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    The Complete Art of War
    The Complete Art of War
    The Complete Art of War
    Ebook1,163 pages22 hours

    The Complete Art of War

    By Sun Tzu and Niccolò Machiavelli

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    Collected here in this 4-in-1 omnibus are the most important books ever written on the art of war. The Art of War By Sun Tzu translated and commented on by Lionel Giles, On War by Carl von Clausewitz, The Art of War by Niccolò Machiavelli, and The Art of War by Baron De Jomini. These four books will give you as complete a view on the art of war as you can attain. This is the most important book ever written about warfare and conflict. Lionel Giles' translation is the definitive edition and his commentary is indispensable. The Art of War can be used and adapted in every facet of your life. This book explains when and how to go to war, as well as when not to. Learn how to win any conflict whether it be on the battlefield or in the boardroom. Although Carl von Clausewitz participated in many military campaigns, he was primarily a military theorist interested in the examination of war. On War is the West's premier work on the philosophy of war. Other soldiers before him had written treatises on various military subjects, but none undertook a great philosophical examination of war on the scale of Clausewitz's. On War is considered to be the first modern book of military strategy. This is due mainly to Clausewitz' integration of political, social, and economic issues as some of the most important factors in deciding the outcomes of a war. It is one of the most important treatises on strategy ever written, and continues to be required reading at many military academies. Niccolo Machiavelli considered this book his greatest achievement. Here you will learn how to recruit, train, motivate, and discipline an army. You will learn the difference between strategy and tactics. Machiavelli does a masterful job of breaking down and analyzing historic battles. This book of military knowledge belongs alongside Sun-Tzu and Clausewitz on every book shelf. Antoine-Henri Jomini was the most celebrated writer on the Napoleonic art of war. Jomini was present at most of the most important battles of the Napoleonic Wars. His writing, therefore, is the most authoritative on the subject. "The art of war, as generally considered, consists of five purely military branches,-viz.: Strategy, Grand Tactics, Logistics, Engineering, and Tactics. A sixth and essential branch, hitherto unrecognized, might be termed Diplomacy in its relation to War. Although this branch is more naturally and intimately connected with the profession of a statesman than with that of a soldier, it cannot be denied that, if it be useless to a subordinate general, it is indispensable to every general commanding an army." -Antoine-Henri Jomini
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStart Publishing LLC
    Release dateApr 29, 2013
    ISBN9781627931502
    The Complete Art of War
    Author

