Name: The Art of War
Rating: 3.636708860759494 (395 reviews)
ISBN: 9781586635602

Ralph D. Sawyer

A manual on the rational planning and conduct of military operations written over two millennia ago in China.

The Art of War

Rin is in fact in the woods

Sunzi

Sun Tzu

The Art of War is composed of only about 6,000 Chinese characters, it is considered by many to be the greatest book on strategy and strategic thinking ever written. . 350F PROFESSIONAL READING LIST.

Definelty a book that I will reread, it needs time to grasp it wholly and potentially adapt it into life 

Kasia Chodzinska

I found “The Art of War” to be a lot of empty repetition. There are plenty of good quotes one can find by Googling, but much of this book is some variation of “Those who do not win a battle, lose; while those who do not lose a battle, win.” Do not expect to hear any sort of clever insight about war stratagem that you haven’t already gleaned from movies, other books, or even video games. I wonder what Sun Tzu would say after a few rounds of Age of Empires II.

Personally, I found the chapter “Apologies for War” to be the most interesting, and sadly it is not penned by Sun Tzu. It speaks about China’s often contradictory beliefs about war and peace and I think it was interesting to get a brief history of China’s philosophical debates regarding violence. I especially liked the linking of humanity to “any animal with blood in its veins and horns on its head” which can be brought to fight, coined by Ssǔ-ma Chʽien. He sounds like an interesting guy.

I can see how this book can be somewhat impactful and inspiring. There is some stoic wisdom to be gained from it if you aren’t very well versed in many other sources. I have zero doubt that Sun Tzu’s writings influenced many authors of the previously mentioned works in media one likely already knows, and is therefore a trailblazer deserving of some respect -- that is why I am choosing to give it 3 stars despite being bored enough to drop it down to 2. This was also my first – and likely last – audiobook. That definitely affected my enjoyment of this book, but I don’t feel like I was robbed of too much and won’t return to it on paper for a long time, if ever.

I don’t recommend “The Art of War”.

Evan

I found “The Art of War” to be a lot of empty repetition. There are plenty of good quotes one can find by Googling, but much of this book is some variation of “Those who do not win a battle, lose; while those who do not lose a battle, win.” Do not expect to hear any sort of clever insight about war stratagem that you haven’t already gleaned from movies, other books, or even video games. I wonder what Sun Tzu would say after a few rounds of Age of Empires II.

Personally, I found the chapter “Apologies for War” to be the most interesting, and sadly it is not penned by Sun Tzu. It speaks about China’s often contradictory beliefs about war and peace and I think it was interesting to get a brief history of China’s philosophical debates regarding violence. I especially liked the linking of humanity to “any animal with blood in its veins and horns on its head” which can be brought to fight, coined by Ssǔ-ma Chʽien. He sounds like an interesting guy.

I can see how this book can be somewhat impactful and inspiring. There is some stoic wisdom to be gained from it if you aren’t very well versed in many other sources. I have zero doubt that Sun Tzu’s writings influenced many authors of the previously mentioned works in media one likely already knows, and is therefore a trailblazer deserving of some respect -- that is why I am choosing to give it 3 stars despite being bored enough to drop it down to 2. This was also my first – and likely last – audiobook. That definitely affected my enjoyment of this book, but I don’t feel like I was robbed of too much and won’t return to it on paper for a long time, if ever.

I don’t recommend “The Art of War”.

James Clavell

Sun Tzu was one of the greatest army generals who ever lived. He wrote The Art of War in the fifth century BC and yet his words are still resoundingly relevant to our modern lives. His writings on aspects of warfare from the laying of plans to the tactics and psychology of manoeuvering an army, to the proper use of spies, resonate for us in today's world of cut-throat, ruthless business. With James Clavell's insightful foreword and notes, this classic is widely seen as a necessity on the bookshelf of military leaders and boardroom executives alike.

The Bestselling Treatise on Military & Business Strategy, with a Foreword by James Clavell

I have very little to say about this book. I think, as it's only 100 pages long I may have to re-read it. Or perhaps, study it, to gain much insight from it. 

Liam Richardson

wanted to try something new, pretty interesting

Tzu, Sun

The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise attributed to Sun Tzu, a high-ranking military general, strategist and tactician. The text is composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare. It is commonly known to be the definitive work on military strategy and tactics of its time. It has been the most famous and influential of China's Seven Military Classics, and "for the last two thousand years it remained the most important military treatise in Asia, where even the common people knew it by name." It has had an influence on Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy and beyond.

gnrpg

Anton

It’s an okay book, if you are curious about war or a war general. (Russian war general seems to only read the section on raiding and plundering, and ignored the wise parts, good for us)

I was reading it in a hope to find something I cold use in my daily life, I’ve found some general mindset ideas:
- winning depends on you preparing a defense and watching for mistakes by your opponent
- you should be ready before there are any signs of an attack

But the rest of the book I took at face value: it’s about war. Hence 3 stars.

