The Art of War

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This special edition of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu presents three complete versions of the classic text: in Chinese, in English, and fully annotated. Section I contains the complete 13 chapters of Sun Tzu's masterpiece in Chinese together with the facing page English translation by Lionel Giles, without notes or commentary. This presentation avoids the objection that commentary tends to clutter and obscure the clarity of thought of the ancient military genius. Section II contains the complete annotated translation by Lionel Giles, with explanatory notes and critical commentary. It includes an historical account of Sun Tzu's work, evaluations by Chinese commentators, an essay examining the traditional Chinese attitudes toward war and a bibliography that details Giles' source materials. The supplemental text in this section includes critical commentary and notes by both the Chinese historians as well as by Giles himself. This is invaluable information for any Eastern or Western student of Sun Tzu. Lionel Giles, as the British Museum's "Keeper of the Department of Oriental Printed Books," was uniquely qualified to translate and explain this great classic Chinese work to Western readers.

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,-0400

About the author

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Sun Tzu (traditional Chinese: 孫子; simplified Chinese: 孙子; pinyin: Sūnzǐ) was a Chinese military general, strategist, philosopher, and writer who lived during the Eastern Zhou period (771–256 BC). Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thought. Sun Tzu is revered in Chinese and East Asian culture as a legendary historical and military figure. His birth name was Sun Wu (traditional Chinese: 孫武; simplified Chinese: 孙武) and he was known outside of his family by his courtesy name Changqing (Chinese: 長卿). The name Sun Tzu—by which he is more popularly known—is an honorific which means "Master Sun".
Sun Tzu mastered the military science of ancient China and created the military doctrine of asymmetrical warfare. According to it, an attack on the enemy should begin only after the enemy has no opportunity to either defend or counterattack. It was used in the wars in the era of the Warring States in ancient China (about 475–221 BC). It differs from the modern interpretation of asymmetric military strategy. The ancient warriors used to call it the Victorious Methods of Warfare (sheng er zhan zhi), but it has the same meaning as the modern asymmetrical military strategy. The ancient professional warriors used it in individual combats against the enemies in the wars. As a result, a variety of armed and unarmed combat combinations have been created for various combat situations as the individual battle plans. Those combat combinations had specific names, descriptions and classifications.
Sun Tzu's historicity is uncertain. The Han dynasty historian Sima Qian and other traditional Chinese historians placed him as a minister to King Helü of Wu and dated his lifetime to 544–496 BC. Modern scholars accepting his historicity place the extant text of The Art of War in the later Warring States period of 475 to 221 BC, based on its style of composition and its descriptions of warfare. Traditional accounts state that the general's descendant Sun Bin wrote a treatise on military tactics, also titled The Art of War. Since both Sun Wu and Sun Bin were referred to as "Sun Tzu" in classical Chinese texts, some historians believed them identical, prior to the rediscovery of Sun Bin's treatise in 1972.
Sun Tzu's work has been praised and employed throughout the arc of East Asian military history since its composition, and eventually earned global attention. During the twentieth century, The Art of War grew in popularity and saw practical use in the Western world as well. It remains influential in many contemporary competitive endeavors across the modern world beyond military strategy and warfare, including espionage, culture, governance, business, and sports.

Community Reviews

Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 99 votes)
5 stars
36(36%)
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99 reviews All reviews
April 17,2025
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عبقرية عسكرية!! .. فن الحرب فن الهجوم فن الدفاع فن التجسس فن قيادة الأفراد والموارد
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shD5C...
April 17,2025
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Now I'm ready to invade Poland
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Okay, I understand that is not the kind of reaction Sun Tzu would have liked(best victories are won without fighting) but it makes a nice heading. His philosophy is simple - be good even if it means looking bad and to know your surroundings while you fight. He is against pretentious heroism, plunder or useless bloodshed whether that is blood of his own men or his opponents. Yet he wants you not to miss the opportunities where you can find them or to break the old moral laws where it is of advantage to you.

