Product Description

The ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu is universally recognized as the greatest military strategist in history, a master of warfare interpretation. This condensed version of his influential classic imparts the knowledge and skills to overcome every adversary in war, at the office, or in everyday life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #51501 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-30
• Original language: Mandarin Chinese
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 128 pages

Synopsis
A new translation of the classic work of military strategy. This work includes an overview of the history of Chinese military warfare as well as outlining what is known of Sun-tzu himself.

About the Author
A Chinese general in the middle of the first millenium BC, Sun Tzu wrote a series of essays comprising the first-known treatise on war and how to fight it. Europeans first heard about his writing and ideas just before the French Revolution in 1789 through a translation by Father J J M Amiot.

Customer Reviews

A good translation
The translator in this book was Lionel Giles, I have his translation of this, in a more extensive version. The translation I have is most amusing because Lionel Giles enters into discussion of the commentaries and also enters into a critique of the other contemporary (circa 1908) and prior translations. Lionel Giles is bitchy and vituperative about the other European translators (particularly one unfortunate Captain Calthrop), which is most entertaining to read. The Art of War itself is a short book, and Giles' translation is probably as good as we are going to get, so if the book itself is all you need, get this. If you want information and entertainment, purchase a longer version of the Giles translation, it is both enlightening and hugely entertaining.

A small book with a large content !!!
Sun Tzu on the Art of War, an ancient Chinese treatise on military strategy, is now required reading at military, business, and law schools in the United States and around the world. Possibly no book in history better describes how to win conflicts in any profession. Those who must succeed in highly competitive environments frequently use Sun Tzu's philosophies as the cornerstone of their ways.
A small book with a large content !!!

Massively overrated
I have heard some rave reviews about this book. People seem to think it is eminantly relevant today. Others claim all officers in the forces should be made to read it. These are frankly bizarre claims.
All there is to this book is a series of anecdotes on how to marshall, motivate etc an ancient army. Truly, I cannot see how anyone in this day and age can find anything here to influence their life in any way. There comes a time, when even the greatest writers cease to have any impact, I would venture to say that Sun Tzu ceased to be relevant since the advent of modern warfare.
Many of the techniques he claims, though they may have worked in ancient times, are simply not practical. For instance, you can't execute people in this day and age, whether they be enemy, spies, or even traitors. Modern legislation and, indeed, modern sensibilities render this nothing more than a quaint insight into a time long lost to us.