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The Art of War by Sun Tzu (Best Navigation, Active TOC) (Prometheus Classics) Kindle Edition
The Art of War is a Chinese military treatise that was written during the 6th century BC by Sun Tzu. Composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare, it has long been praised as the definitive work on military strategies and tactics of its time.
The Art of War is one of the oldest books on military strategy in the world. It is the first and one of the most successful works on strategy and has had a huge influence on Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, and beyond. Sun Tzu was the first to recognize the importance of positioning in strategy and that position is affected both by objective conditions in the physical environment and the subjective opinions of competitive actors in that environment. He taught that strategy was not planning in the sense of working through a to-do list, but rather that it requires quick and appropriate responses to changing conditions.
Product description
Review
..this book is a guide to winning wars, avidly studied by America's armed forces as it was by Mao. . ..American strategists often read the “Art of War” to understand China not as an alluring and persuasive wielder of soft power, but as a potential enemy. ― Economist
From the Back Cover
About the Author
Sun Tzu was a Chinese general and military strategist who lived in the 6th century BC.
General David H. Petraeus has had wide experience of combat in many theatres of war in the course of a distinguished 37-year military career, though he is probably best known for his leadership in both Iraq and Afghanistan and his role in the production of the Counter-Insurgency Manual (2006). On retirement he served for a year as Director of the CIA. He holds several professorships and is a regular commentator in the US press on security and economic issues.
Product details
- ASIN : B075QLVXR4
- Publisher : Prometheus Classics
- Publication date : 6 Nov. 2017
- Language : English
- File size : 1.9 MB
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 55 pages
- ISBN-13 : 978-2378071349
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Best Sellers Rank: 181,090 in Literature & Fiction (Books)
- 250,662 in Literature & Fiction (Kindle Store)
- 295,562 in Whispersync for Voice
- Customer reviews:
About the author

Sun Tzu is thought to have been a military general and adviser to the king of the southern Chinese state of Wu during the sixth century BCE. Although some modern scholars have called his authorship into doubt, the world's most influential and enduring treatise on military strategy, The Art of War, bears his name.
Sun Tzu fue un general, estratega militar y filósofo de la antigua China. El nombre por el que lo conocemos es en realidad un título honorífico que significa «Maestro Sun». Su nombre de nacimiento era Sun Wu y fuera de su familia era conocido por su nombre de cortesía, Changqing. Tradicionalmente se le considera el autor de El arte de la guerra, un influyente tratado sobre estrategia militar. Sun Tzu ha tenido un impacto significativo en la historia y culturas china y asiática, tanto por escribir El arte de la guerra como por ser una figura histórica legendaria.
Históricamente se le sitúa en el período de las Primaveras y Otoños de China (722-481 a. C.) como general militar al servicio del rey Helü de Wu, que vivió c. 544-496 a. C. Los estudiosos modernos aceptan su lugar histórico al situar la creación de El arte de la guerra en el período de los Reinos Combatientes (476-221 a. C.) con base en las descripciones militares del texto y a la similitud de su prosa con la de otros trabajos creados a comienzos de la etapa de los Reinos Combatientes.
La Editorial Alvi Books le dedicó, como tributo y reconocimiento, este espacio en Amazon en 2017.
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 April 2014One of the most important books ever written. It can be used in life and business. A must for any collection.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 December 2017Not sure I was the right target audience for this one, as i'm a graphic designer from the 21st century and don't wage many wars. That said, I did find it an interesting read. Most of the tips in here are clearly just common sense, but a few stuck out as really good insights.
The main pull of this book is to transport yourself 1,000's of years into the past and get a snippet of what it would be like to try and command an army. The book may be very short and have no story (obviously), but it's hard to rate it lowly because of that alone.
I can't say it's a particularly enjoyable read, but I think its worth while if you have a passing interest and a free afternoon. You can easily burn through this book in a few hours.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 October 2016This is a great book and is full of life lessons. Even if you're not military you can spin each one of the sayings so it fits whatever you do
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 April 2018Tedious.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 April 2011I'm sampling all the Kindle versions of the Art of War to pick a readable translation.
This is YET ANOTHER version of the Lionel Giles' 1910 version without the rather heavy original footnotes, or the scholarly but interesting Giles introduction. It's actually in quite readable English for the date, and seems reasonably understandable in the 21st century. I've no idea on the accuracy of the translation.
Opening line : "Sun Tzu said: 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."
The layout's a bit clearer than other versions as it's not laid out with section numbers.
I'm getting a bit perplexed that the same translation is turning up at widely varying prices!
Top reviews from other countries
- R. S. BhanguReviewed in India on 19 October 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Royal edition
Must read book.
- Adam SatoriReviewed in Australia on 6 February 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars something unique
one of the best books written in history
- Andrew KantorReviewed in the United States on 12 February 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Ignore the negative reviews — here's why this is the perfect version
This is the single best translation of The Art of War — the one used in history courses and the military. Why? Because it's JUST The Art of War. No long intros. No author's notes. No commentary. No 10 pages of history or Sun Tzu biography.
It's simply the text of The Art of War translated by an international group of Chinese- and English-speaking scholars. Period. It's the *definitive* text.
Complaining about it being short is like complaining about the Gettysburg Address being short. It IS short. That's the POINT. If you want to read dozens of pages of commentary and history and footnotes and acknowledgements, buy a lesser version. If you want to read The Art of War, buy this one.
-
Hannibal LecteurReviewed in France on 16 February 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars War
Pourquoi avez-vous choisi cette note ?
c'est parfait
Qu'est-ce que vous avez aimé ou qu'est-ce que vous n'avez pas aimé ?
c'est parfait
À qui recommanderiez-vous ce livre ?
a tout le monde
- Alejandro GallegoReviewed in the United States on 26 August 2019
3.0 out of 5 stars Tips for war
Interesting tips for war. The old language was a little boring, may be because English is no't my native language.