The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Special Edition
This special edition of The Art of War by Sun Tzu presents this timeless classic in two forms:
Section I contains the complete thirteen chapters of Sun Tzu's masterpiece in Chinese, 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 Giles translation of The Art of War, including his extensive introduction, and the fully annotated text with explanatory notes and critical commentary. His 1910 introduction includes an historical account of Sun Tzu's work, evaluations by and of early Chinese commentators, an essay examining the traditional Chinese attitudes toward war and a bibliography that details Giles' source materials. The text in this section includes critical commentary and notes by both Chinese historians as well as by Giles himself.
Lionel Giles, as the Keeper of the Department of Oriental printed Books and Manuscripts of the British Museum, was uniquely qualified to translate and explain this great classic Chinese work to Western readers. First published in 1910, Giles' translation is widely considered to be the definitive English version.
Other Special Editions in this series which deal with the subject of warfare and strategy include:
The Art of War By Mao Tse-tung - Special Edition
The Art of War By Baron De Jomini - Special Edition
The Art of War & The Prince By Machiavelli - Special Edition
The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Special Edition Accessories
The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Special Edition Reviews
The knowledge contained within the original thirteen chapters of Sun Tzu has continued to fascinate users for hundreds of years primarily because it can be applied to a multitude of challenges that every human being must face on a daily basis. Whether these challenges pertain to business, sports, or life in general, applying the teachings of Sun Tzu will strengthen one's ability to emerge victorious and gain a better understanding of how to prepare for future trials.
I currently own five versions of The Art of War. Some are collegiate versions that contain historical and factual information accompanied by a translation and insight, while others are designed to be more recreational. This version, translated by Lionel Giles, is my favorite of the recreational versions, as it is light and enjoyable, yet contains the general fundamentals of the original text.
The book is divided into two "forms" or sections. The first contains in Chinese the original (doubtful) thirteen chapters along with an English translation, which allows the reader to formulate their own insights into the readings. The second also contains a translation, but is accompanied by Giles' insight, which is in agreement (more or less) with most others that I've read and is very well written.
I for one appreciate the multiple forms because they allow the book to be read in various ways. For instance, a
new reader can use these sections to gain familiarity with the writings, while more familiar readers can appreciate the writings without the PhD dissertation. Either way, any reader can enjoy this book.
The Warring States period Warring States Period 475-221 BCE is a history of constant warfare, of alliances and counter-alliances, and of treaties made and broken. The nature of warfare evolved during the period. During the Warring States period, political stability was impossible to gain by adventurous military action. With the advent of swelling ranks of soldiers, protracted sieges, and an ever increasing drain on state treasuries, warfare became a serious matter for study.
Thus, the opening remark of "The Art Of War" states--without exaggeration--war had become the most serious business of the state, the key to survival or ruin. The author of this and other pithy aphorisms on how to successfully fight a war was Sun Tzu. Sun Tzu scholars place his writing "The Art of War" in the Warring States Period, based on the descriptions of warfare in the text. The book has received great exposure in the west starting in the eighteenth century after being translated by a French missionary. It has been reported that Napoleon studied the text and effectively put many of its teachings to good use. For the past 2,000 years, it has been the most important military treatise in all of Asia, even known by name with the common people. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese military figures have studied it and employed its concepts to good effect. This is especially evident in the military tactics of 20th century revolutionaries like Mao Zedong and Ho Chi Minh.
The book is comprised of 13 chapters. The thesis of Sun's work is one should employ an army after a thorough analysis mandated by careful planning and the formulation of an overall strategy before embarking on a campaign. Sun emphasizes rational self-control, influenced by Daoist teachings throughout the book.
Chap 1-Laying Plans
18. All warfare is based on deception. 19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
Chap 6-Weak Points And Strong
8. Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
The best translation is the Samuel B. Griffith edition
another good book i invested in . such great work from Sun Tzu 10 stars bhahah
This book is a well documented review of the subject. Author goes to great lengths to research and verify as much as he could for this subject of over 2000 years old.
I chose this version of The Art of War because of the completeness of it. However the Kindle does not reference or index the first 37%, 2200 locations, of the document. The only way to access this area is to jump to a location or page back. If you go to the beginning of the book it is jibberish, unreadable characters. And don't try to jump to location 1 or the Kindle will go into vapor lock!
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