Sun Tzu: The Art of War (Restored Translation),   ISBN:9780981162638

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What is there to say when it comes to the content of this book? This is a must read for every man. This book gives guidelines not only applicable in war, but applicable to peace as well. The point is, that everything can be characterized as war (exams, job, relationships, family, ...), so in that sense this book is rather philosophical. Still, it contains very practical guidelines for your personal and business strategy. I have definitely evolved after reading this book as I have applied some of the concepts and values described, in my daily routines. I have read it twice. I will read it again for sure.

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The Warring States period Warring States Period 475-221 BCE is a history of constant warfare, of alliances and counter-alliances, and of treaties made and broken. The nature of warfare evolved during the period. During the Warring States period, political stability was impossible to gain by adventurous military action. With the advent of swelling ranks of soldiers, protracted sieges, and an ever increasing drain on state treasuries, warfare became a serious matter for study.

Thus, the opening remark of "The Art Of War" states--without exaggeration--war had become the most serious business of the state, the key to survival or ruin. The author of this and other pithy aphorisms on how to successfully fight a war was Sun Tzu. Sun Tzu scholars place his writing "The Art of War" in the Warring States Period, based on the descriptions of warfare in the text. The book has received great exposure in the west starting in the eighteenth century after being translated by a French missionary. It has been reported that Napoleon studied the text and effectively put many of its teachings to good use. For the past 2,000 years, it has been the most important military treatise in all of Asia, even known by name with the common people. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese military figures have studied it and employed its concepts to good effect. This is especially evident in the military tactics of 20th century revolutionaries like Mao Zedong and Ho Chi Minh.

The book is comprised of 13 chapters. The thesis of Sun's work is one should employ an army after a thorough analysis mandated by careful planning and the formulation of an overall strategy before embarking on a campaign. Sun emphasizes rational self-control, influenced by Daoist teachings throughout the book.

Chap 1-Laying Plans
18. All warfare is based on deception. 19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

Chap 6-Weak Points And Strong
8. Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.

The best translation is the Samuel B. Griffith edition

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A must read for everyone, as it is a philosophy that can be applied to: war, business, and life.

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Simple and elegant... perhaps a bit "zen", if I can get away with senselessly mixing Asian cultures. The publisher claims on its website (which has a free PDF version, by the way) that the text has been corrected of errors and omissions... whether or not that is the case, it certainly has none of the glaring errors of some of the competing El Cheapo editions in the same price range. It also features an introduction with a historical story about Sun Tzu demonstrating his excellence as a general by training the Emperor's concubines to military discipline.

One of the better unannotated Lionel Giles translations, to be sure. And even though the lack of annotation means that you don't get the full richness of Giles' (and that of the ancient Chinese commentators he regularly quotes) nuanced (and sometimes corrective) interpretation; sometimes the footnotes/mixed-in annotations have a way of distracting the mind from The Art of War proper itself.

This edition should be a welcome read for both first-time readers (who should definitely consider also buying an annotated edition eventually) and those who already know the nuances and want to read Sun Tzu's masterpiece without constant the interruptions (however helpful and well intentioned they may be).