The Art of War

Sun Tzu (Author) Sun Tzu was a Chinese general and military strategist who lived in the 6th century BC. Peter Harris (Translator) Peter Harris is a specialist in the political and cultural history of China. He is the founding Director of the Asian Studies Institute at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand, and a Visiting Professor at Nanjing University, China. He has written, edited and translated numerous books on China and Asia. Other volumes he has edited for Everyman's Library include The Travels of Marco Polo, Zen Poems and Three Hundred Tang Poems.

Sun Tzu

Peter Harris

David H. Petraeus

... this book has become a must-read for modern military strategists (even though Sun Tzu wrote about chariots rather than drones), the KGB and also for business thinkers who have applied his martial philosophy to the war that is modern capitalism.

..this book is a guide to winning wars, avidly studied by America's armed forces as it was by Mao. . ..American strategists often read the “Art of War” to understand China not as an alluring and persuasive wielder of soft power, but as a potential enemy.

Written over two thousand years ago, The Art of War contains penetrating insights into the nature of power, inter-state rivalry, realpolitik and military success, relevant to any age. It was first translated into English in the early 20th century. Sun Tzu's short lines of argument and pithy aphorisms are highly accessible to modern readers, and his text has almost achieved cult status. He is quoted everywhere 'from divorce courts to Facebook', and has something to offer anyone interested in honing leadership skills and achieving in any competitive environment 'from the boardroom to the bedroom'. Sun Tzu's advice is shrewd and pragmatic - he does not glory in slaughter and prefers to win battles off the battlefield if possible; he is a strong supporter of the use of deception, of varying your shots and above all, of doing your research: knowing your enemy is key; but of little use if you do not also 'know yourself'. 
 
Features a brilliant new translation by Peter Harris. 
 
The iconic text in its original 13 short chapters printed unencumbered by notes 
The text repeated, this time interspersed with selected extracts from the canon of traditional Chinese commentators who have explained Sun Tzu's wisdom over the centuries; each chapter ending with an explanatory note from Peter Harris

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Sun Tzu

Praise for The Art of War

... this book has become a must-read for modern military strategists (even though Sun Tzu wrote about chariots rather than drones), the KGB and also for business thinkers who have applied his martial philosophy to t ...

..this book is a guide to winning wars, avidly studied by America's armed forces as it was by Mao. . ..American strategists often read the “Art of War” to understand China not as an alluring and persuasive wielder o ...

Books by Sun Tzu

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