The Art of War

By Sun Tzu

Book Overview

&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LI&&RThe Art of War&&L/I&&R, by &&LB&&RSun Tzu&&L/B&&R, is part of the &&LI&&R&&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R &&L/I&&Rseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R: &&LDIV&&RNew introductions commissioned from todays top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the readers viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriateAll editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics &&L/I&&Rpulls together a constellation of influences--biographical, historical, and literary--to enrich each readers understanding of these enduring works.&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R &&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R"A clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease." So wrote Sun Tzu 2,500 years ago.&&LBR&&R&&LBR&&RSun Tzu's incisive blueprint for battlefield strategy is as relevant to today's combatants in business, politics, and everyday life as it once was to the warlords of ancient China. &&LI&&RThe Art of War&&L/I&&R is one of the most useful books ever written on leading with wisdom, an essential tool for modern corporate warriors battling to gain the advantage in the boardroom, and for anyone struggling to gain the upper hand in confrontations and competitions. &&LBR&&R&&LBR&&RHere Lionel Giles's famed 1910 translation, laced with commentary from illustrious Chinese experts, is brought up to date with relevant quotations from Western writers and thinkers. This new edition offers Sun Tzu's timeless classic, both with and without annotation, making it more accessible to aspiring leaders and military strategists than ever before. &&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LP&&R&&LB&&RDallas Galvin&&L/B&&R, a writer and journalist specializing in international affairs and the arts, has reported on military affairs in Latin America and Asia and produced documentaries for the NATO Alliance.&&L/P&&R&&L/DIV&&R

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1593080174
• ISBN13: 9781593080174
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble Classics
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

A few grains of truth in a lot of chaff.

Today, many of Sun Tzu's quotes are floating around mixed with Shakespeare and the Bible. And as with many of the quotes, they are out of context and misleading. The quoter usually thinks that repeating the word is some sort of magic. This volume at least tries to show the facts of Sun Tzu and not go overboard on popular cultural deviations as to how to apply them to other disciplines. There is an excellent index if you are looking for something specific. It is easy with hindsight and a closer look at the future to dismiss Sun Tzu as his practical tactical knowledge is of a time and place long gone. He spends a lot of time on the use of weapons and information gathering techniques of the time. This can be interesting in a historical context; otherwise, it is quite amusing. Oh yes, those grains of truth I mentioned, well, they may sound like clichés, but they are still viable. "Know your enemy and know yourself". Others are just practical sense and statistical outcomes that you learn in any military training. I could go through the list, but again, that is why you buy the book. Now, just as you decide that the book is outdated for any practical purposes today, we have artillery and now stealth and precision, the reminder that "no two wars are alike" and "it is the flexibility that makes a difference" is still true. Even in today's wars, there is a need for good intelligence and deception. We put a lot of time and energy into Psy-Ops. Sun Tzu shows the advantage of specialized units and crack troops. I have spent several years in the military and business and can say this book is a nice addition to history, otherwise of very little value to today's world for war or business.

Amazing

Amazing book well written.

Sun Tzu knows what's good

There's a lot of history and other stories that make up the majority of the book, which was good for me but maybe not for everyone. Even if you never see battle with your own eyes, this can give you some good life advice.

Everyone should know about Sun Tzu...

I take a star off because, frankly, alot of the geography/history is a bit too arcane for the Western reader. But it's a great book nonetheless.