The Art Of War - Paperback

by Lionel Giles (Translator), Sun Tzu (Author)

The Art of War SUN TZU (554 BCE - 496 BCE), translated by Lionel GILES (1875 - 1958)

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 devoted to one aspect of warfare. It is commonly considered 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.

Author Biography

SUN TZU (554 BCE - 496 BCE)

Sun Wu, better known as Sun Tzu or Sunzi, was an ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher from the Zhou Dynasty. He is traditionally believed to be the author of The Art of War, an extremely influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy. Sun Tzu has had a significant impact on Chinese and Asian history and culture, both as an author of The Art of War and through legend. Sun was a historical figure whose authenticity is questioned by historians. Traditional accounts place him from c. 544-496 BC in the Spring and Autumn Period of China (722-481 BC) as a military general serving under King Helü of Wu. Modern scholars accepting his historicity place the completion of The Art of War in the Warring States Period (476-221 BC), based on the descriptions of warfare in the text, and on the similarity of text's prose to other works completed in the early Warring States period. Traditional accounts state that his descendant, Sun Bin, also wrote a treatise on military tactics, titled Sun Bin's Art of War. Both Sun Wu and Sun Bin were referred to as Sun Tzu in classical Chinese writings, and some historians believed that Sun Wu was in fact Sun Bin until Sun Bin's own treatise was discovered in 1972. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Sun Tzu's The Art of War grew in popularity and saw practical use in Western society. His work continues to influence both Asian and Western culture and politics.