    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 Complete Art of War

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      First of all, Dickens deserves some credit for creating the popular image of the French Revolution. Its portrayal in movies and other books such as The Scarlet Pimpernel series is based far more on A Tale of Two Cities than on reality. He also earns some points for the fact that, being Dickens, he shows remarkable sympathy for the poor in France leading up to the revolution. Even if once the revolution begins he tends to depict them as fiendish vultures and the the entire period of the republic as just as bloody as the most intense weeks of the Terror, he shows the justification for the revolution more than many of the authors who followed him did. The story itself is serial melodrama, but it's very good serial melodrama, and holds up to rereading.
    • 3/5
      The story of a group of Englishmen and French expatriates at the time of the French Revolution.
    • 4/5
      One of Dicken's best known stories, set amidst the bloody chaos of the French Revolution, and deftly spanning two countries, multiple generations, and a myriad of characters, in less space than any of his other novels occupied. The story begins with a rainy journey of Mr. Jarvis Lorry, a banker, who has received a mysterious message and is setting off to France. He picks up a beautiful young girl en route, and together they meet a poor prisoner who has recently been released from the Bastille. The deranged man is Dr. Manette, once a renowned physician in France, and the beautiful girl is Lucie Manette, the doctor's daughter who had believed her father dead until her visit with Mr. Lorry. The doctor is quite undone from his countless years in prison, locked away as a secret prisoner, and is fixated on the shoe making he took up during that time. Nonetheless, Lucie manages to make an impression on her father where all others had failed, and she and Mr. Lorry spirit him back to England, where Lucie had been living, before he can be locked up again by the anonymous antagonist who had him imprisoned in the first place.The story then jumps some years into the future, picking up in the middle of an intense trial against a supposed traitor to the British crown. Charles Darnay has been accused of being a spy for France, and despite the unsavory and untrustworthy nature of his chief accuser, the proceedings don't look good for the noble Darnay. The reader meets Lucie Manette and her father again, this time as unwilling witnesses against the defendant. Exposition reveals that Alexandre Manette has recovered his intellect and strength of character while living in England with his daughter, and that Lucie is clearly in love with the prisoner rapidly heading to a death sentence. However, a last minute reveal by Darnay's lawyers, motivated by the genius of dissolute Sydney Carton, saves the man and frees him from all charges against him!A peaceful interlude for the main protagonists then ensues, although the author intersperses scenes from back in France, where dark rumblings suggest the horrible events that are about to unfold. In England, however, all is well. Lucie and her father have found a small house in a peaceful pocket of London, where they visit with Mr. Lorry, who has become an intimate of the family. Charles Darnay also frequently visits, as does Sydney Carton and Mr. Stryver, the lawyer who was in charge of Darnay's case. A handful of minor characters are also introduced and developed. such as Mr. Lorry's every man Jerry Cruncher, and Lucie's attendant Miss Pross. Dickens uses this space to weave his masterful characterization, painting these people with varied and complicated personalities, and observing several humorous episodes along the way. Eventually, Lucie and Charles marry, they honeymoon and return, never knowing that Lucie's father had a complete breakdown while they were away, and then the novel again fast forwards to a future point in time.Charles Darnay is concerned. Although he lives happily under his assumed name in England, rumors of the unrest from his home have reached him, and he feels an obligation to the peasants. It is revealed in the novel that Darnay is actually an aristocrat, in a family who he despises for their cruelty and greed. Now that his malicious uncle is dead, his estates have been abandoned. Darnay learns about the signs of a peasant revolt and believes he can go to them and help ease their hard situation in life; he has always sympathized with them, but been able to help because his father and then uncle ruthlessly suppressed all compassion. Of course, Darnay is deluded in his imaginations of how the peasants will receive him; as soon as he arrives on French soil, he is apprehended, brought to the Bastille, and locked away. During his long voyage over sea, the revolution had surged to a pinnacle of bloodshed and overthrow, but since he couldn't receive news on the ship, he had no idea how bad everything had become. From this point on, the reader is immersed in the terror and suspense of the French Revolution.
    • 3/5
      The story of a group of Englishmen and French expatriates at the time of the French Revolution.
    • 5/5
      Amazing book! It gets better every time I read it!
    • 3/5
      The best part of the book can be summed up with two words: Sydney Carton. Immediately he seemed like he'd be the most disappointing, useless character in the whole story but that soon changed by the ending. His lines were the best and beautiful. All the other characters, except maybe Lucy and her husband and child, seemed to fill space in the heinous way of the Revolution.
    • 2/5
      Beautiful plotline. Beautiful descriptive paragraphs.

