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The Art of War (Barnes & Noble Classics)
 
 
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The Art of War (Barnes & Noble Classics) [Hardcover]

Sun Tzu (Author), Dallas Galvin (Editor, Introduction), Lionel Giles (Translator)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (164 customer reviews)

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Book Description

September 20, 2004 1593081723 978-1593081720
The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:
New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriateAll editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences—biographical, historical, and literary—to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.
 
“A clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.” So wrote Sun Tzu 2,500 years ago, and kings, soldiers, and statesmen have been turning to the Chinese master for his astute observations ever since.

Sun Tzu’s incisive blueprint for battlefield strategy is as relevant to today’s combatants in business, politics, and everyday life as it once was to the warlords of ancient China. The Art of War is one of the most useful books ever written on leading with wisdom, an essential tool for modern corporate warriors battling to gain the advantage in the boardroom and for anyone struggling to gain the upper hand in confrontations and competitions.



Here Lionel Giles’s famed 1910 translation, laced with commentary from illustrious Chinese experts, is brought up to date with relevant quotations from Western writers and thinkers. This new edition offers Sun Tzu’s timeless classic, both with and without annotation, making it more accessible to aspiring leaders and military strategists than ever before.



Dallas Galvin, a writer and journalist specializing in international affairs and the arts, has reported on military affairs in Latin America and Asia and produced documentaries for the NATO Alliance.


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Editorial Reviews

Review

"As a reflection of the Chinese mind, this little work is as relevant as any Confucian classic."--The Times (London)

"Shows managers how to be fearless in resolving conflicts."--Boardman Reports

"A brief tract on strategy that has been admired in China for centuries. Some of Mao Tse Tung's most eloquent thoughts are merely rehashes of Sun Tzu and his interpreters."--The Los Angeles Herald Examiner

"Samuel Griffith's original and scholarly translation of The Art of War shows how good scholarship can make an easily readable translation that is much more useful to modern readers." --The Philadelphia Inquirer --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

Here is a seminal work on the philosophy of successful leadership that is as applicable to contemporary business as it is to war. James Clavell has taken a 1910 translation and clarified it for the contemporary reader. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Barnes & Noble Classics (September 20, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1593081723
  • ISBN-13: 978-1593081720
  • Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (164 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #91,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
177 of 186 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I got this particular edition of Sun Tzu's Art of War at a strategy course for sales. I already had a copy of it at home, but this edition is so nicely done that I gave my old copy away and kept this one. The introduction of James Clavell is a nice touch.

It is amazing to me that this book is not read in high schools or colleges in favor of Machiavelli's work (The Prince or The Art of War.) Sun Tzu's writing is clear and to the point. Unlike the popular Book of Five Rings by Musashi, this book is not metaphorical and poetic; it's downright practical. And it's not hard to read, unlike many classics.

If you are doing business in China, this is also a good book to know. I mentioned some of the classic strategies while giving a course in China, and every member of the class had read it, knew it well, and gave me many examples from recent Chinese history where Sun Tzu's strategies were employed. This book is close to their hearts, and will give you insight if you are doing business in the East.

Of course, the most famous anecdote from this book is about gaining the obedience of troops; the emperor, wishing to interview Sun Tzu for the commission of general, asked if Sun Tzu's military principles could be applied to women. Sun Tzu replied yes, the principles worked for women as well as men. Accordingly, Sun Tzu was given the task of organizing the emperor's many concubines into an army. Sun Tzu lined up the concubines and set the two favorites as officers at the head of the columns.

He gave them a simple set of orders to march and drill (eyes front, right face, about face. The drums sounded and instead of following the commands, the girls simply giggled and blushed.

He repeated the orders again, saying that if the orders were not clear, it is first the fault of the general. He repeated the commands, and the girls simply stood and giggled again.

"If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders ARE clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers." Upon saying this, he ordered the two concubines at the head of the troop, favorites of the emperor, to be beheaded.

