Customer Reviews

The Art of War: The Definitive Interpretation of Sun Tzu's Classic Book of Strategy

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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The author (Steve Kaufman) is a brilliant teacher who wastes no ink in explaining the virtues of warfare and the management of human beings. This is the kind of book that could make a good man great or a bad man worse. It's THAT powerful!

I have a lot different versions and this one clears the smoke from the poetic nature of the others. It is straight forward and well written. Five Rings and this book are (how to) manuels for coping with competition and people.

A must read to further the understanding of Sun's work.

The book is tremendously helpful, easy to read and very interesting. It is a good read for those who want to succeed in their career.

The book is very easy to read but is missing some very important background information about Sun Tzu. This is not for the military book reader.

I bought this book recommended by my Business Adm teacher but I didn't know which version of it to get...after much research I decided to get this one and did not regreat! Can't put it down...very easy to read and not too long...
Shows you how to be a good leader and how to act both in the boardroom and in the "real world"
Awesome purchase, Amazon.com was great as expected.

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

Stephen F. Kaufman does an excellent job explaining the brutal and merciless strategies of war. Like any warlord, Kaufman refrains from the usage of unnecessary metaphors and allegories, and makes a deliberate attempt to explain Sun Tzu's classic as bluntly as possible. Definitely a guide for any warrior attempting to achieve and maintain an alpha male/female ranking in society.

This ancient classic of 13 chapters was written over 2,500 years ago by the legendary Chinese general Sun Tzu. It is a must have for military buffs that enjoy reading about the tactics of the most succesful generals. It is rumored that Napoleon used a French translation of the Art of War to his advantage while conquering most of Europe, and he lost when he broke its principles.
The principles that are with in this ancient text can also be used in games of strategy, business conflicts, and the day to day battles of life.
Here are ten principles to give you a sample of the wisdom found in its pages:

Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance with out fighting.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

Spies are the most important element in war, because upon them depends an army's ability to move.

All warfare is based on deception.

The general who wins a battle makes many calculations before the battle is fought.

There is no instance of a country having benefited from a prolonged war.

The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals.

In war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.

When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. (So they can retreat).

Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained, fight not unless the position is critical.

Taken as a whole this is a book of wisdom and principles on how to win. I rank it in my top ten books I have ever read. It is a must have for any home library. The is a very small book that is quick and easy to read.

This is an excellent text on military strategy and use of tactics to control people. It is over 2500 years old and is still relevant today. It is a book studied world wide by most military forces and some police agencies. As a police officer survival skills instructor I teach many of Sun Tzu's techniques and tacics for dealing with crowd control and riots. It is also serves some purpose as a practical guide for use in self-defense training. Author has done a simple and effective job translating and presenting the ideas and concepts of Sun Tzu.

Thank you [Mr. Kaufman] for eliminating the fluff and presenting a usable guide to the military/warlike mind.