The Art of War (Shambhala classics)
Widely regarded as "The Oldest Military Treatise in the World," this compact little book, written more than 2,500 years ago, today retains much of its original authoritative merit. American officers during World War II read it closely. The Japanese army studied the work for decades, and many twentieth-century Chinese officers are said to have known the book by heart. Maintaining that "all warfare is based on deception" and that "in war . . . let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns," the author adds: "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." Principles of strategy, tactics, maneuvering, communication, and supplies; the use of terrain, fire, and the seasons of the year; the classification and utilization of spies; the treatment of soldiers, including captives, all have a modern ring to them. The author even provides rules for the "blitzkrieg," prefacing them with the words that "rapidity is the essence of war." Still a valuable guide to the conduct of war, this volume will be indispensable to military students and of interest to all those fascinated by military history. Unabridged republication of the edition published by The Military Service Publishing Company, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1944.
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The Art of War (Shambhala classics) Reviews
I have not yet completed reading this book, but it gives many principles that can apply to life.
What can I say about this superb book, its timeless advices prove to be extremely valuable even today, Sun Tzu outlines a clear strategy on how to face and handle the problem faced, really helpful for the strategic and everyday decisioon making process.
I have just downloaded the kindle edition. The pagination is awful rendering the text to be almost unreadable. amazon need to up their game and not charge for this abysmal level of quality of reproduction.
Today many of Sun Tzu quotas are floating around mixed with Shakespeare and the Bible. And as with many of the quotes they are out of context and misleading. The quoter usually thinks repeating the word is some sort of magic.
It is easy with hindsight and a closer look at the future to dismiss Sun Tzu as his practical tactical knowledge is of a time and place long gone. He spends a lot of time on the use of weapons and information gathering techniques of the time. This can be interesting in a historical context; other wise it is quite amusing.
Oh yes those grains of truth I mentioned, well they may sound like clichés but thy are still viable. "Know your enemy and know yourself". Others are just practical sense and statistical outcomes that you learn in any military training. I could go through the list, but again that is why you buy the book.
Now just as you decide that the book is outdated for any practical purposes today we have artillery and now stealth and precision, the reminder that "no two wars are alike" and "it is flexibility that makes a difference" is being shown today to still be true. Even in today's wars there is a need for good intelligence and deception. We put a lot of time and energy into Psy-Ops. Sun Tzu shows the advantage in specialized units and crack troops.
I have spent several years in the military and in business and can say this book is a nice addition to history, otherwise of very little value to today's world for war or business.
It real challenge to the reader is which edition to purchase. Each edition brings with it different supplements and translations which can add viewpoints of the person(s) compiling the edition. So look at the details of the edition first if possible.
The Battle for Gaul: A New Illustrated Translation
If you are looking at a comprehensive view of Sun Tzu's Art of War, this is not the book to get. It really covers some of his principles from a distance, not really a comprehensive view or direct translation of his work. Please note that this book is very short and appears to be written as a synopsis. If you are looking for a quick read or intro into his principles, than this should be good enough for you. But if you would like more thorough insight, I'd search elsewhere.
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