The emperor hurriedly sent down the command to stop, he had no desire to see his favorites executed. The emperor said "We are satisfied that the general knows how to command."

But Sun Tzu said, "Once having received the commission, there are certain commands I am unable to accept." And he ordered the two favorites to be beheaded. Once again, he gave the commands. The concubines marched, whirled about and drilled in perfect order. The emperor appointed Sun Tzu general.

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67 of 75 people found the following review helpful
Not the Best Choice August 25, 2006
Format:Paperback
This particular edition of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" is a bare literal translation prefaced by a rather wordy introduction that pads the book up to a total of 96 pages. While the translation is not bad, the book contains no explanations or notes to enlighten the readers on some of the more obscure points, such as the modern equivalents of ancient Chinese distance measures.

The one sentence review, pronouncing this to be the best translation, was perhaps a bit generous. Among both military and history buffs, the prevailing view is that the translation by Lionel Giles, of the British Museum, is the definitive translation. Of the various available editions of the Giles translation, the Special Edition that contains two complete copies of the English text - one with and one without extensive notes and commentary - in addition to the complete text in Chinese characters - is far and away the best.

The $4.95 price for this book (or for the matchbox size miniature edition from Running Press) is a bargain only for those who are more concerned with price than with value. Choosing a better edition of "The Art of War", rather than this rather skimpy edition, will be money well spent. It is far better to own a book you can be proud of and which does a better job of informing you than this merely passable edition.
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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful
2500 Years. Still Necessary. November 17, 2003
Format:Paperback
The Art of War was originally intended for reading by ancient China's ruling military elite, and not lowly commoners such as us. It is one of the few great books people seem to be universally familiar with, and for good reason.

The struture is blindingly simple - Sun Tzu writes short chapters about different areas of battle which consist of simple dictums. Utterly straightforward, and generalisable to any form of conflict.

Surface-reading this book will take you minutes, not hours - however, time must be spent with even the barest of his principles. The purchase of this book has become alarmingly trendy over recent years, but with no noticeable effect on the global intelligence of its middle manager market. Books like this do not read themselves.

A more accurate edition would have gained 5 stars without a second thought. The fact that much better versions are available (and freesource!) holds this version back.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Art of War
Though it may be the quintessential book for the military student and solider it's relevance can not be ignored. Read more
Published 1 month ago by DragonTa2
Well-written and still applicable!
I'll start off by saying that this Kindle version has quite a few typos, which is the only reason I granted it 4 stars.

The book itself, however, deserves 5 stars. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Rose
great
Was pleasantly surprised when we got the book. It got here 2 days ahead if schedule and was new . Bought it as used if it is used who ever owned it never broke the spine.
Published 1 month ago by shanna
Good read.
I enjoyed it very much. The thinking strategy can be applied to almost anything in life, especially if competiton is involved.
Published 1 month ago by Mo
false advertizing
i bought the book and what came in the mail was a different, heavily annotated copy of the book, very different from the one in the pictuer.
Published 3 months ago by thedragonslayer121
Easy to read, harder to practice
Book was really easy to read. There are many ways the book pertains to everyday life but application will be up to you.
Published 4 months ago by D. Ha
Take Care- Not the book
I expected "the art of war" book, this is not the book, this is the notes added to the book. I wouldn't have bought it if I knew.
Published 5 months ago by nelhew
Simple, but Shrewd
The first 60 pages of the book is the translation by Lionel Giles. The remainder of the book is the Lionel Giles' translation with various commentary. Read more
Published 5 months ago by K. Burns
Good Book, Poor Translation
The original book written in Chinese is a great strategy book, however, the English translation in this version is so poor that it is obvious that the translator did not fully... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Moon River
Boring
The book was written a long time ago so it is difficult to enjoy it from my point of view because it spoke of basic routines in fighting aspects of war. Read more
Published 11 months ago by NewReader
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