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The Art of War
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The Art of War (edit title/settings)

by Sun Tzu (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

This is the complete text of The Art of War, one of the oldest and most successful books on military strategy in the world. It has also been applied to business and managerial strategies. The tranaslaton, by Lionel Giles is considered one of the best available. This unabridged editon of The... read more

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

  • - Consider all factors of your environment, strengths, and weaknesses when taking aggressive action.
  • - Philisophical book where lessons can be applied to life just as much as war.

Summary edit see section history

To teach all reader how to come out of any conflict sucessfully.

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Quotes edit see section history

  • “All warfare is based on deception.”
  • “In peace prepare for war, in war prepare for peace. 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 under no circumstances can it be neglected...”
  • “Knowledge of the spirit world can be obtained by divination; information in natural science may be sought by inductive reasoning; the laws of the universe can be verified by mathematical calculation; but the dispositions of the enemy are ascertainable through spies and spies alone.”
  • “Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical. No ruler should put troops into the field to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight a battle simply out of pique. Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeeded by content. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.”
  • “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles”
  • “In war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak”
  • “The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals”
  • “When you surround an army, leave an outlet free”
  • “Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.”
  • “Attaining one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the pinnacle of excellence. Subjugating the enemy's army without fighting is the true pinnacle of excellence.”
  • “No country has ever profited from protracted warfare. Those who do not thoroughly comprehend the dangers inherent in employing the army are incapable of truly knowing the potential advantages of military actions”
  • “Knowledge of the enemy’s disposition can only be obtained from other men. Knowledge of the spirit world is to be obtained by the divination; information in natural science may be sought by inductive reasoning; the laws of the universe can be verified by mathematical calculations; but the dispositions of the enemy are ascertainable through spies and spies alone.”
  • “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
    Sun Tzu
Show all 13 quotes from this book

First Sentence edit see section history

Sun Tzu said: 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 under no circumstaces can it be neglected.

Table of Contents edit see section history

BOOK 1: Considerations and Estimations for War
BOOK 2: Preparations for War
BOOK 3: The Nature of Attacks
BOOK 4: How to Think of War
BOOK 5: Using the Power of Heaven
BOOK 6: Fortitude and Frailty
BOOK 7: Manipulation of Circumstance
BOOK 8: Variations of Reality in War
BOOK 9: The Virtue of Changing Positions
BOOK 10: Control and Maintenance of Territory
BOOK 11: Conduction and Managing Campaigns
BOOK 12: Fierceness in Combat
BOOK 13: Spies and Traitors

1. Laying Plans
2. Waging War
3. Attack by Stratagem
4. Tactical Dispositions
5. Energy
6. Weak Points and Strong
7. Maneuvering
8. Vatiation in Tactics
9. The Army on the March
10. Terrain
11. The Nine Situations
12. The Attack by Fire
13. The Use of Spies

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in Penguin Classics. (publisher edition list)
This book is in The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. (community list)
This is book 34 of 95 in The Art of Manliness' Essential Man’s Library. (authoritative list)
This is book 22 of 100 in Penguin Great Ideas. (publisher series)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Sun Tzu (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. Charles River Editors (Author)
  2. Hagopian Institute (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: Chinese
Publisher: Add the publisher.
Country: China
Publication Date: late-sixth century BC
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 110

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: U101 .S95
  • Dewey: 355.02

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Adults

NOT FOR CHILDREN! Suitable for all people above 18 with an interest in China

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

  • Book Review: The Art of War is about far more than war. It is about any sort of struggle or confrontation. Taken literally, I can see how the advice would have helped in ancient warfare; taken metaphorically, you can easily apply the techniques to business, politics, or any other place that contention or conflict exists.
  • Web Site for People who follow The Art of War: Discuss important issues with other Sun Tzu readers. One of the more intellectual conversations on the Web.
  • Book Review: The Art of War is a Chinese military treatise written during the 6th century BC by Sun Tzu. Composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare, it has long been praised as the classic work on military strategies and tactics of its time. As one of the oldest and most famous studies of strategy, it has had a huge influence on military planning, business tactics, and beyond. First translated into a European language in 1782 by French Jesuit Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, it had been credited with influencing Napoleon, the German General Staff, and even the planning of Operation Desert Storm. Leaders as diverse as Mao Zedong, Vo Nguyen Giap, and General Douglas MacArthur have claimed to have drawn inspiration from the work.
  • Wikipedia Article on The Art of War: The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise that is attributed to Sun Tzu , a high ranking military general and strategist of the Kingdom of Wu who was active in the late-sixth century BC, during the late Spring and Autumn period. Composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare, it is said to be the definitive work on military strategies and tactics of its time, and is still read for its military insights.
  • Book Review: What are the principles of war; what are their philosophical foundations, and what methods of waging war do they imply? In ancient China, a thriving culture of thinkers tried to answer such questions. They derived principles of warfare from ideas that were fundamental to their own philosophies and applied those principles to the practical needs of military commanders. The extant remains of these works have been compiled into the so-called seven Chinese military classics, the best preserved of which is Art of War by Sun-Tzu, who lived sometime between 450 and 250 BC, about the time of classical Greece.
  • Book Review: The small book has been used by generals planning battle, businessmen planning hostile takeovers, politicians planning their campaigns, and everyone in between. It's the most used and most widely known strategy book in existence. Naturally, there are passages that don't relate directly to modern times or even modern warfare. Nobody uses spears and bucklers in large-scale war anymore. But the basic thoughts about strategy are just as valid today and will continue to be as long as people insist on playing power games. However, the book can't give tips for modern times; that is for readers to mine from it themselves. Most of Sun-Tzu's advice is quite simple, but clearly we need to be reminded of the basics from time to time. The book is more a philosophy on life than a guide to war; people attracted to Eastern philosophy will quite likely get the most out of it.

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
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  • The Art of War

Books That Cite This Book edit see section history

   
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