Overview

Synopsis

The Art of War was originally intended as a set of principles designed to maximize the chances for military victory and national survival, and minimize the chances of military defeat and human loss. [...] This new translation [insists] that The Art of War is, first and foremost, a work of military strategy.

(Inside flap)

Table of Contents

Preface
A Note on the Translation and Pronunciation
Chronology of Approximate Dynastic Periods
General Introduction and Historical Background
Introduction
The Art of War in Translation

1. Initial Estimations
2. Waging War
3. Planning Offensives
4. Military Disposition
5. Strategic Military Power
6. Vacuity and Substance
7. Military Combat
8. Nine Changes
9. Maneuvering the Army
10. Configurations of Terrain
11. Nine Terrains
12. Incendiary Attacks
13. Employing Spies

Tomb Texts and Lost Writings
Notes to the General Introduction and Historical Background
Selected Notes to the Introduction
Notes to the Translation
Notes to the Tomb Texts and Lost Writings
Selected Bibliography
Glossary
Index

Praises

Readers interested in Asian and/or military history will find "The Art of War" rich in content. The detailed introductions and notes includes an overview of warfare, military thought, weapons, and references to other classics of military strategy.

While free translations exist online (e.g., Giles, 1910), Sawyer's commentary reveals the academic disagreements between translators, the resulting conflicts and differences between translations, and clarifications from later discoveries of tomb texts.

Criticisms

For those interested in military methods, there aren't many battle diagrams to supplement the text (as might be suggested by the publisher). Three diagrams cover the battle of Chi-fu (feint, ambush, and route). The remaining four diagrams cover the battle Li-che River (night crossing of the river, flanking, and pincer attack).

Final Analysis

Principles from "The Art of War" have been adapted to other areas, such as business and more narrowly, on software development. This translation provides the modern manager with the original context by which to understand those fundamentals, such as orthodox vs. unorthdox, diplomacy, deception, and victory without engaging in armed combat.

Copyright

Copyright © 2003 Anthon Pang.

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".