Customer Reviews

The Art of War (History & Warfare)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There are two critical things to consider when deciding to purchase a book such as the Art of War: the first being the content / author of the book and the second being the translator. This book deserves 5 stars for both. Sun Tzu's Art of War is the de facto standard on military strategy, and Sawyers translation and reference material take the work to new heights. Sawyer has a strong grasp of the material -- and discusses (through the introduction and footnotes) the times and military methods that brought about this brilliant work. The book has a number of minor typographical errors (such as lines of text that appear as the last line of one page, and the first line of the next) but overall these errors are minor annoyances at worst.

This is the best translation of Sun Tzu's work on the market. Sawyer is a deft scholar with the ability to approach the meaning most carefully in his text. Moreover the lenghty introduction to the text (three-quarters of the book) gives one a good description of the evolution of warfare in the the major dynasties of Classical China. Descriptions of everything from the development of the sword, chariot, and military organisation is included, all aspects of the the major military engagements described.

The text should therefore appeal to both those who wish to get a general outline of Chinese military history and the context that Sun Tzu (and other writers described in the book) defines his concepts of strategy.

This is a serious scholarship and there is numerous references to non-translated Chinese and Japanese first sources on the subject. Sawyer knows his stuff! There is also a full index with Chinese character translations of key concepts, events, people and places (since as any reader of Chinese script knows, there is no way the phonetic romanised spelling can convey adequate meaning). It is always good to have reference to the Chinese characters. .....

This is the translation for those who hope to take a whack at Chinese classical scholarship and military history.

There are two basic types of warfare: attrition and relational-maneuver. This ancient text is the ultimate text on the latter. The US Army has mostly used attrition warfare. That means you throw more soldiers and weapons at the enemy than the enemy can handle. General Grant and WW II are cases in point. On the other hand the US Marine Corps is well-known for it use of relational-maneuver warfare such as Inchon in the Korean War. In relational-maneuver warfare, one can have lesser forces and still heavily damage the enemy or even win. As Clauswitz called it--one attacks the enemy's center of gravity or attacks the enemy with more/better forces at isolated points (e.g. the Finns vs. the Germans in WWII). One of the beauties of this approach is that there are far less casualties. In Desert Storm, the Iraqi communications were taken out early--an attack on a center of gravity for command and control. The principles in Sun Tzu's "Art of War" are transferable to any conflict situation as a general case because they are so high level in nature. They can be applied to football, business negotiations, etc. Unlike some, Sun Tzu recognized that winning a war is not a matter of killing all the enemy; it's a matter of imposing a nation's political will upon another. From a certain perspective, he appears to be a realist, militarist, and humanist (he tries to minimize casualties) combined.

The Art of War is by far THE best strategy book ever written. We live by religion. We calculate by math. We fight by The Art of War. It can be applied in any field in life. War. Business. Personal life. I say that this translation is decent because Ralph Sawyer's The Complete Art of War by Sun Tzu and Sun Pin Translated by him contains all of the text in this book about strategy in addition to Sun Pin's strategy who is wise as well. This book is more for ancient war officialnados. I want all the strategy tips and thus I prefer The Complete Art of War. To each their own.

Very easy read of this great classic with a great translation job. Makes you think about strategy for the battle field and for life in general. Ultimately it is up to the reader to take whatever they can from this great classic.

This is by far the best book on strategy of warfare throughout the history. There were other sound books as well, but actually most of them are based on essential information that is provided here.
Having in mind, that current business field is as harsh as any other war, this is an essential read to anyone who does not want to be crushed in the first battle.
And one last tip - do not read any "Art of war for managers" and etc., only rely on the original. If you are smart enough you'll make your own ideas and outcomes without any outside explanation. And you must be, if you are reading this.

As far as I can tell, this is the best and most accurate translation of Sun-tzu's brilliant writings. Sawyer does a great job providing you with a great deal of background information and a ton of footnotes for clarity. While Sawyer admits to some conjecture (even on Sun-tzu's very existance), he provides thought provoking evidence for his positions. Sun-tzu was a military genius and his lessons can be applied in the modern world without question. Get it and live it, 'cause it's a war out there.

At approximately 2500 years old, Sun Tzu's treatise on the art and conduct of war and warfare is still a gem for analysts. Regarded throughout the world as one of the top books on war, the Art of War is full of nuggets of military thought. Many of the most famous aphorisms, such as "Know thy enemy, know thyself, and you will never lose in a hundred battles" are now part of everyday speech, even in the west.

Sun Tzu's is a basic text for all analysts, whether in the military, politics or business worlds to read and understand.

I'm not a military strategist, but it seems that neither are many of the people running military strategies these days. And I don't mean only American military strategy.

If Western civilization wants to survive, it had better hurriedly take Sun Tzu's most poignant messages to heart--messages perhaps best translated in this classic edition. Among these are the lessons concerning one's knowledge and understanding of an enemy's philosophy and thinking.

The lack attention paid by Western military, judicial, journalist, educational and law enforcement leaders to Islamic military, educational, judicial and apocalyptic ideology--and by that, I mean ideology as written by Islamic scholars and sages, not as interpreted by newspaper or academic apologists--is truly appalling.

Unless leaders start to pay heed to the advice of Sun Tzu, and become genuinely familiar with Islamic law as regards non-Muslims, the current state of Western military affairs will get much worse before they get better. In other words, there will be millions more casualties--not just the thousands we've had since 1979--but millions.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

This book is written in the style of Machiavelli. Its contents discuss warfare in its many modes and manifestations. The presentation depicts thought in the 5th century BC. The author describes expertise on arms and fighting strategies/techniques.
Tzu stands for an honor title. The work describes violent upheaval in China. The storyline provides a deeper understanding of conflict. The author describes strategies which involve deception to destroy the enemy , as well as strategies to help the weak.
The author prefers a fast offensive war. The Art of War rests
on some basic principles which include the following:
-Moral Law
-Heaven (night and day)
-Commander ( has wisdom and amasses an army)
-Method/Discipline (identifies the better trained personnel)

The author describes strategies of baiting an enemy, the
principle of "no rest from attack" and attacking the unprepared.
Troops normally camp on high places facing the sun. Ground troops generally prefer higher ground to the lower valleys where they can be attacked easily. The author cautions us to take into account the high cost of war. The successful anticipation of the
conflict may result in preventing the enemy from gathering or
balking enemy plans. Armies need a base of operation and advanced provisions of people and supplies.

Victory involves knowing when to fight. A well-trained army can
neutralize a superior force. A spirited force can defeat an
ill-prepared or unmotivated force. The strategy is to keep the enemy on the move and in retreat. Generally, the first to the
field of battle has the strategic advantage. Rising birds and
running animals are a sure sign of an oncoming army.

This book is a goldmine for historians everywhere.