Rating: 
Summary: THE book on developing yourself as a warrior.
Review: The title says it all. Written with authoriy, this book navigates the modern warrior through the minefield that he will have to walk as a result of being a martial person in a world full of those who are not. The writtings help to keep one out of the traps that many of us fall into as a result of not having the mentorship that we truly need. Using his knowledge of primarily eastern warrior traditions such as bushido (Japanese chivalry), Morgan covers all of the issues that warriors grapple with and then gives the answers that true masters have been teaching for over 1000 years. His research is thourough, his writting style formal yet easy to understand. He goes into the social history surrounding the ancient texts refered to (such as "The Book Of Five Rings", "The Art Of War", etc) and in doing so helps the western reader adjust his outlook so that the classic texts are more easily understood and applied. Beyond that, Morgan thoughroughly covers such topics as: The Warrior Mindset
The Foundations Of Honor (Obligation, justice,
courage, face)
Loyalty
Restraint
Revenge (when is it justified, how to conduct it with
honor)
Fitness
Nutrition and diet
Aerobic capacity and flexability
Religion and Mysticism
etc.
While few modern warriors will agree with EVERYTHING he says, this is by and large the information you have been in need of.
All in all a complete book from start to finish. Highly recomended.
Rating:
Summary: Very good book about striving for personal excellence
Review: I just finished this book and I plan to start reading it for the second time immediately. The author does an excellent job of giving the reader a very broad overview of the principals of how and what it means to strive for physical, mental, and emotional excellence today's society. There is so much good content packed into the 312 pages that I'll probably have to read it a number of times to internalize much of the information. From exercise and diet, to developing good sparring techniques, to defining what it means to have honor and act honorably, this book covers many fundamental principals with just enough depth for the reader to learn how to apply them to everyday life. The only part of the book that I haven't quite embraced yet was an overriding, elitest theme that "warriors are superior in every way: physically, mentally, etc." It was laid on a bit thick for my taste, and I found that it distracted me from the otherwise excellent content of the book.
Rating:
Summary: The difference between thought and application
Review: Mr. Morgan does a great job of dealing with the general, moving to the specific, and then anecdotally applying what he's just described. This book is very valuable to those who aren't just interested in a "general direction" but who value a road map to their final destination. The negative reviews I have read on this site are bewildering, and they appear to have not understood the content of this book. Mr. Morgan has provided a modern handbook for the modern warrior that describes and relates the martial way of the past and past warriors, and how it is applicable today. There is a big difference between being concise and decisive, and being arrogant. I would suggest, and have suggested, this book to anyone interested in taking their warrior spirit outside of the training hall, and applying it to their everyday lives. I suppose this book could be hard to understand if the reader is too mentally obtuse to grasp it.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Foundation for Training
Review: I highly recommend this title to anyone who seriously wishes to commit to their martial arts training. Rather than merely dabbling, this title encourages those interested in the various styles to consider the nobleness and seriousness of training as a source of self-improvement, right behavior and honor. The author examines the importance of warriorship as a basis for living. I was especially impressed with the statements about no one art being superior to another, choosing a martial arts doctrine that is appropriate to yourself, and the realization that the path to the martial way is a lifelong decision towards one of study and growth. His approach of training as a warrior was instrumental to improving my mindset towards why and how I train. I look at my training as a way of life, instead of merely a hobby. After reading this title, I loaned it to my SiFu; now it is becoming a recommended title for my entire kung fu class.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book, although idealistic at times.
Review: I was first attracted to this book when I read the back and saw that he studied one of the styles that I have studied. Upon reading the book, I was happy to see that it had much content that I found useful and interesting. This book has many good sections for the martial artist, including sections on honor (one of my favorite), training, and strategy. I see the book as a good overall reference regarding both philosophical and physical issues which martial artists face. I got this book about 5 years ago, and since then, some of my training practices and thoughts have changed. I think now that much of the philosophical content is very idealistic, but I think can be useful to anyone, martial artist and non-martial artist alike. However, some of the physical conditioning I find to be somewhat narrow and basic in its treatment. However, his examples and principles are pretty good overall. The author has done his homework and the book is well researched and referenced (and he has very good quotations). If you are just starting out in martial arts, especially traditional martial arts such as Karate or traditional Jiujitsu, you may find this book very useful. However, I think you may enjoy this book even if you study other systems.
Rating:
Summary: Unity of purpose, unity of mind, body, and spirit.
Review: Maj. Morgan sets an ambitious goal with the subtitle, and achieves his objective. This is a book about martial arts in the way that Sun Tzu is a book about warfare - it is a study of the underlying philosophy rather than the mechanics. It is a look into the soul of the Warrior, a guide to the personality type more than a book of martial arts. Maj. Morgan applies the warrior's sense of ki to all aspects of his life, and encourages the reader to do so. If you are a Warrior - if you ive life with an unusual intensity, if you find that the world does not share your sense of honor, and if you live with uncommon immediacy - you will recognize yourself in these pages.
I encountered myself in each chapter, and see this book as a guide for how to fit the square peg Warrior into the round hole that the world leaves for us, until it needs us. This book will help the Warrior personality find himself, train, discipline, and find a way to live honorably in a dishonorable world. This is one of the pivotal books of my life.
Thank you, Major Morgan.
Rating: 
Summary: A well-written but shallow fantasy
Review: I read this book when I first started my training. I was appalled at Morgan's somewhat brutal and very elitist mentality. A chapter on "suicide and revenge", in this Century? The image of an austere, forbidding figure stalking through life, silently intimidating those around him? Sounded grim - and it is. Thank goodness my experience of martial arts has shown me the other way. Six years later, I can understand how Morgan's descriptions of stoic grandeur would appeal to those seeking fantasy in their practice, but it's a sure recipe for joyless existence. For a better introduction to the real heart of the Arts, try Joe Hyams' "Zen in the Martial Arts" or the collected sayings of Ueshiba.
Rating:
Summary: Good reading
Review: I got this book when I first started training in the martial arts. I thought it interesting reading, but the author seems very arrogant! I usually ignore this in a book, but he was really getting on my nerves in several places. i thought maybe it's because I'm a woman, but other reviews I've read mention the same thing. That's about the only fault I find with the book. I like how he doesn't promote one art as being better than another and how you should master one before moving to another,etc. Overall I really enjoyed reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Training, Honor, Living
Review: I first read this book at least eight years ago. It is just incredible. Training is a WAY. A warrior is a mind-set. How to live by this way and mind-set is set down in this book clearly and intelligently. Interspersed throughout the text are various classical but true stories that help to illustrate his points, such as the 47 ronin of Ako. Although a serious subject, the text is easy to read. For those who have never practiced martial science the chapter on the warrior's spell book seems like hocus-pocus, but the warrior knows better. The power we can wield (and I admit I am currently rusty) from the focus of our life energy is titanic. But as Morgan makes perfectly clear, the spiritual focus of a warrior extends beyond any one religion. A Christian, a Jew, or any other can grow spiritually in their own faith through the way of the warrior. I owe much over the past eight years to this one chapter. My understanding of honor comes solely from Morgan. The warrior is a person of power, and the temptation to seek revenge on those who have wronged us can be strong at times. The standards for revenge and suicide that Morgan sets down are firm; I don't like the standards when I feel wronged, but Morgan has made me realize when such actions would be perversions of honor. If a person has only one book on martial science in his library, it had better be this one.
Rating:
Summary: Good book for warriors
Review: This is an awesome book. I have read it several times now and enjoy it every time. Morgan is great at bringing Samurai concepts into modern times. I encourage every warrior to read it.
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