Sword of the Samurai (A Byron Preiss book) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

As a kid, I was a huge fan of the Time Machine series. They were like the Choose Your Own Adventure series, but so much better because of the following reasons: 1- Almost all of them are based on FACT. This book mentions A BOOK OF FIVE RINGS by famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. As it turns out, that book actually exists, as did the author. This book also mentions how Musashi died in a cave towards the end of his life--also true. 2- Instead of CYOA, you get to pick one or two of several items to take with you on your quest. Depending what you took with you will determine what action you have to take later on. 3- The books are illustrated. 4- To add more educational value, timelines and other neat stuff are enclosed towards the beginning. 5- Basically, the storyline to this books is this: You go back in time to accomplish the following mission: bring back Miyamoto Musashi's sword. You can try and steal it or just ask for it. It sounds easy, but it's not. I highly recommend not just this book, but this whole series for its wholesomeness, fun, and educational value. Many books try and be accurate, enjoyable, and educational, but this book SUCCEEDS.

Ya...pretty much. These kind of books were revolutionary...because who ever heard of a story book, of any kind, with multiple endings based on choices you made during your reading.

I loaned this book for the first time from the school library when i was in elementary school. It was a hard back version, and i remember i never wanted to give it back....but i did.

It was amazing. I felt like i was so involved while reading this. It really does a lot for your imagination, especially at a time when the idea of being a ninja or a samurai was so exciting. Apart from reading actual books on the topic, a book like this was an escape like no other when it came to reading haha.

This was like my favorite book ever. I remember i found out about it because my older brother read it and had got it from our school library, so i couldnt wait to get my hands on it and turns out that it didnt disappoint. Sure, you can play a video game with a ninja or samurai character, or even watch a film, cuz theres lots. But theres something unique and special about a book on the topic.

I havent read it in forever, and until now, i didnt know there were copies of the book for sale on Amazon, so im really excited. I cant wait to save a couple dollars to buy this gem.

The book has some illustrations in it too, every now and then, not too many though. And i must say, the cover art is sweet. Just look at it. I always loved the cover art. But anyways...this is my favorite book, when it comes to fiction, and i hardly read fiction, cuz its hard to stay focused on a story i guess that never took place haha, but this topic always kept my interest, even today.

Maybe when i read this one again perhaps ill finally be able to conjure up enough attentiveness to take on my copy of James Clavell's epic novel...."SHOGUN"!!! lol

A MUST BUY. AND I HOPE THEY REISSUE THIS!!!!! I WANT THE HARDBACK VERSION!

--CHARACTERS--
The author did an excellent job of bringing the characters in the book to life with his writing style. Even characters you meet briefly seemed very real.

--ARTWORK--
Artwork quality is okay. It is better than "Choose your adventure," but not quite as as the books published by Troll (series like "Forgotten Forest").

The timing of the artwork is good - I didn't feel like a scene needed some artwork, unlike other gamebooks I have read.

--STORY--
PROS:
I bought this book to test out this series and expected very little - I didn't think a book written in English could treat the subject of samurais very well, and expected a very corny book. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. I am very familiar with the feudal period in Japan due to the many Japanese manga I have read on the subject, and was surprised when the book pointed out details such as the Toyotomis and Tokugawas fighting at Sekigahara, that Musashi wrote the famous "Book of Rings," etc. I have never read anything written in English that did the samurai period so much justice. Truly impressive.

Aside from the attention to historical accuracy, the story writing ability of the authors was excellent - it seemed as if I was really in Japan during the feudal period (and other periods as well).

This book also served to be a good biography of Musashi - I really liked how the reader can meet him during different stages of his life. It was as if I had really met him and really got to know him. The ending was one of the most satisfying endings I have ever read in a gamebook.

CONS:
* I didn't like how if you didn't make the right choice, you would get sent back to a page you already read. For someone like me who likes to read all of the endings for a gamebook, it was annoying to turn back to a page I already read.

* Choosing an item in the beginning of the book was a pointless waste of time. In the end, it doesn't make a bit of difference what item you choose.

* The main plot of this book was never explained - why do I have to go back in time to get Musashi's sword? Even a plot like, "Musashi's sword was destroyed in the present, so your job is to get his sword from the past so you can replace the missing one in the present" would have sufficed.

* The last sentence in the book "Mission accomplished" was not satisfying. It was very interesting to meet Musashi and see what Japan was like in the feudal times, but finding his sword was more like an afterthought than a primary goal.

--CONCLUSION--
Despite the minor flaws of the book, this was undoubtedly one of the best books I have read about Japanese history. I think the book has flaws as a gamebook, but that can be easily overlooked. I recommend this book more as a fun way to learn about Musashi than as a gamebook.