Customer Reviews

The Art of War

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

I cannot remember who introduced me to "The Art of War", but I know I could not hold onto the book for very long. Each friend I thought would benefit from the ancient words of Sun Tzu received a copy from me. I went through seven copies before buying the hard cover for my collection.

I found James Clavell's version quite difficult to find, but well worth it - due to clarity of reading and balance.

I tried reading Cleary's version, but could not get through the first chapter. However, I did purchase "Mastering the Art of War" by Cleary; finding it a better tour guide.

Clavell's "Art of War" offers tactical insight on overcoming an opponent whether it be war, work, relationships, or your own personal demons.

Sun Tzu created a timeless piece of history written for the future. I personally feel that today's society needs to look back, master the art of war, in order to repair the future.

Today I'm buying book #9 for a person who inspired me... I wanted to return the favor.

The content of the translations themselves was fine, but I found the formatting difficult to read. The translator also interjects thoughts into the middle of sentences which disrupted the flow of the text even further. Other versions may be fascinating, but I found this one stale and unremarkable.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu covers the basic premises on how to wage war and command troops, much like Machiavelli's Il Principe instructs aspiring rulers the proper way to govern a country. Although the books are similar, The Art of War applies to many more aspects of life than just the conquest of territory. It can easily be carried over into the office, into the home, and even into personal romances. The topics are so broad they can be applied to almost anything yet the details discussed are applicable to every scenario you can think of.

Sun Tzu covers all as he describes the proper course of action to take in all scopes from the entirety of the war to the relations with the individual soldier. Everything from maneuvering troops, to the proper use of various classes of spies is covered in the book, as Tzu describes himself nothing can be omitted from this timeless classic as "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 under no circumstances can it be neglected." (1). As history has unfolded, it has never been devoid of wars, and does not appear to be in our future. The foreword presents fascinating insight into how great rulers are said to have used and succeeded with The Art of War, prestigious rulers such as Napoleon.

This universal applicability of The Art of War is one of its most enticing and lasting appeals. The book leaves nothing out, covering every aspect of war and its orchestration. Thus it successfully dictates the best course of action to take whether you're a CEO or just another guy looking to pin his relationship down. The foreword is excellent as well, it does a good job setting up the book and giving a brief and quite interesting background of the book's history. The only negative comment I have is the odd editing works during the book when the editor re-summarizes some of the original text into his own words, as that text lacks the power and simplicity of the other directly translated text.

This book is definitely worth the read! Take your time to see how Sun Tzu's writing apply to your own life and you will see how powerful his words are, as it will provide insight into almost any situation you're in.

So... Just so you know. Remember, anyone can review any product on Amazon, and for the most part few actually review the product itself. This particular eBook is thick with in-depth information on Art of War and its author. It takes about 3 chapters to even begin to reach the chapter. First a discussion of Sun Tsu's existence, then of the books existence, then of the 13 critics that will be interjected as you read the book. And the interjections don't wait till the end or are footnoted, they're put wherever and however long need be.

It's not bad, in fact, it's really informative; but I just wanted the 13 chapters. If you think you'd be apply to just push through the square bracket passages be ready for a real challenge. I'd want to rate it 1 to offset the other ratings but this 'edition' isn't that bad, just not what was expected.

Sun Tzu captured the ability to grab attention and then command it. Art of War tells literally how to command troops, watch them, and use them to the ultimate exploitaion of the enemy. Figuratively however, he tells how management should play their role at work, and even how great leaders should "command, watch, and use their troops." A philosophy one should not be without.

When I search for "Art of War" using Amazon's search engine, the first book on the results list should NOT be an extremely short, cliff's notes version of the book. When I purchased this, I was under the impression it would be the full length book. This is a case of false representation, and I do not recommend this book to anyone. I would rate this book (and my overall experience) with 0 stars if that was an option.

this is not the art of war, just notes. Do not be fooled. This book was free and even at free it was still a waste. Do not bother.

This book is simply legendary. Why? Something legendary is something that lasts forever. Now, The Art Of War was written by Sun Tzu in about 500BC, and guess, it's still applicable today. The book is divided into thirteen chapters, each explaining every topic on warfare, from laying plans to tactical dispositions and the use of spies. The foreword by James Clavell is very sharp and strong, appropriate to this book. You pretend that a book written in 500BC has many diffucult and not-still-in-use words, but it hasn't! It is so clear that seems simply too easy to understand. Many of the great generals of all time have read it, including the Chinese warriors, the Japanese shoguns, Julius Caesar and Napolean Bonaparte. If I was prime minister I would have made this book obligatory for students of all military warfare with an exam passmark of 95%, because simply, if you know it, you'll win. This is a great book from a great philosopher and it's well worth reading.

As the subject implies, this work is certainly a work of art. Although James Clavell in no way can take credit for this book he has done a great work puting this edition together. This is not only shown in the translation, but also in the foreword as well as in the numerous short interludes that describe events in the Chinese history - events that was either descided upon by the use of Sun Tzu's words, or events that makes a point.

During the XIII chapters you are guided trough all aspects of desicion making in a very poetic but also very precise manner. This will give you a large part of the knowledge you will ever need when commanding your own army. However, this is where the great gets better - take this knowledge and use it in every day life. Wheter you are an admiral or a car salesman you will be able to draw conclusions from this work in a wide number of ways. So do not miss out on this book, this work of art, this book of war - this manual to life itself.

The reason this book is a timeless classic is because it analyzes all aspects of war from the standpoint of human nature, and makes a solid case that any endeavor that fails to take into account human nature is doomed to failure. Because the subject is warfare, including its causes, and the analysis is solid, one is left with not only the first order result (how to handle a war situation effectively) but also a life changing understanding of the humbling constraints of human existence and the pragmatics of applied psychology. Anyone who is bored by this book (and this particular one is excellent) is not yet ready to learn basic lessons about human existence. Anyone who is capable of humility will be changed by this book. It should be read by everyone, several times throughout life.