Sun Tzu

Still a source of inspiration for soldiers on the battlefield and managers in the boardroom 2000 years after it was written, Sun-Tzu's The Art of War is the most influential book of strategy in the world, translated from the Chinese by John Minford in Penguin Classics.'Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting'For more than two thousand years, Sun-Tzu's The Art of War has provided leaders with profound insights into the use of skill, tactics, psychology and discipline to outwit opponents. Said to have inspired Napoleon, and used by Mao Zedong and General Douglas MacArthur, as well as many famous business gurus, politicians and sports stars, its ancient words of wisdom provide a touchstone for today's managers and executives fighting their boardroom battles. This best-selling book offers ancient wisdom on how to use skill, cunning, tactics and discipline to outwit your opponent. Little is known for definite about Sun Tzu (544-496 B. C.) and his life during the Warring States period after the decline of the Zhou dynasty, but his classic The Art of War has been one of the central works of Chinese literature for 2500 years. If you enjoyed The Art of War, you might like Machiavelli's The Prince, also available in Penguin Classics.'Absorb this book, and you can throw out all those contemporary books about management leadership'Newsweek'Reflecting on Sun-Tzu's work is to the business manager what weight lifting is to the champion athlete - an exercise that makes one stronger'John Kohut, Beijing Bureau Chief, South China Post

The landmark translation, based on the "Linyi text" that predates all previous versions by 1,000 years." There is no doubt that J. H. Huang's new translation of Sun-tzu will be valuable to scholars of military art for many years to come. . . . An important work." -- General H. Norman Schwarzkopf"The Linyi verion of Sun-tzu provides a fresh new interpretation of Sun-tzu's classic works. As the oldest version yet discovered, it lays strong claim to the closet adherence of Sun-tzu's true intent." -- General David W. BarnoSun-tzu's The Art of War is the classic work on strategic thinking. Throughout recorded history, Sun-tzu's wisdom, rules, and philosophy have been eagerly embraced by warriors, leaders, and gentle contemplators alike. This edition is an entirely new text based on manuscripts discovered in Linyi, China, in 1972 that predate all previous texts by as many as one thousand years. To better convey Sun-tzu's original intent, translator, researcher, and interpreter J. H. Huang traced the roots of the language to Sun-tzu's own time--before 221 b.c. In addition to his wonderfully clear interpretation, Huang gives readers an introduction to the history behind The Art of War, includes six appendices--five of which were uncovered at Linyi and are not available in any other edition--and offers his own insightful comments on the meaning of the text.

This special edition of The Art of War by Sun Tzu presents this timeless classic in two forms: Section I contains the complete thirteen chapters of Sun Tzu's masterpiece in Chinese, with the facing page English translation by Lionel Giles, without notes or commentary. This presentation avoids the objection that commentary tends to clutter and obscure the clarity of thought of the ancient military genius. Section II contains the complete Giles translation of The Art of War, including his extensive introduction, and the fully annotated text with explanatory notes and critical commentary. His 1910 introduction includes an historical account of Sun Tzu's work, evaluations by and of early Chinese commentators, an essay examining the traditional Chinese attitudes toward war and a bibliography that details Giles' source materials. The text in this section includes critical commentary and notes by both Chinese historians as well as by Giles himself. Lionel Giles, as the Keeper of the Department of Oriental printed Books and Manuscripts of the British Museum, was uniquely qualified to translate and explain this great classic Chinese work to Western readers. First published in 1910, Giles' translation is widely considered to be the definitive English version.