This is the benchmark volume on bushidô (“the way of the warrior”), the much-cited – and widely misunderstood – samurai code of honour. Drawing on authentic historical texts, Antony Cummins guides us on a fascinating and detailed immersion into medieval Japan and samurai life.

The Book of Budhidô dismantles myths and idealisations to show us the truth of the samurai code of chivalry. It replaces the image of the infallible oriental warrior with a far more interesting reality: hardened, blood-stained military leaders with human flaws and a complex set of ideas about the world that involved ritual and magic, both in war and peace. This is the story, in short, of bushidô, the way of the samurai.