Not that I'm looking to lead an army or pretend that I can but there is something so honest in there that you just love it. Perhaps it is book's realism (as against the bookish morality) - something comparable to Machiavelli's 'The Prince'.
April 17,2025
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Sun Tzu, general y estratega militar, concibió hace 2500 años uno de los más emblemáticos y atemporales tratados sobre el tema bélico. En este texto de singular brevedad pero implacable eficacia se nos exponen algunos de los principios elementales de la guerra destacándose nociones como aquella de que la mejor victoria es aquella que se da sin luchar.

Este resumen de sabiduría milenaria oriental reafirma su valía mediante el despliegue de un análisis que puede ser aplicado a los conflictos armados de la actualidad con capítulos claros, concisos, de fácil comprensión e ideas de inmensa efectividad. Su lectura es fluida y se percibe sorprendentemente actual.
April 17,2025
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Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for "The Art"
One star ⭐ for "of War"

Average rating = ⭐⭐⭐

Seriously though, this is beautifully and artfully written. It's just too bad to have such poetry dedicated to effective ways of waging war.
April 17,2025
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Simply put, Sun Tzu says that it is better not to fight than to be involved in a conflict, but if you are going to have to fight, then you have to do it to win, and these are the various strategies, often brutal, that will get you that result.

Niccolò Machiavelli, in The Prince says if you are in a position of power and seek to maintain it, it is better to be loved and respected, but if you can't achieve that, then at least enforce respect and these are the, often brutal, strategies that will get that result.

I say, if you are going to be a politician in the generally-winning party and you don't like reading much, The Prince is for you. Very sly. If however you see yourself in opposition, arguing your point, try Sun Tzu first.

For the rest of us the books are short and make interesting historical and somewhat philosophical reading but they aren't going to change your life other than giving you a leg up on the intellectual book ladder, always a plus for the pseuds!
Who, me? Yah think...
April 17,2025
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someone change my name to George Washington
i'm becoming a general
April 17,2025
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We all know one person who has an answer for everything. This person is usually annoying and won’t accept that sometimes they’re just wrong; they won’t accept that at some point their logic may fail them and run dry; they’re completely resolute in what they believe and they just won’t budge from it: they simply can’t be proven wrong or at fault. This is how I feel about Sun Tzu. It’s like he interpreted questions and doubts before they were born, and countered them with his own logic based responses that felt immaculately persuasive to the point that I found them to be convincing truths. Sun Tzu, literally, has an answer for everything war based.

How to win at war



I could never consider war as a form of art, but Sun Tzu has provided a detailed manual of how to survive it. Well, at least if you’re a general in the command of legions of armies and have the ability to respond to a multitude of situations with the quick thinking advice of Sun Tzu. Then, and only then, might you be ok. If you’re a foot solider or a random underling, then you’re screwed because you’d most likely be spent in some well thought out attack or defensive manoeuvre. This book is certainly one for the generals who must consider victory first and overcome the loss of human life.

There’s a reason why this book is still read today by military leaders, soldiers and random bookworms; it provides valuable insight on how to master the battlefield; it advises the reader on how to respond, in the most effective manner, to a number of tactical situations. There is so much covered in this relatively small book that it’s quite surprising. However, despite the convincing nature of his arguments, I do feel like there would be a situation where his logic failed him. There will be a situation where an unforeseeable circumstance defeats his approach and leads in an unexpected defeat and complete rout. No manual of war could ever be completely extensive even if it appears that way. But, don’t tell Sun Tzu I said that because he’d have an answer.

Easy to read

One thing that struck me when reading this was the sheer approachability of it. I expected it to be very complex and intricate. The manoeuvres and counters are conveyed in a simple, yet comprehensive, manner. It undeniably makes war look easy, which it obviously isn’t. I’m not saying that it’s misleading, but I was just looking for a logic hole in here. I was unable to find one, though I think if someone used this in war they may find it. I am glad of the simplicity of it, though, because it made the book very approachable and easy to understand. I never thought I’d say this, but The Art of War is very light reading.

This was such an interesting book to read. I feel like I learnt a lot from it, which is quite scary really. Perhaps, I won’t read it a second time, as I don’t want to get to many ideas in my head. I do recommend giving this book a read though, just for the sake of reading something completely different.

A tactical three stars
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