The Overlook Martial Arts Reader: Volume 1

A strong sampling of some of the best martial arts books around really speak to the reader. There are 4 sections, titled:Part 1: Culture and Conflict: The HistoriesPart 2: Master and Students: The PhilosophyPart 3: Training and Discipline: The WayPart 4: Other AspectsEach section includes some of the finest writing on the martial arts I've ever read. I own many of the books that are exerpted here and was introduced to others in these pages.Authors include E.J. Harrison, C.W. Nicol, Eugen Herrigel, Herman Kauz, Maxine Hong Kingston, Dave Lowry, Terry Dobson, T.T. Liang, and Linda Atkinson.

This book provides portions (usually a chapter) from the writings of martial artists. Some of the authors are founders of systems, such as Jigoro Kano and Gichin Funakoshi. I found many of the writings to be very insightful and they seemed to have more depth than many of the martial arts writings that you see today.