: 葉隱; Shinjitai: 葉隠; meaning Hidden by the Leaves or hidden leaves),[1] or Hagakure Kikigaki (葉隠聞書) is a practical and spiritual guide for a warrior, drawn from a collection of commentaries by the clerk Yamamoto Tsunetomo, former retainer to Nabeshima Mitsushige, the third ruler of what is now Saga Prefecture in Japan. Tashiro Tsuramoto (ja) compiled these commentaries from his conversations with Tsunetomo from 1709 to 1716; however, it was not published until many years afterwards. Written during a time when there was no officially sanctioned samurai fighting, the book grapples with the dilemma of maintaining a warrior class in the absence of war and reflects the author's nostalgia for a world that had disappeared before he was born



This was so interesting and gave the absolute weirdest look into feudal samurai society. Review to come soon! I'm back everyone :)

viyh's review against another edition

4.0

reflective medium-paced

sandi9411's review against another edition

5.0

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This book provides snippets from the samurai warrior code also known as Bushido. If you think you know the warrior code because of the movies you’ve seen, read this book- it will shock you to find out more! This book covers many different aspects of people's everyday lives and provides inspiration for those that want to better themselves and read from historical perspectives. The pictures provide a better understanding of the situations people went through to enforce this code of being. I highly recommend reading this book! It is fast paced, simple, and yet very interesting.

bluekamille's review against another edition

3.0

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Faltan comentarios críticos académicos de la obra, y esta traducción concretamente está hecha del inglés, no de la lengua original. Sin embargo, es extremadamente ilustrador.

robotelegante's review against another edition

4.5

inspiring reflective medium-paced

lukestag's review against another edition

4.0

informative slow-paced

samurai_chris's review against another edition

4.0

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A fascinating, though heavy, look at the values and traditions of the samurai.

The original text is in the form of a collection of thoughts and anecdotes, sometimes repeating and sometimes seemingly contradictory. The copious footnotes help to keep all the key players and events, as well as key historical events and cultural information fresh in the reader's mind.

jamestomasino's review against another edition

3.0

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Some fascinating historical perspectives mixed with wisdom and what I can only describe as an alien mindset. I recommend this book not to those seeking a greater understanding of Zen, but rather to those who want to understand the spiritual underpinnings of samurai culture.

hoomanchilled's review against another edition

4.0

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This was my first experience with an older Japanese text. It was everything I expected; brutal, cold, and obsessed with honor. Japan's culture is truly a wonder!