The Art of War (Translated by Ralph D. Sawyer)

By Sun Tzu

Book Overview

The definitive translation of Sun Tzu's timeless classic of military strategy, The Art of War.

A quintessential guide to strategy, The Art of War has influenced leaders for over a thousand years. Beyond the battlefield, people have long turned to its wisdom for advice on succeeding in competitive situations, and companies worldwide now make this book required reading for their executives.

Ralph Sawyer's compelling translation and expert annotations bring to life for modern readers Sun Tzu's masterful insights on conflict, competition, and human dynamics. Readers will discover a rich perspective steeped in centuries of military thought, making ancient wisdom resonate in today's world.

An invaluable resource for anyone seeking to refine their decision-making and leadership skills, this elegant hardcover edition invites repeated engagement, enhancing any collection with its timeless principles and captivating design.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 081331951X
• ISBN13: 9780813319513
• Release Date: February 1994
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Book

Easy to read… informative

The physical condition and quality of book is bad

I bought a new edition of the book, all the pages came stuck to each others in the edges and even when you turn a page the page tears.

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.