The Art of War
By Sun Tzu
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About this ebook
Preserved in China for more than 2,000 years before it was brought to the West by the French, this compact little book is widely regarded as the oldest military treatise in the world. Rumored to have been used by Napoleon in his campaigns to conquer Europe, it today retains much of its original merit. American officers read it closely during World War II. The Japanese army studied the work for decades, and many 20th-century Chinese officers are said to have known the book by heart. More recently, it has also been viewed as a valuable guide to competing successfully in business.
Stressing the importance of attacking your enemy when he is unprepared and scheming to discover his plans, the author advises avoiding the strong and striking at the weak, and using spies for every kind of business. Principles of strategy, tactics, maneuvering, and communications, the treatment of soldiers, the importance of strong troops and well-trained officers, and the administration of rewards and punishments all have a modern ring to them.
A valuable guide to the conduct of war, this classic of military strategy is indispensable to military personnel, history enthusiasts, and anyone intrigued by competition and rivalry.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu was a an ancient Chinese general during the latter part of the Spring and Autumn Period. Also referred to as Sunzi or Sun Wu, the great Chinese philosopher and military general was revered by many generations of Chinese leaders to come. His given military name, "Sun Tzu" translates as "master sun", and was thought to be an honorific title. It has been speculated Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War during the Warring States Period, when China was divided and war was imminent. His profound insight on military strategy and expert leadership inspired nearly all who read his work, earning him a spot in history as one of the greatest military generals of all time.
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Reviews for The Art of War
3,013 ratings68 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5you kind of have to read this, yah. so privately canonized.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'm so glad I finally read this historic book. I found it very interesting and understand why it has been adapted to suit other fields -- notably management. And the version of the book I bought is beautiful in itself. Bound in traditional Chinese style, with each page folded in half and only printed on the outside. Hard to rate -- it is what it is as they say -- but I'm rating it highly because it has stood the test of time.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An enduring classic, an absolute must-read for every business person and military mind the world over.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I read this and let my mind wander a little, but not too much. Invariably whatever I think about mixes with the words, and elegant, clear observations come out. It's like guided meditation.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5During a sermon, the rabbi talked about this book and said that it was really a philosophy on how to live life. When I started reading it, I saw that it really is a book on how to wage war. Definitely not what I expected and definitely not a book I would ever want to read.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Art of War itself is pretty cool - aside from the fact that I feel like a dork reading it because most of the people who read Art of War are nineteen-year-old fantasy roleplayers who collect nunchuks - but the version I read, Lionel Giles' 1910 translation, is chock full of typos. That kinda gets on my nerves.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I read ‘The Art of War’, not because I wanted to know about warfare, or even the typically extrapolated purpose of business and politics, but because I’ve been looking for the source of a 6 character Chinese phrase that I’ve known since I was a kid. I think I found it. The 6 characters are:People Philosophy (or Principle)Earth Philosophy (or Principle)Heaven Philosophy (or Principle)Earth is commonly extrapolated to also mean the environment, your physical surroundings, and/or the situation you’re in.Heaven is commonly extrapolated to also mean the weather, fate, and other elements you can’t control but only can work around.While ‘The Art of War’ goes into strategies of planning/waging/winning a war, the commoners (i.e. the adults around me when I was growing up) used these six characters to explain the simple considerations in life, being cognizant of the people and the things around you. In the case of ‘Heaven’, life happens. You can’t get what you want. You can’t have everything you want. And it simply wasn’t meant to be. A hard lesson for a kid… and for an adult.The edition I read is a Collins Classic with a crisp, simple translation and a good intro. I would have liked a version with side by side Chinese and English text, but ah well. In 13 Chapters, with numbered lines between 14 to 68 for each chapter, this was an easy read. As alluded to above, one can extract many layers of meanings from the simple text. Quotes:Ch 1, Line 22 – Perhaps this is the modern day equivalent of pressing someone’s buttons.“If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.”Ch 2, Line 19 – I read this as results driven, in business terms.“In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.”Ch 3, Line 18 – People Philosophy. Replace enemy with anyone else, this might work for understanding the probabilities of a relationship, friendship, etc.“Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”Ch 4, Line 10 – This was very humbling.“To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength; to see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight; to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear.”Ch 5, Lines 1 and 2 – This made me think about growing a team or an organization and managing them or taking on bigger challenges. “Sun Tzu said: The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers.”“Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.”Ch 6, Line 9 – One of the primary strategies in this book is deception. I’m guessing it is applauded for business and politics! Too brutal for my taste.“O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible; and hence we can hold the enemy’s fate in our hands.Ch 7, Line 13 – Earth Philosophy. In the most literal sense for battle.“We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country – its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps.”Ch 9, Line 35 – This made me think of office gossip, and the negativity associated with it.“The sight of men whispering together in small knots or speaking subdued tones points to disaffection amongst the rank and file.”Ch 10, Line 24, 25 – My business translation: A leader that is not after title for himself/herself, but simply cares, and gives a damn, for the work and for his/her team.“The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.”“Regarding your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.”Ch 10, Line 31 – I believe this is the one line that envelopes the 6 characters, even though I hope to never mark anyone as my enemy.“Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.”