      Way too long of a read for me. I like my books to flow quickly. Beautiful book for anyone with patience. I'm glad I can say I've read it, but I don't want to put myself through that again!
    • 5/5
      Hands down my favorite Dickens' novel. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, this tale tells of the love, anger, jealousy, corruption and sacrifice. I don't want to ruin too much, but trust me- this is worth the read.
    • 3/5
      This is my second book by Charles Dickens. Compared to "Great Expectations", book moves relatively fast, yet each characterization still takes few chapters and narrative builds slowly. Since story is moderately fascinating but very slow moving, narrative long and reading dreg, enjoyment while reading is only related to style of writing and word play. But those aren't any more memorable after reading is finished. So one wonders why should book like this be read at all, except that it is a big classic?Story does pick up speed by third part of book and book becomes pager turner. While end is predictable almost from first moment you get hint of escape plan, build up is laid out well and last chapter ends on emotionally high note. Dr. Manette's letter was a surprise twist. Overall, okay read and not bad.[Spoilers Ahead]Most characters are consistent but some characters and episodes could be dropped. Like events around Jerry's wife and episode of lawer planning to marry Lucy and then dropping the idea could be edited out. Only other problem is that book has too many too many well timed coincides. Madam Defarge turns out to be the wronged sister. No explanation is given why Sydney Carton is in France just at right time, and he happens to be conveniently placed where Solomon Pross is recognized as Barsad, the spy, and also overhears Madam Defarge's plan to have Lucy killed. Jerry digging the right grave is also coincidence. And so is Miss Pross's killing of Madam Defarge at right time.
    • 5/5
      'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,' so begins Dickens' stirring story of self-sacrifice. Charles Dickens is a great story teller, full of period detail and strong emotions. This book moved me so much I was in tears, reading the ending on the tube on my way back home from working in South Kensington. It is a tale of London and Paris and of Mr Sydney Carton, who finds there is one thing he can do with his life which will really be for the greater good. The book also ends with another deep and much quoted line, 'It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known'.
    • 4/5
      Dunno why this is listed as a Most Difficult book on the g-r list. Just a lot of Victorian digressions to get through, but that can't be why.
    • 5/5
      One of my favorite classics!
    • 5/5
      A unique prospective on the French Revolution as seen through the lives of several characters who are affected by it. Classic Dickens.
    • 5/5
      When I was halfway through this novel I contemplated putting it down and never picking it up again. But I continued reading and from that point on the plot just kept deepening and becoming increasingly intriguing. The first half is essential to understanding the story as a whole so please if you read this do not make the fatal mistake of stopping after the first half. The best feature of this book is the way everything connects at the end and the way the ending gives you an almost contradictory saddened yet rejoicing feeling. All of the various elements of the story including characters tie together at the end to make you get annoyed at yourself for even thinking of letting the book go.After reading this literary work, you will understand Dickens' famous quote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." The contrasting settings add an interest that I as previously stated did not initially latch onto. However, at nearly every moment of the book, this quote can apply to the situation at hand. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who stumbles upon this review and if you do read it, keep an extra close eye out for the character of Sydney Carton because the way in which Dickens develops him is truly miraculous.
    • 5/5
