"I wish I had read The Art of War twenty years ago” – remark attributed to Kaiser Wilhelm II after his defeat in World War 1.
Composed 2,400 years ago, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War remains the greatest book on military strategy ever written. Since it was first translated into English its influence has gradually spread among the military, who recognise the wisdom embodied in its pages. Today it is being adapted with great success into sport, business, or any field in which someone faces an opponent. In spite of this, The Art of War is not an easy book to read. It was made as a series of terse jottings, which frequently wander off the point, and it continually refers to ancient Chinese warfare. For the first time in the English language, this book rearranges Sun Tzu’s notes into a logical order, and illustrates them with examples from 20th and 21st century warfare. It shows how ignorance of his teaching has led to the waste of trillions of dollars and millions of lives. |
Review reprinted from Soldier Magazine August 2018:
SUN Tzu’s famous collection of warfare advice has been revised and reproduced in this fine pocket-sized edition. The main sayings have been collated and matched with contemporary explanations – resulting in a book appropriate for aspiring commanders at all levels. While many of the phrases are well-known, the interpretation of their meaning and how guidance can be implemented are an excellent combination. The preface and introduction are also insightful, which makes this offering much more readable and useful. All in all a good reference work that is well worth keeping to hand.
4 Stars.
SUN Tzu’s famous collection of warfare advice has been revised and reproduced in this fine pocket-sized edition. The main sayings have been collated and matched with contemporary explanations – resulting in a book appropriate for aspiring commanders at all levels. While many of the phrases are well-known, the interpretation of their meaning and how guidance can be implemented are an excellent combination. The preface and introduction are also insightful, which makes this offering much more readable and useful. All in all a good reference work that is well worth keeping to hand.
4 Stars.
From the Introduction:
“Supreme excellence consists in defeating the enemy without fighting” – Sun Tzu
2,400 years after it was composed, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is still acknowledged as the greatest book on military strategy ever written. It remains as relevant today as ever. The North Vietnamese used it as a guide on how to defeat the Americans during the Vietnam War. Mao Zedong based his strategy against the Chinese Nationalists on it. Its applications go far beyond the military into sport, business, politics, martial arts, or any field in which in which you face an opponent. Today China is basing its political strategy on Sun Tzu’s teaching.
Yet in spite of it being translated into English more than a hundred years ago, it is still largely unread in the West. There are several of reasons for this. Archaeologists have discovered that it was never written as a book as such, but as a series of jottings on bamboo strips. The jottings themselves show that Sun Tzu noted his ideas down as he thought of them, and there are passages which wander off the point, or repeat things from earlier chapters. To make things worse, it was written in a style which is terse and confusing even by Chinese standards, and possibly was meant to be expanded later.
This book is intended to make The Art of War accessible to the ordinary reader. A number of books and websites have been produced on Sun Tzu in English, but nearly all of them are straight translations, which repeat all the faults of the original. This edition attempts to show what Sun Tzu would have written if he had had the time and inclination to convert his jottings into a proper book. There is no point in producing a new translation; instead this book uses the most well-established translation to arrange Sun Tzu’s thought into a logical sequence, and paraphrases his writing into a language easy to understand.
Each of Sun Tzu’s short statements is explained and illustrated by examples from wars in the 20th and 21st centuries. Anyone reading this revision will realise how much the West has missed a good, clear presentation of Sun Tzu’s teachings. The illustrations alone show how many lives could have been saved if only his work had been known and his teaching followed.
Apart from warfare, The Art of War has profoundly influenced all aspects of Chinese thinking. As China increasingly becomes a player on the world stage, this book is of vital importance for Western politicians and businessmen who have to deal with China or her allies.
“If I had the influence, this book would be required reading by all branches of our Armed Forces during their staff college training” – Wing Commander Mike Streten
“It is like having explanatory notes with a Shakespeare play” – Major General Patrick Cordingley
“Supreme excellence consists in defeating the enemy without fighting” – Sun Tzu
2,400 years after it was composed, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is still acknowledged as the greatest book on military strategy ever written. It remains as relevant today as ever. The North Vietnamese used it as a guide on how to defeat the Americans during the Vietnam War. Mao Zedong based his strategy against the Chinese Nationalists on it. Its applications go far beyond the military into sport, business, politics, martial arts, or any field in which in which you face an opponent. Today China is basing its political strategy on Sun Tzu’s teaching.
Yet in spite of it being translated into English more than a hundred years ago, it is still largely unread in the West. There are several of reasons for this. Archaeologists have discovered that it was never written as a book as such, but as a series of jottings on bamboo strips. The jottings themselves show that Sun Tzu noted his ideas down as he thought of them, and there are passages which wander off the point, or repeat things from earlier chapters. To make things worse, it was written in a style which is terse and confusing even by Chinese standards, and possibly was meant to be expanded later.
This book is intended to make The Art of War accessible to the ordinary reader. A number of books and websites have been produced on Sun Tzu in English, but nearly all of them are straight translations, which repeat all the faults of the original. This edition attempts to show what Sun Tzu would have written if he had had the time and inclination to convert his jottings into a proper book. There is no point in producing a new translation; instead this book uses the most well-established translation to arrange Sun Tzu’s thought into a logical sequence, and paraphrases his writing into a language easy to understand.
Each of Sun Tzu’s short statements is explained and illustrated by examples from wars in the 20th and 21st centuries. Anyone reading this revision will realise how much the West has missed a good, clear presentation of Sun Tzu’s teachings. The illustrations alone show how many lives could have been saved if only his work had been known and his teaching followed.
Apart from warfare, The Art of War has profoundly influenced all aspects of Chinese thinking. As China increasingly becomes a player on the world stage, this book is of vital importance for Western politicians and businessmen who have to deal with China or her allies.
“If I had the influence, this book would be required reading by all branches of our Armed Forces during their staff college training” – Wing Commander Mike Streten
“It is like having explanatory notes with a Shakespeare play” – Major General Patrick Cordingley
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112 pages 4.4" x 7". ISBN 978-1-9999642-0-7. Price in U.K. £7.99 including post and packing.
To order The Revised Art of War:
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To order The Revised Art of War:
Send me an email and/or pay £7.99 through PayPal, using my email address: [email protected].
Either way, remember to include your name and address.
Also it will help if you let me know how you heard of the book or webpage.