The Art of War (Barnes & Noble Classics) PDF
Preview The Art of War (Barnes & Noble Classics)
Table of Contents From the pages of The Art of War Title Page Copyright Page SUN TZU THE WORLD OF SUN TZU AND THE ART OF WAR Introduction Dedication PREFACE THE ART OF WAR Sun Tzu on The Art of War I. LAYING PLANS II. WAGING WAR III. ATTACK BY STRATAGEM IV. TACTICAL DISPOSITIONS V. ENERGY VI. WEAK POINTS AND STRONG VII. MANOEUVRING VIII. VARIATION OF TACTICS IX. THE ARMY ON THE MARCH X. TERRAIN XI. THE NINE SITUATIONS XII. THE ATTACK BY FIRE XIII. THE USE OF SPIES THE ART OF WAR Sun Tzu on The Art of War I. LAYING PLANS II. WAGING WAR III. ATTACK BY STRATAGEM IV. TACTICAL DISPOSITIONS V. ENERGY VI. WEAK POINTS AND STRONG VII. MANOEUVRING VIII. VARIATION OF TACTICS IX. THE ARMY ON THE MARCH X. TERRAIN XI. THE NINE SITUATIONS XII. THE ATTACK BY FIRE XIII. THE USE OF SPIES APPENDIX: THE COMMENTATORS FOR FURTHER READING From the pages of The Art of War “The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.” (chapter I, paragraphs 1-2) “All warfare is based on deception.” (chapter I, paragraph 18) “There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.” (chapter II, paragraph 6) “Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” (chapter III, paragraph 2) “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” (chapter III, paragraph 18) “We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbours.” (chapter VII, paragraph 12) “Rapidity is the essence of war.” (chapter XI, paragraph 19) “If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in.” (chapter XI, paragraph 65) “Be subtle! Be subtle! and use your spies for every kind of business.” (chapter XIII, paragraph 18) Published by Barnes & Noble Books 122 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10011 www.barnesandnoble.com/classics Lionel Giles’s translation of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War was first published in 1910. Published in 2003 by Barnes & Noble Classics with new Introduction, Notes, Biography, Chronology, Comments & Questions, and For Further Reading. Introduction and For Further Reading Copyright © 2003 by Dallas Galvin. Note on Sun Tzu, The World of Sun Tzu and The Art of War, Inspired by The Art of War, and Index Copyright © 2003 by Barnes & Noblea, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Barnes & Noble Classics and the Barnes & Noble Classics colophon are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc. The Art of War ISBN-13: 978-1-59308-017-4 ISBN-10: 1-59308-017-4 eISBN : 978-1-593-08017-4 LC Control Number 2003100876 Produced and published in conjunction with: Fine Creative Media, Inc. 322 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10001 Michael J. Fine, President and Publisher Printed in the United States of America QM 11 13 15 17 19 20 18 16 14 12 SUN TZU STRATEGY, ESPIONAGE, DECEPTION, military tactics—these are the themes elucidated in the ancient Chinese text The Art of War, the indispensable handbook to a subject that has occupied kings and generals for millennia. Little is known about the historical figure of the book’s author, Sun Tzu. The earliest accounts of his life were written hundreds of years after he died, and the surviving information is clouded by legend. Thought to have lived in the fifth century B.C., at roughly the same time as Confucius, Sun Tzu was born as Sun Wu—Sun was his family name, Wu his given name, and Tzu an honorific title. His family was part of a clan of experts on arms and fighting; in that era, clans and families “owned” information, just as in the medieval European guilds fathers passed on specialized knowledge and training to their sons. Sun Tzu’s teachings are most likely a combination of his clan’s ideas and his own, as well as concepts associated with early Taoism. Throughout ancient times, the political and social climate of China was characterized by violent upheaval, the rise and fall of great dynasties, and almost continuous military conflict. Sun Tzu followed the profession of his clan and, on the basis of his growing reputation, entered the service of Ho Lu, king of the state of Wu, as a traveling adviser for hire. His military stratagems intrigued the king, and Sun Tzu eventually became general of the king’s army. Employing psychology, deceit, strategic power, and diplomacy as the fundamental arts of combat, Sun Tzu defeated numerous opponents and created a systematic treatise on war. Military history offers dramatic testimony of Sun Tzu’s wisdom—the adoption of his methods by the leaders of history’s great armies, and the failure of those who disregarded them.
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