      I read this novel many years ago in high school and have seen at least one movie version over the years. I recently purchased an mp3 player with 100 classic audio novels pre-loaded and this was the first I sampled.This is quite simply one of the finest novels ever written in the English language, by an author who has several other classics to his credit. With the French Revolution as a backdrop, the story revolves around the life and family of a French aristocrat, a young man who has essentially abandoned the trappings of his hereditary titles and estates, relocated and settled in England, only to be drawn back and consumed by the fires of the Paris mob. Many faces of humanity are displayed in this work, from the cold, vengeful visage of Madame DuFarge to the selfless sacrifice of the unlikely hero, Sydney Carton.This novel has everything you could ever want, and is as deep or as simply entertaining as you want to make it. I can wholeheartedly endorse this novel as well as most others penned by Mr. Dickens.
    • 4/5
      2005, Naxos Audiobooks, Read by Anton Lesser“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times …” I’ve loved those opening lines since forever, but somehow I’ve not read A Tale of Two Cities until now. As is always my experience with Dickens, I was spellbound by his haunting portrayal of the human condition. Here, his juxtaposition of “La Guillotine,” the excessively privileged and inhumanly cruel French aristocracy, with “Hunger,” the brutalized and starving peasant class, is so convincing that there could hardly have been a result other than the French Revolution. Still, I found it interesting that while Dickens is clear about the reprehensible brutishness of the nobility and the need for social justice , he does not condone the disturbing violence of the revolutionaries, a blight which creates its own stain, and perpetuates still more human suffering.“Along the Paris streets, the death-carts rumble, hollow and harsh. Six tumbrels carry the day’s wine to La Guillotine. All the devouring and insatiate Monsters imagined since imagination could record itself, are fused in one realization, Guillotine. And yet there is not in France, with its rich variety of soil and climate, a blade, a leaf, a root, a sprig, a peppercorn, which will grow to maturity under conditions more certain than those that have produced this horror. Crush humanity out of shape once more, under similar hammers, and it will twist itself into the same tortured forms. Sow the same seed of rapacious license and oppression over again, and it will surely yield the same fruit according to its kind.” (Bk 3, Ch 15)I thoroughly enjoyed A Tale of Two Cities: powerful, plot-driven, superbly written, and historically fascinating. Favourite characters are Dr. Manette, “recalled to life” from his shoemaker’s bench after a lengthy and wrongful imprisonment; and Sidney Carton, the most self-aware character in the novel, who, in making the ultimate sacrifice, redeems himself from a selfish, wasted life. That said, if I have a criticism of the novel it is that I missed the incredible richness of character I’ve come to expect from Dickens. Lucie, for instance, is all golden-haired goodness; but I know little about her beyond that, and I so wanted more! There’s much less intimacy of private life here. The singular motivation is the Revolution. Anton Lesser, narrator of this audiobook, is fabulous! A Tale of Two Cities is highly recommended for lovers of Dickens, the classics, and historical fiction.
    • 3/5
      I found this book enjoyable though not gripping. And having listened to the audio book, I regret that I may have missed many of the literary elements.
    • 4/5
      The story is a classic, the book is beautifully written, there are plenty of amusing and thought provoking passages and overall, it's a charming novel. The only downside is that some of the main characters - Lucy, Charles and Lucy - are extremely one dimensional, way too noble & nice, and entirely unrealistic. Fortunately, there are a number of more well rounded and imperfect characters in the story, such as Dr. Manette, the Defarges, Sydney Carton, and Jerry, and they really help keep things lively.
    • 4/5
      This is Charles Dickens’ classic tale of resurrection and redemption set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. The plot is far too complicated to relate quickly. Suffice to say that various characters are introduced and their interconnectedness does not become fully evident until the last hundred pages. The central characters are: Charles Darnay, nephew of the hated Marquis Evremonde; Sydney Carton, an insolent alcoholic attorney; Dr Manette, a brilliant physician who spent eighteen years in the Bastille; Lucie Manette, his daughter who grew up as an orphan in England and who embodies compassion.

