Understanding Sun Tzu on the Art of War [Paperback]

Robert Cantrell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 2004

Understanding Sun Tzu on the Art of War is both a source and an interpretation of Sun Tzu's Art of War written to clarify Sun Tzu's philosophies on war without compromising the subtlety of thought needed to master them. Readers of this book, from across professional disciplines, will find key advice on leadership, advantage, and how to proficiently overcome adversaries.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Sun Tzu on the Art of War, an ancient Chinese treatise on military strategy, is now required reading at military, business, and law schools in the United States and around the world. Possibly no book in history better describes how to win conflicts in any profession. Those who practice conflict resolution frequently use Sun Tzu’s philosophies as the cornerstone of their ways.

Understanding Sun Tzu on the Art of War explores the meaning of Sun Tzu’s philosophies through the use of high impact case examples, most involving American or British military forces. While also presenting strategic tools for use in any professional conflict, this book never lets readers forget that the original Chinese text is about war. For those with an interest in current military events, this book provides fertile ground for discussion on coalition war methods and aims. For all professions, military or otherwise, this book gets to the heart of efficient conflict resolution theory. Topics discussed include:

INTRODUCTION – A brief history of Sun Tzu on the Art of War and the underlying Taoist philosophy from which it was written WINNING WHOLE – How to win with your resources and your objective intact LEADING TO ADVANTAGE – How to prepare and position your soldiers for victory DECEPTION – How to keep your intentions secret from opponents ENERGY – How to apply force effectively and efficiently STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES – How to find the best path to the goal INITIATIVE – How to take and keep the advantage SUN TZU ON THE ART OF WAR – A complete translation CONCLUSION – Philosophical significance of Sun Tzu on the Art of War in competitive strategy

From the Author

Understanding Sun Tzu on the Art of War contains a complete translation of Sun Tzu's Art of War. The book is in use by the National Defense University and the U.S. Naval War College for strategy courses taught to senior military officers.

Understanding Sun Tzu on the Art of War offers hard earned truths on competition and conflict as presented by a soldier and philosopher who could as easily have lived today as 2,500 years ago. It presents these truths in an easy to read format that you can finish in the time it takes to fly from Washington D.C. to Chicago.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 122 pages
• Publisher: Center For Advantage (July 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972291407
• ISBN-13: 978-0972291408
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.3 x 8.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #575,472 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Ridiculous January 22, 2012

By Reader

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am a soldier with ten years in the army and multiple combat deployments. I bought Mr. Cantrell's book because the ART OF WAR is the philosophical cornerstone of my profession and because this book had many good reviews. Having read Mr. Cantrell's book, however, I have no idea why people gave it so much praise. Sadly, authorship is increasingly being viewed as a source of income and people with little or no expertise are churning out all kinds of garbage just to make money. Mr. Cantrell got my money. Don't let him get yours too. Here's why:

This book was written in 2003 by a man whose professional military experience is limited to having been a platoon leader (lieutenant) in the 101st during peace time. To his credit, Mr. Cantrell also received his B.S. from Duke University, which is a good school. Most translations of the ART OF WAR, however (such as Cleary's and Griffith's), include commentaries by generals of near legendary stature: Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang, and Liu Ji among others. In comparison, Mr. Cantrell sorely lacks the experience and knowledge necessary to explain the concepts found in Sun Tzu's ART OF WAR, and, as expected, Mr. Cantrell oversimplifies his subject time and again.

Mr. Cantrell's analysis consists of six principles culled from Sun Tzu's work:
winning whole
leading to advantage
deception
energy
strength and weakness
initiative

These principles are neither original nor comprehensive. Mr. Cantrell then uses examples to illustrate these concepts--e.g., a stanza from "The Charge of the Light Brigade", historical fact as taken from David Lean's film LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, and several small historical vignettes, as well as numerous quotations from George Lucas' Jedi Master, Yoda.

There are TONS of problems with this book and Cantrell's understanding of the ART OF WAR--far too many to catalogue here. To point out a few: (1) There are many important basic concepts in military science that have been addressed by other authors and that Sun Tzu alludes to but that Cantrell never even touches. To give one example, soldiers distinguish between the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of warfare and how soldiers think, plan, and act and the concepts and contingencies they must consider at these different levels is fundamental to understanding the ART OF WAR. Cantrell never mentions any of this. (2) Many of the historical vignettes Cantrell uses to illustrate his points lack critical details, which would change their applicability to his analysis. (3) This book doesn't show nearly enough of the Taoist context within which the ART OF WAR was written, and it wouldn't have been that hard. Cleary's translations of many Taoist sources were available before this book was published, and in his introduction to his translation of the ART OF WAR he summarizes all of the basic Taoist texts, while giving readers pointers if they wish to study the material on their own. So much for Yoda. (4) The chapter on observations of Sun Tzu's principles outside the military is so lacking in substance that it should never have been written. It is painful to read through these vague and nonsensical comparisons between thinking and acting in the military world and in the worlds of business, law, sports, etc. Cantrell is clearly not an expert on these matters and seems to have added this chapter as an afterthought.

This book also lacks an index and bibliography.

It seems to me that Cantrell did a close reading of the ART OF WAR, organized his thoughts, added some examples to illustrate his views, and then published his results in an attempt to cash in on the sizeable group of people who study the ART OF WAR (military and law enforcement personnel, business managers, martial artists, conflict theorists, students of Asian culture, Asians, etc.). Then he founded the CENTER FOR ADVANTAGE so he could further cash in on this group.

I feel like a chump for having bought this book and my only consolation is that I have to read books like this for my professional development and every so often there are bound to be some duds. This is one of them. Save your money folks and go with either of the translations of the ART OF WAR I have referenced above. If you are looking for a book that applies Sun Tzu's teachings to business, law, negotiation, etc., this book won't be any help to you there either.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Top notch publication May 29, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

"Understanding Sun Tzu on The Art of War" is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the oldest military treatise in the history of the world. However, this book is much more than just the rehashing of old source material. Robert Cantrell's book delves into the material in a much more practical sense that lets the reader truly comprehend and utilize Sun Tzu's philosophy. Cantrell takes Sun Tzu's 2,500 year old philosophies and applies them to the 21st Century, using a contemporary voice that makes the Art of War much more accessible to today's reader. However, and very importantly, the book doesn't strip away Sun Tzu's words with modern terminology. This book manages to bring Sun Tzu into the 21st century without taking away his voice.

Reading Sun Tzu is a bit like reading Shakespeare. You can read it, but can you understand it? "Understanding Sun Tzu on the Art of War" allows you to fully appreciate and synthesize what Sun Tzu is all about.

If you are interested in Sun Tzu philosophy, or if you are interested in life strategies, Robert Cantrell's book is a must buy.

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best interpretation of Sun Tzu?s classic work I have read July 7, 2003

By Robert L. Cantrell

Format:Paperback

Published with permission, a review from Bob Spear, Heartland Reviews reads as follows: "As a retired military intelligence professional and conflict theorist, I must say this is the best interpretation of Sun Tzu's classic work I have read. The author focuses on the meanings behind this ancient Chinese war philosopher's writings. He puts them into a modern context, making them easy to understand. Apparently the Department of Defense agrees with me on this, since they have selected Mr. Cantrell's book as a text for the National War College in Washington DC. This is a must read for all military officers and business leaders. It rated a perfect five hearts."