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rated: B-The New Lifetime Reading Plan: Number 10The general is responsible for the destiny and well-being of the nation. The scarcity of fine generals has always been a source of calamity.He regards his troops as his children, and they will go with him into the deepest ravine. He regards them as his loved ones, and they will stand by him unto death. (Chapter 10)
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5one of the best books I've ever read; just be careful of the translator. There are some really horrendous editions out there. ALWAYS buy the one translated by "CLEARLY" he is very profound in eastern philosophy and tradition
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/53 stars“All warfare is based on deception.”“The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.”Born in the fifth century B.C., Sun Wu (Sun Tzu was an honorary title) wrote the quintessential rulebook for warfare, known today as Art of War. While the often quoted lines of Sun Tzu are as lyrical as poetry, it was written 2,500 years ago with the singular purpose of codifying the essential requirements for generals and soldiers to be victorious on the battlefield. Even today, his treatise on war is studied by not just military officers, but business leaders and politicians as a roadmap to victory.While most of us have heard of Art of War and have no doubt read many of the catchy anecdotes that populate Sun Tzu’s writing, I dare say very few people have actually read the work from start to finish. While the version I read was about 300 pages, less than 50 pages make up the actual translated writings of Sun Tzu. That text is preceded by a rather informative historical overview of the life of Sun Wu – of which only a few documented facts are known. More importantly, the introduction does a good job of establishing the climate that Sun Tzu lived in within what we now know as China. Frankly, I found this to be the best and most informative part of the text.Sun Tzu’s actual text is written as a series of individual statements that appear to have been cobbled together. I’m unsure if this is the result of how the work was translated or if the original text was pieced together from scattered writings, but it gives the writing a disjointed feel. However, I can accept this limitation given that it was written as a technical document more than two millennia ago in a different language. From a content perspective, there are many well-known phrases that ring true today. But while the general philosophies are what we remember, the lion’s share of his text details very specific situations and strategies for warfare of that era. The remainder of the book – more than half of it in fact – is a detailed breakdown of individual passages from Sun Tzu’s text, expanded upon and placed into the context of more modern battles throughout history. This was the most problematic portion of the book because in a lot of cases it was a very tenuous leap to connect the specific tactics of some of the cited battles to the specific situations Sun Tzu wrote about. Sun Tzu’s text is just ambiguous enough that almost anything can be read into some of the passages. It was more wishful thinking than established doctrine that associated some of the examples to his writing. And while Art of War may include many philosophical musings that are usable today, most of Sun Tzu’s writing about specific military tactics– while educational from a historical perspective – are wildly obsolete in the modern world. As a fascinating historical document that illustrates the thinking and strategy of an era where little has survived the ravages of time, Art of War is an invaluable resource. But as a current day treatise on the conduct of war and competitive strategy, it is really lacks concrete value. Anecdotes aside, I’m pretty sure that no modern standing army or corporate think-tank is sending its best and brightest into the trenches with nothing but Sun Tzu’s writing even though some believe Art of War is the end-all, be-all of strategic thought. It would be a little like arguing before the Supreme Court with no other legal education outside of reading a lot of John Grisham novels. I think Art of War is a valuable work, but it has achieved a sort of cult following in certain circles that outstrips its actual contribution to strategy. The authors of this translation have gone overboard in assigning value to his teaching – value that can’t really be substantiated. Is it an important historical document? Absolutely. Is it the cornerstone of all of the strategic thought that exists today? Not hardly. While Sun Tzu was in fact a brilliant strategist and philosopher, Art