Miyamoto Musashi, the "Saint of the Sword" as he has been called, is perhaps the most famous samurai of feudal Japan, a man who lived a life full of dangers, constantly balancing between life and death, simultaneously a soldier, artist, philosopher, and hermit monk.

The "Go Rin No Sho," or Book of Five Rings has immortalized his name and is considered one of the most significant works of Japanese philosophy on the art of swordsmanship and warfare. As Musashi himself affirms, most of the instructions contained within apply both to duels between two warriors and to conflicts between two large armies, implying in many places that these instructions can also be applicable to any other human endeavor.

This is also the reason why the Book of Five Rings is today the subject of thorough study not only for martial arts students but also for politicians, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and intellectuals, both in Asia and the Western World.

The edition is enriched with many original notes that shed light on the more obscure points of the text and reveal the philosophy and lifestyle of the Samurai.