The Art of War

Complete Text and Commentaries

by Thomas Cleary, Sunzi

Paperback, 457 pages

English language

Published June 9, 2003 by Shambhala.

ISBN:: 978-1-59030-054-1

(21 reviews)

The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the Late Spring and Autumn Period (roughly 5th century BC). The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu ("Master Sun", also spelled Sunzi), is composed of 13 chapters. Each one is devoted to a different set of skills (or "art") related to warfare and how it applies to military strategy and tactics. For almost 1,500 years it was the lead text in an anthology that was formalized as the Seven Military Classics by Emperor Shenzong of Song in 1080. The Art of War remains the most influential strategy text in East Asian warfare and has influenced both Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy, lifestyles and beyond. The book contained a detailed explanation and analysis of the Chinese military, from weapons and strategy to rank and discipline. Sun also stressed the importance of intelligence operatives and espionage to the war effort. Because Sun has long been considered to be one of history's finest military tacticians and analysts, his teachings and strategies formed the basis of advanced military training for millennia to come. The book was translated into French and published in 1772 (re-published in 1782) by the French Jesuit Jean Joseph Marie Amiot. A partial translation into English was attempted by British officer Everard Ferguson Calthrop in 1905 under the title The Book of War. The first annotated English translation was completed and published by Lionel Giles in 1910. Military and political leaders such as the Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong, Japanese daimyō Takeda Shingen, Vietnamese general Võ Nguyên Giáp, and American military general Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. have drawn inspiration from the book.

119 editions

Tess reviewed L'art de la guerre by Sunzi

Un essentiel

3 stars

Sa popularité ne fait de doute et il n'y a pas à se demander pourquoi, on le comprend bien vite à la lecture.

Ce traité, bien que court, est extrêmement complet pour toute personne voulant partir en guerre. Il passe par tous les aspects d'une campagne, de la tactique à la gestion de ses hommes, en passant par la connaissance de son ennemi et de son terrain.

Ainsi, malgré quelques adaptation dûes aux évolutions techniques de la guerre, il reste encore tout à fait d'actualité pour les conflits actuels. Cette application encore possible montre bien la justesse du traité.

"Connais toi toi-même, connais ton ennemi, ta victoire ne sera jamais mise en danger. Connais le terrain, connais ton temps, ta victoire sera alors totale."

ℝobin (#Bookwyrm) reviewed The Art of War by Sunzi

A classic worth revisiting later in life

5 stars

One that I wanted to come back to, years after having first read it. I enjoyed getting to understand the type of general-at-war mindset this book speaks of. It’s a classic for a reason.

Aστραίᾱ reviewed The Art of War by Sunzi

Review of 'The Art of War' on 'Goodreads'

No rating

I truly enjoy reading works concerning ancient warfare, even though the public image of ‘The Art of War’ by Sun Tzu has, in my humble opinion, been partially corrupted by our modern greed-filed spirit in order to capitalise on ancient wisdom, I still find myself capable of discovering content that discusses this piece of work without turning it into some sort of marketing + self-help atrocity.

I spent my time reading this book while savouring some freshly prepared black tea, listening to Chinese traditional music, and pretending to be the sole surviving heir of an army general readying myself for more mature military studies, so overall an enjoyable experience.

Sarja reviewed The Art of War by Sunzi

Review of 'The Art of War' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

It's a great book, but I'm not sure this is the best or most intuitive translation. I'm inclined to ask the prospective reader to peruse several translations, if possible, before settling on one.

Otherwise, no major faults, certain weird sentence structures were unnecessary.

Matt McManus reviewed Sun Tzu on the Art of War by Lionel Giles

Review of 'Sun Tzu on the Art of War' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

What a curious book. I listened to a reading of it and so my reading could scarcely be called more than an overview. This short book is definitely one to be read contemplatively and over a long time.