The most famous combat strategist in Japanese history was Musashi Miyamoto, a warrior who lived from 1584 to 1645. Miyamoto fought his first duel to the death when he was 13, killing a veteran warrior more than twice his age. By the time he was 29 he had killed more than 60 other warriors in duels and was a legend in his own time.Shortly before his death, Musashi recorded his philosophy, strategies and tactics in a short treatise entitled ''Go Rin Sho''—The Book of Five Rings. An esoteric read for anyone not versed in Japanese culture and language, ''Go Rin Sho'' has now been distilled to present the fundamentals of Miyamoto's tactics and explain them in the modern context of business, politics and war. ''Samurai Strategies'' is the result. Compiled by renowned Japanologist Boye Lafayette De Mente, it is more precise and practical as a handbook for winning than ''The Art of War'' by China's most famous military strategist, Sun Tzu.This hardcover edition features a new introduction by the author and additional commentary in each chapter by well-known Japanese author and samurai expert Michihiro Matsumoto.