Favourite martial arts book?

“Karate-Do: My Way of Life” by Gichin Funakoshi

"The Teachings of Karatedo" by Heiko Bittmann

"The martial arts and ways of Japan" by Donn F Draeger

CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTING - Jack Dempsey

It changes every few years what my favorite book is. Right now I would have to say Taegeuk Cipher by Simon John O`Neil for Taekwondo. If it has to be about Karate (This being a forum that mainly discusses Karate and all) I have to say Bunkai Jutsu by Iain Abernethy (my copy has been read so much that it barly holds itself together.),

Four Shades of Black, Gavin Mullholland

"Motobu Choki – Karate, My Art"

(published by the International Ryukyu Karate-jutsu Research Society) 
Translated by Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy.

Here's a review by Victor Smith - 

http://www.e-budo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11689

The Iliad by Homer.

Traditions: Essays on the Japanese Martial Arts and Ways by Dave Lowry.

I have found this an almost impossible task but by Gavin de Becker's Gift of Fear would be very high up on my list.

p.s. Thank you Dave...

"Meditations on Violence" by Rory Miller, if I have to pick one, although there are a bunch of others I would consider pretty much as good as well.

Probably not the cup of tea for all the pragmatists out there, but my personal favourite Martial Arts book remains Aikido and Dynamic Sphere by Westbrook and Rati. It's very well written and very thorough. OK, it's probably not very useful if you aren't studying Aikido, but if you are, or if you just have an interest, I don't think there's a better book.

Mine would have to be "Living the Martial Way" by Forrest Morgan.

Dead or alive by Geoff Thompson

Tao of Jeet Kun Do.

Jissen Karate - Karate for the streets not for trophies

Authored buy Ken G Wylson (that's me, I've not written it Yet but I got the title)

Living the Martial Way by Forrest E Morgan

Stuart

"Vital Karate"--Author: Sosai Mas Oyamas

I found this Site, don't know how up to date it is but very informative:

http://www.martialhub.com/japanese/japanese_karate.html

Includes recommending books and Webistes too

best Karate, Heian and Tekki, M Nakayama. It was the first karate book I ever bought.

Angry White Pyjamas: An Oxford Poet Trains with the Tokyo Riot Police - Robert Twigger

garry wrote:

Angry White Pyjamas: An Oxford Poet Trains with the Tokyo Riot Police - Robert Twigger

Damn fine book. For those that haven't read it, you can argue if it is or isn't a "Martial Arts book" as it's story of the author's year in Tokyo teaching English. He just happens to take up Yoshinkan Aikido. His Aikido is what most of the book becomes about. Probably because of the author's literary education, this book is excellently written. It's enthralling at times. He discusses the death of the head of the style and various serious injuries to his training partners. It also inadvertedly tells you a lot about Japanese culture and thinking. I keep intending to re-read it.

Sorry, interrupting the thread there, but I had to endorse this recommendation.