of War wasn’t even translated into a western language until 1772 (French) and 1905 (English). I’m pretty sure most of these strategies had been discovered and utilized by western armies long before then. Perhaps the most important thing that is lost in the supplementation of Art of War is Sun Tzu’s primary motivation for writing his treatise. While his text is held up as the guide to war, this translation does hit on a key philosophy – it was peace that Sun Tzu was most interested in. He wanted his countrymen to be able to protect themselves and allow for the citizens to live in peace, not war. All you have to read for proof of that is what I think is the most important sentence he wrote:“There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.”Amen to that.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5There was a lot of repetition in this book, but maybe it's to enforce some of the most important things to remember when conducting a war.
I was surprised by how much from this ancient text seems applicable today. I guess that can be chalked up to the knowledge and foresight of Sun Tzu, as well as our sad inability to change our violent ways.
One particular bit of text seemed particularly relevant:
When the army engages in protracted campaigns the resources of the state will not suffice.
Good advice. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Classic, brilliant techniques put so simply. Yet, naturally, reading this as a modern day civilian, I applied it to my modern day battles such as in business, relationships, Los Angeles traffic...the typical. As a naturally paranoid person, I feel it did me more harm than good. In addition, I prefer to (perhaps ignorantly) avoid seeing things as if they are wars. Some things will never change though because I will always act shy and giggle right before I slaughter my enemy.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My first "android" book :)
3 days of boring lectures and you complete a whole book !!!!
A Sun Tzu's masterpiece on competition in a battlefield.An obstinate struggle to survive,to fight with a person's best spirits and a anecdote of survival in tough times. The book talks about various moves of enemies and optimum strategic judgement according to opponent's strength and weakness.
Main categories under which the comprehensive book is divided are: Laying plans, waging war, strategic attacks, energy, tactical dispositions, army on march, fire attacks and use of spies.
A book one of its kind. Precise, short statements without any kind of obfuscation, a provident manifestation of a probable war like situation.Indeed, a complete war time reference manual. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Quite possibly the most influential book on military tactics of all time. I was incredibly surprised by its brevity. A must-read for any historian.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Inspiration comes from many places and The Art of War is one of those books mentioned frequently in my circles. It's one of those books I've been meaning to get to for years and, while I am not sorry that I finally got to it, its usefulness to me is limited.Most of the non-strategic advice is good leadership advice. Things such as being a leader means setting the standard for how the work should be done, including getting one's hands dirty with the lowliest tasks. I've read plenty of stuff about leadership, and setting the example, that there really wasn't anything new for me here.Since I'm not interested in military strategies, the rest was dry.From a strictly historic perspective, I can understand the importance of this treatise. But as an outstanding example of leadership and strategy in the 21st century? I'm not seeing it.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Don't like this edition. The history is boring and confusing (chi, Ch'i, ch'i all mean different things) 1 star for the edition and history part.
The actual Art of War is good. 3 stars. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5This is a manual and reads like one. Better to take in very small doses, digest and discuss rather than to read continuously.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5If you're already self-actualized (read: me), this is nothing but a bunch of shih.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5No wonder the words in this book have such wide applications across a whole massive spectrum of professions to situations.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This audio book had Joe Montenga narrating the text.It was pretty cool to have the Simpsons's Fat Tony quoting a 500 BC Chinese War Scholar.(The analysis of the text was a real snooze-fest!)