      It wouldn’t be Dickens without a huge cast of supporting characters, several twists in the plot, secret identities, unexpected connections, and long discourses wherein the characters expound on various issues, while the reader is anxious for the action to continue.

      But don’t let that dissuade you. It’s a marvelous story and the last hundred pages just flew by for me. I love how certain characters redeem themselves and rise to the occasion, showing great reserves of moral strength and fortitude. I also love how Dickens surprises us with a villain or two we didn’t expect; or a supposed villain who did the right thing. It is no wonder his works have endured for over 150 years.

      The hardcover edition I got out of the library to accompany my audio book included many of the original illustrations that accompanied the text when first published in serial form. I deliberately waited to look at those drawings until after I had listened to the text and formed a “picture” of those scenes in my mind.

      Frank Muller does a wonderful job performing the audio book. There are so many different characters, and his skill as a voice artist is really put to the test. But he was easily able to give each person a unique voice – whether a young child or an elderly crone, a peasant or an aristocrat, a Frenchman or a British subject.
    • 4/5
      A classic from Dickens that differed from those others I have read (Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, and the Christmas Stories). The plot seemed tighter the characters truer and less grotesque, and the stylish writing between scenes much more telling. On a whole, I would say this was one of his better if not best book. 4.5 stars.
    • 5/5
      Hugely moving. Frequently hilarious. Agape.I wish there was a higher rating I could give. Fabulous, worthy, wonderful book.
    • 4/5
      A story of the France before and during the French Revolution by Charles Dickens published in 1859 is my favorite Dickens right now. The two cities are London and Paris. The French peasantry had been abused by the aristocracy and revolution broke and the lives of aristocrats was in danger of the guillotine. The story follows several protagonist as is the usual with Dickens. Charles Darnay, a former French aristocrat who gave it up because he detested the way the aristocrats were behaving. He goes to London. Upon return to France because of a letter requesting his help. Charles is taken prisoner by the revolution and sentenced to die. Charles is married to Lucy Manette and has a young daughter. Syndey Carton is a dissipated English barrister who endeavours to redeem his ill-spent life out of his unrequited love for Darnay's wife. This book is a story of love and redemption. The DeFarges operate a wine shop and are revolutionaries. Madame DeFarge is constantly knitting but is very deadly character.
      This was a audio/whispernet kindle book. The narrator did a superb job.
    • 5/5
      "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
      And thus begins what I think is Dickens' best work. Turns of phrases that capture a period of time as though you were there. At his finest, Dickens doesn't tell stories but imprints them on your mind.
    • 5/5
      The first Dickens book I've read in a long time, aside from my in-depth, tear-apart-and-lose-all-enjoyment-therefore-culminating-in-another-go-in-many-years read of Hard Times for University, and I was excited to read it, purely because, having seen the ITV adaptation on telly a while ago, I could re-enact the Sydney Carton senarios using the face of the delectable Dirk Bogarde. (FYI Dirk Bogarde versus Richard Attenborough in a black-and-white bout of fisticuffs would only cause me to faint like a Eighteenth Century dandy witnessing the revealing of a piano's ankles.)

      Though set in the late-Eighteenth Century surrounding the Reign of Terror that was the French Revolution, Dickens has still encapsulated everything that matters to those less fortunate than others (in this scenario it's French peasants). There is an interesting love triangle, though not at the forefront of the plot to begin with, makes it mark toward the end, with a scoop of suitors to boot, along with a collective of amusing old men and fiesty women. Very Dickens.
    • 5/5
      Sometimes you read a book at just the right time, and now was just the right time for me to read A Tale of Two Cities. I'd never read it before and knew nothing of the story, going in, so it was a terrific adventure.

      There were three types of thing I was enjoying and paying attention to as I read. The first was just the rollicking good plot, and how Dickens carried it off--what pieces of information he planted when, in order to bring them up later, how some scenes in the beginning foreshadowed other scenes later on, how he interwove fast action with scene setting and so on. Some developments--namely, the climactic role to be played by Sydney Carton--I could see coming a mile off, but I didn't mind that fact. Other plot twists took me completely by surprise, such that I actually screamed aloud. Good story, Mr. Dickens!

      The second was the picture of a totalitarian state in the grip of an ideology. It could have been Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia, but it wasn't; it was more than a century earlier than either. But you see the same focus on ideological purity, the same requirement that everything be sacrificeable to the ideology. When Doctor Manette, the beloved of the revolutionaries, protests his son-in-law's rearrest, he's told,
      If the Republic demands sacrifices from you, without doubt you as a good patriot will be happy to make them. The Republic goes before all. The People is supreme.
      (Not to imply that Dickens is saying that the population was wrong to revolt; on the contrary, he makes it quite clear that the revolution was justified: he paints the crimes of the aristocrats and the suffering of the population quite graphically. It's just where the engine of revolution goes once it's started rolling that he's appalled by.)

      The third thing is Madame Defarge. She has about 80 percent of the excellent, quotable lines of dialogue in the book, and the rest belong almost entirely to Sydney Carton. Her implacability, her will to destroy--it's breathtaking. She's pretty much a force of nature, like the things she draws on for her metaphors of retribution and revenge--lightning, earthquakes, wind and fire. Only when it becomes clear that she wants to destroy Charles Darnay's family down to his little daughter does she descend to true villain, and even then, her self-justifying speech isn't without persuasiveness:
      , I was brought up among the fishermen of the sea-shore, and that peasant family so injured by the two Evremonde brothers, as that Bastille paper describes, is my family. Defarge, that sister of the mortally wounded boy upon the ground was my sister, that husband was my sister’s husband, that unborn child was their child, that brother was my brother, that father was my father, those dead are my dead, and that summons to answer for those things descends to me!
      Her family died unjustly; why, then, should not the family of those responsible for their deaths pay the price?

