Written in the 6th century BC, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is still used as a book of military strategy today. Napoleon, Mae Zedong, General Vo Nguyen Giap and General Douglas MacArthur all claimed to have drawn inspiration from it. And beyond the world of war, business and management gurus have also applied Sun Tzu’s ideas to office politics and corporate strategy.
Using a new translation by James Trapp and including editorial notes, this bilingual edition of The Art of War lays the original Chinese text opposite the modern English translation. The book contains the full original 13 chapters on such topics as laying plans, attacking by stratagem, weaponry, terrain and the use of spies. Sun Tzu addresses different campaign situations, marching, energy and how to exploit your enemy’s weaknesses. Of immense influence to great leaders across millennia, The Art of War is a classic text richly deserving this exquisite edition.
- A beautifully packaged book for anyone interested in strategy, war and Chinese civilization
- A classic text, classically presented
- A new and authoritative translation with notes
Written in the 6th century BC, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is still used as a book of military strategy today. Using a new translation by James Trapp, this bilingual edition of The Art of War lays the original Chinese text opposite the modern English translation.
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New modern translation of this bestselling classic from Sun Tzu that also includes the original Chinese text
Introduction
1. Laying Plans explores the five fundamental factors that define a
successful outcome (the Way, seasons, terrain, leadership, and management).
By thinking, assessing and comparing these points you can calculate a
victory, deviation from them will ensure failure. Remember that war is a very
grave matter of state.
2. Waging War explains how to understand the economy of war and how success
requires making the winning play, which in turn, requires limiting the cost
of competition and conflict.
3. Attack by Stratagem defines the source of strength as unity, not size,
and the five ingredients that you need to succeed in any war.
4. Tactical Dispositions explains the importance of defending existing
positions until you can advance them and how you must recognize
opportunities, not try to create them.
5. Energy explains the use of creativity and timing in building your
momentum.
6. Weak Points & Strong explains how your opportunities come from the
openings in the environment caused by the relative weakness of your enemy in
a given area.
7. Manoeuvring The Force explains the dangers of direct conflict and how to
win those confrontations when they are forced upon you.
8. Variation in Tactics focuses on the need for flexibility in your
responses. It explains how to respond to shifting circumstances
successfully.
9. The Army on the March describes the different situations in which you
find yourselves as you move into new enemy territories and how to respond to
them. Much of it focuses on evaluating the intentions of others.
10. Terrain looks at the three general areas of resistance (distance,
dangers, and barriers) and the six types of ground positions that arise from
them. Each of these six field positions offers certain advantages and
disadvantages.
11. The Nine Situations describe nine common situations (or stages) in a
campaign, from scattering to deadly, and the specific focus you need to
successfully navigate each of them.
12. The Attack by Fire explains the use of weapons generally and the use of
the environment as a weapon specifically. It examines the five targets for
attack, the five types of environmental attack, and the appropriate responses
to such attack.
13. The Use of Spies focuses on the importance of developing good
information sources, specifically the five types of sources and how to manage
them.
Sun Tzu (also known as Sunzi) was traditionally thought by historians to have been born around 544BCE, and that he later served as a general leading the forces of King He Lü of Wu, one of the seven Warring States of Eastern China during the Spring and Autumn period, and The Art of War is based on his many victories, although modern scholarship suggests the book may have been written later. James Trapp is the author of Chinese Characters: The Art and Meaning of Hanzi,Chinese Proverbs and also has translated a new edition of Sun Tzus The Art of War. A Chinese language graduate of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, he teaches and translates Mandarin and is a former Education Officer at the British Museum.