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When you go to buy The Art of War, you will have several editions to choose from. If not, you're in the wrong shop; go and find another. I recommend going through each edition and pick the one whose translation you find easiest to read.It's difficult to review this book. The Art of War is not the kind of book you read. It's the kind of book you reflect on. For best results, reflect and then bring your reflections to a group who have also read the book. Everyone will find a passage or two that really struck a note for them, and for different reasons. Prepare to talk long into the night.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A great translation. That was meant to be funny since I don't read Chinese and can't possibly really know how good his translation is. However, this is a great book and belongs right next to your other war strategy greats.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a beautiful and scholarly presentation of a truly elegant piece of ancient literature. Griffith puts forth his interpretation of "The Art of War" based on a revision of his Ph.D. thesis presented some years ago. Commentaries from several sources are included along side of Griffith's own translation. Footnotes are ubiquitous in the text explaining various discrepancies in interpretations, translations and historical contexts. There is a nicely-done introduction discussing various scholarly debates surrounding "The Art of War" including, original authorship, and date of creation. Beyond the content, the presentation of the book is beautiful. The cover is silk fabric with silk-screened golden Chinese characters on the cover. There is also an attached black ribbon bookmark. The pages are thick construction done with a glossy-print and includes many beautiful color plates placed throughout the text.Really, I believe this to be an exquisite presentation of this piece of literature. Not only is the presentation exceptional, the scholarly content is both attainable and interesting. This is an excellent piece to have in any library.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I heard a lot of people talking about "The Art of War." In business, during news commentary...everywhere. I find it funny, when reading it, to see something very simple. Descriptions of the appropriate duties of the army and generals are basic, and the "secrets" of successful conquering is good common sense. I suppose the reason it seems so enlightening is the lack of common sense in the huge majority of people. Saying that, this was a great opporunity to see some of the basis for business practices overseas and at home. There are many people who think about business as warefare. These tactics will be used, and should be understood. Because common sense is no longer common, and probably wasn't in ancient China, this is a great guide to dealing with conflict...if you want to win.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This turned out to be a cheap and good translation. If all you want is the straight translation, this is a great edition
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I had to read this for an English class. I'm still trying to figure out why.Maybe I'll be better at strategy games?
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Love the notion that the greatest leader is one that defeats the challege before it is known that the challenge exists. Here we are obsessed with the hero leader who battles with the mighty demons and after much struggle wins. I see this in schools where the head turns around a failing school and is seen as a great leader. But all too often they miss the greater leadership of the head who intervenes with a timely word here, a school event there keeps the school on track, Much better to read the straight translations rather then the art of war for the board room which often miss the point
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How ironic that the copy I found in my apartment should have a foreword by James Clavell, author of "Shogun;" my Mum is forever mixing up China and Japan herself, and often remarks about the former when in fact I lived in the latter.The book, meanwhile, is an interesting couple of hours' read, but without a more thorough guide I don't see how I could use Sun Tzu's ideas to conquer Wall Street, as some have proposed.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A subtle and fascinating philosophy on how to wage war. Knowledge of assured victory is key for Sun Tzu. At once it is esoteric and simple giving the reader the opportunity to find new angles and places to learn with each repeated reading. Intense and interesting. (Shambhala translation)
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A classic that is as valuable for war strategies as it is for work and everyday relations.My edition is from Shambhala, and translated by Thomas Cleary (famed for his translations of Miyamoto Musashi's work, as well as his biography).In this edition, each of the passages is interpreted by 11 different people (from Li Quan to Zhang Yu), for scope and perspective. While it's not necessary to include so many interpreters, I find that the different perspectives (and wording) sometimes made Master Sun's wisdoms clearer.
Book preview
The Art of War - Sun Tzu
Bibliographical Note
This Dover edition, first published in 2002, is an unabridged republication of the edition originally published in 1944 by The Military Service Publishing Company, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The English translation of the text of The Art of War was made by Lionel Giles and was first published in 1910 by Luzac & Co., London. Summaries of some of the translator’s annotations are included in brackets in this edition. The Introduction and the chapter on Chinese Warfare were written by Brig. Gen. Thomas R. Phillips, U.S. Army, for the 1944 edition.