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The advices on its own is good, very good. It’s such a blessing that this text survived the Mao administration. But oh well, given to a startup founder with elementary proficiency in English and none in mandarin, this one is real prone to misinterpretation and abuse.

Traci Wilbanks

When you translate a book that was written 2,500 years ago, there is bound to be a bit that is lost in translation. This version has 13 chapters which each contain a list of advice that applies to the chapter's theme. It's more of a "how to" book than a novel. I wouldn't really use the word "art" to describe what is presented here; it's more like The Lists of How to War".

For the first time in any modern language, a female scholar and translator reimagines The Art of War.

A New Translation by Michael Nylan

Dimitris Papastergiou

Great book!

Very handy if you own a city and/or an army and want to start war with another!

The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the Late Spring and Autumn Period (roughly 5th century BC). The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu ("Master Sun", also spelled Sunzi), is composed of 13 chapters. Each one is devoted to an aspect of warfare and how it applies to military strategy and tactics. For almost 1,500 years it was the lead text in an anthology that would be formalised as the Seven Military Classics by Emperor Shenzong of Song in 1080. The Art of War remains the most influential strategy text in East Asian warfare and has influenced both Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy and beyond. Scholars do not know how The Art of War came to be--and whether or not "Sun Tzu," if he existed, had anything to do with its creation. What they do know is that copies of the book, typically written on sets of sewn-together bamboo slats, ended up in the hands of politicians, military leaders and scholars across China. From there, translated copies of "Sun Tzu's" work found their way to Korea and Japan. (The oldest Japanese version dates from the 8th century A.D.) For more than 1,000 years, rulers and scholars across Asia consulted The Art of War as they plotted their military maneuvers and imperial conquests. Japanese samurai, for example, studied it closely. However, it did not reach the Western world until the end of the 18th century, when a Jesuit missionary translated the book into French. (Historians say that the French emperor Napoleon was the first Western leader to follow its teachings.) It was finally translated into English in 1905. INTRODUCTION: Sun Tzu Wu was a native of the Ch`i State. His Art of War brought him to the notice of Ho Lu, King of Wu. Ho Lu said to him: "I have carefully perused your 13 chapters. May I submit your theory of managing soldiers to a slight test?" Sun Tzu replied: "You may." Ho Lu asked: "May the test be applied to women?" The answer was again in the affirmative, so arrangements were made to bring 180 ladies out of the Palace. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, and placed one of the King's favourite concubines at the head of each. He then bade them all take spears in their hands, and addressed them thus: "I presume you know the difference between front and back, right hand and left hand?" The girls replied: "Yes." Sun Tzu went on: "When I say 'Eyes front, ' you must look straight ahead. When I say 'Left turn, ' you must face towards your left hand. When I say 'Right turn, ' you must face towards your right hand. When I say 'About turn, ' you must face right round towards your back." Again the girls assented. The words of command having been thus explained, he set up the halberds and battle-axes in order to begin the drill. Then, to the sound of drums, he gave the order "Right turn." But the girls only burst out laughing. Sun Tzu said: "If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame."

Lynn

Short, some useful lessons, but felt overhyped to me. This book simply preaches wisdom, patience and thinking. I think this is one of those “classics” you can skip.

Hardik parmar 

Strategies described in it are good but I think I picked a wrong edition. The edition which was narrated by usha Munshi. The full description of the all strategies were so mild and seemed lazy writing containing not so good examples. If you want to grasp this book in good way then check the edition before reading it

Sun Tzu's iconic treatise, "The Art of War," has been studied by military historians and strategists for centuries. The concepts he recommends remain as effective and his advice as perceptive today as it has ever been. However, "The Art of War" is certainly not only of use to individuals in the military. The principles he lays out are remarkably applicable to a wide variety of different professions and situations, from business to politics to everyday interpersonal relationships.This edition includes the full, unabridged text of "The Art of War." In addition, it includes clear, yet extensive study tools and discussion questions to help readers more easily understand this classic text.

AOG Study Edition

Neil Murray

Although short, this is a book to be read across multiple sittings, with time to reflect on what you’ve just read rather than in one take.

Haley Murray

Sun-tzu

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The Art of War

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