Published in 1942 in Japan in the middle of World War II, this book marked the beginning of a remarkable career for R. H. Blyth. In addition to being a prolific writer and translator, Blyth served in Emperor Hirohito's household, tutored Crown Prince Akihito, and taught at Japan's universities. In ZEN IN ENGLISH LITERATURE AND ORIENTAL CLASSICS, he takes on the painstaking task of finding equivalents to the precepts and essence of Zen in the classics of Eastern and Western literature.