In this edition, there are no pages 1-4; the title page is page 5.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sunzi, 6th cent. B.C.
[Sunzi bing fa. English]
The art of war / Sun-tzu.
p. cm.
Originally published: Harrisburg, Pa. : Military Service Pub. Co., 1944.
9780486130613
1. Military art and science—Early works to 1800. I. Title.
U101 .S949 2002
355.02—dc21
2002067294
Manufactured in the United States by Courier Corporation
42557609
www.doverpublications.com
Table of Contents
Title Page
Bibliographical Note
Copyright Page
INTRODUCTION
CHINESE WARFARE
{ ONE } - LAYING PLANS
{ TWO } - WAGING WAR
{ THREE } - ATTACK BY STRATAGEM
{ FOUR } - TACTICAL DISPOSITIONS
{ FIVE } - USE OF ENERGY
{ SIX } - WEAK POINTS AND STRONG
{ SEVEN } - MANEUVERING AN ARMY
{ EIGHT } - VARIATION OF TACTICS
{ NINE } - THE ARMY ON THE MARCH
{ TEN } - CLASSIFICATION OF TERRAIN
{ ELEVEN } - THE NINE SITUATIONS
{ TWELVE } - ATTACK BY FIRE
{ THIRTEEN } - USE OF SPIES
INTRODUCTION
WRITTEN about 500 B.C., The Art of War by Sun Tzu is the oldest military treatise in the world. Highly compressed, it is devoted to principles and still retains much of its original authoritative merit. To the military student able to adapt its principles to modern warfare, it even now, twenty-five centuries after its preparation, is a valuable guide for the conduct of war. Although the chariot has gone and weapons have changed, this ancient master holds his own, since he deals with fundamentals, with the influence of politics and human nature on military operations. He shows in a striking way how unchanging these principles are.
Sun Tzü Wu, according to Ssu-ma Ch‘ien, was a native of the Ch’i state. His Art of War brought him to the notice of Ho Lu, King of Wu [in middle-eastern China, west of Shanghai. The Capital was the present city of Wuchang]. Ho Lu said to him: I have carefully perused your thirteen chapters. May I submit your theory to a slight test?
Test of His Principles
Sun Tzu replied: You may.
Ho Lu asked: May the test be applied to women?
The answer was again in the affirmative.
So arrangements were made to bring 180 women from the palace. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies and placed one of the King’s favorite concubines at the head of each.
He then bade them all take spears in their hands, and addressed them thus: I presume you know the difference between front and back, right hand and left hand?
The girls replied: Yes.
Sun Tzu went on: When I say ‘Eyes front,’ you must look straight ahead. When I say ‘Left turn’ you must face towards your left hand. When I say ‘About turn,’ you must face right around towards the back.
The words of command having been thus explained, he gave them halberds and battle-axes in order to begin the drill. Then, to the sound of drums, he gave the order, Right turn!
But the girls only burst out laughing. Sun Tzu said: If the words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame.
Then he started again, and this time gave the order, Left turn!
Whereupon the girls once more burst into fits of laughter. Sun Tzu said: "If the words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders are clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers." So saying, he ordered the leaders of the two companies to be beheaded.
Wu’s King was watching the scene from the top of a pavilion; and when he saw that his favorite concubines were about to be executed, he hurriedly sent down the following message: We are now quite satisfied as to Our general’s ability to handle troops. If We are bereft of these two concubines, Our meat and drink will lose their savor. It is Our wish that they shall not be beheaded.
Authority of High Command
Sun Tzu replied: Having once received His Majesty’s commission as general of His forces, there are certain commands of His Majesty which, acting in that capacity, I am unable to accept.
Accordingly, he had the two women beheaded, and installed the pair next in order as leaders in their places.
When the execution was over, the drum was sounded for the drill once more. And the girls went through all the evolutions, turning to the right or to the left, marching ahead or wheeling back, kneeling or standing, with perfect accuracy and precision, not venturing to utter a sound.
Then Sun Tzu sent a messenger to the King, saying, "Your soldiers, Sire, are now properly drilled and disciplined, and ready for Your Majesty’s inspection. They can