      Why not indeed. There's the argument that revenge is a hunger that cannot be satisfied: the more deaths you feed it, the hungrier it becomes. But that's not the argument Dickens makes. His is more about human kindness. The revenge that Madame Defarge wants is her personal ideology, to which all must be sacrified (even her husband--nothing is more important than the idea of revenge. Dickens simultaneously shows the magnificence of someone who's given their life to an idea . . . and also the horror. The particularistic claims of human affection have no sway over her--her humanity itself is sacrificed to the idea in her head, her drive for revenge, and that's what Dickens finds fascinatingly horrible.
      ...And I have more to say, maybe, but it's late and I'm falling asleep as I type. More later! (Maybe)
    • 5/5
      It is nearly twenty years since I previously read this novel of the French Revolution and I had forgotten how wonderful it is. It is more accessible for the general reader than many other Dickens novels, with a dramatic narrative full of colour and incident, no significant sub-plots and a much less extensive cast of minor characters than probably any other full length Dickens novel. The author's voice rings out strongly against all forms of oppression and tyranny, whether of the ancien regime, whose representatives such as the Marquis St Evremonde treat the peasantry with less consideration than they do their dogs and horses; or of the revolutionary authorities and their local representatives such as Mme Therese Defarge, with their implacable thirst for vengeance and retribution against all members of aristocratic families, regardless of those members' individual guilt and innocence for acts of oppression. It is a warning against endless cycles of bloodfeuds and vengeance, and the tendency of many political and social movements in extremis to view and judge people en masse, and not as living, breathing individuals. As powerful today as it was when first published in 1859. Wonderful stuff.
    • 3/5
      Dickens places his own spin on the French Revolution in this classic novel. He captures much of the spirit of the time, especially the opposing classes of nobles and peasants, and revisits the themes which dominate so many of his novels - oppression, violence, and injustice. While A Tale of Two Cities does make a good story - I was impressed by the final sacrifice of Sydney Carton - I could not really get into the story.
    • 5/5
      First read this 46 years who, in high school. I listened to the audio this time. Excellent book by Dickens!
    • 4/5
      Another great book by Dickens. I haven't read a Charles Dickens book since high school, and I felt that it was time to get back into it. After reading a couple easier books, I wanted a challenge. So this is what I picked.

      It definitely wasn't an easy read. Took me a couple weeks to get through. But I especially loved the themes presented in the book. The love triangle, for instance, between Lucie, Charles Darnay, and Sidney Carton, is quite heartwrenching at times. The idea of loving someone and doing anything for them, even sacrificing your own life, is a timeless theme that is constantly expressed in many current pieces of literature.

      And of course, just like the title implies, the story is about a tale of two cities. Not just literally, but if you look at it from a caste system point of view, Dickens does splendid work in expressing this. Or, if you prefer to focus on the characters themselves, then you can find that in them as well. Everyone has their good and their bad sides, and each character must figure out themselves before they can be of any use to others. This battle within the character is illustrated throughout the text.

      Overall, I really liked the book. Kinda slow in the beginning, but got really exciting by the third book. Sparknotes also helped me a lot in the analysis of the story, so at least that's always available for those that want a classroom translation of the text.
    • 5/5
      Wordy, yes. It is Dickens, after all! It has been very worthwhile reading and listening to these classic books. Not only does it put the quotable phrases we all know into their proper place, but it gives us the entire quote. Best of time and worst of times: yes, but so much more. And It is a far far better thing I do than I have ever done....I'm not sure I ever realized that was also from "A Tale..."Superbly narrated by Simon Vance.

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    The Complete Art of War - Sun Tzu

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