Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Sun Tzu's The Art of War: Bilingual Edition Complete Chinese and English Text
Sun Tzu's The Art of War: Bilingual Edition Complete Chinese and English Text
Sun Tzu's The Art of War: Bilingual Edition Complete Chinese and English Text
Ebook330 pages5 hours

Sun Tzu's The Art of War: Bilingual Edition Complete Chinese and English Text

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

Sun Tzu's The Art of War has been the premier manual of Chinese military strategy for the past two millennia and, as thousands of Asian businessmen can attest, this classic work is as applicable to the corporate world as it is to the battlefield.

This is the only contemporary edition of the classic Lionel Giles translation to contain all of the translator's original notes, to help you better understand Sun Tzu's powerful maxims and apply them in your daily life. John Minford's foreword brings insights to this classic text and its timeless relevance to the modern world.

BILINGUAL EDITION: COMPLETE CHINESE AND ENGLISH TEXT

This edition also marks the first time Giles' translation has been converted to Hanyu Pinyin--the standard Chinese romanization system. Additionally, the book contains the full Chinese language version of the text, along with Giles' extensive notes, with their original Chinese text references to the historical Chinese commentators, making this edition a treasure to military scholars, martial artists, and those planning to use Sun Tzu's strategies to conquer the business world.

Sun Tzu's book will arm you with the knowledge that has allowed those who have studied this classic to gain victory--and often, total domination--over those who remain ignorant of its sage advice.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 18, 2012
ISBN9781462905126
Sun Tzu's The Art of War: Bilingual Edition Complete Chinese and English Text
Author

Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu, also known as Sun Wu or Sunzi, was an ancient Chinese military strategist believed to be the author of the acclaimed military text, The Art of War. Details about Sun Tzu’s background and life are uncertain, although he is believed to have lived c. 544-496 BCE. Through The Art of War, Sun Tzu’s theories and strategies have influenced military leaders and campaigns throughout time, including the samurai of ancient and early-modern Japan, and more recently Ho Chi Minh of the Viet Cong and American generals Norman Swarzkopf, Jr. and Colin Powell during the Persian Gulf War in the 1990s.

Read more from Sun Tzu

Related to Sun Tzu's The Art of War

Related ebooks

Military Biographies For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Sun Tzu's The Art of War

Rating: 3.837817246896974 out of 5 stars
4/5

3,271 ratings68 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    you kind of have to read this, yah. so privately canonized.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm so glad I finally read this historic book. I found it very interesting and understand why it has been adapted to suit other fields -- notably management. And the version of the book I bought is beautiful in itself. Bound in traditional Chinese style, with each page folded in half and only printed on the outside. Hard to rate -- it is what it is as they say -- but I'm rating it highly because it has stood the test of time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An enduring classic, an absolute must-read for every business person and military mind the world over.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this and let my mind wander a little, but not too much. Invariably whatever I think about mixes with the words, and elegant, clear observations come out. It's like guided meditation.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Art of War itself is pretty cool - aside from the fact that I feel like a dork reading it because most of the people who read Art of War are nineteen-year-old fantasy roleplayers who collect nunchuks - but the version I read, Lionel Giles' 1910 translation, is chock full of typos. That kinda gets on my nerves.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read ‘The Art of War’, not because I wanted to know about warfare, or even the typically extrapolated purpose of business and politics, but because I’ve been looking for the source of a 6 character Chinese phrase that I’ve known since I was a kid. I think I found it. The 6 characters are:People Philosophy (or Principle)Earth Philosophy (or Principle)Heaven Philosophy (or Principle)Earth is commonly extrapolated to also mean the environment, your physical surroundings, and/or the situation you’re in.Heaven is commonly extrapolated to also mean the weather, fate, and other elements you can’t control but only can work around.While ‘The Art of War’ goes into strategies of planning/waging/winning a war, the commoners (i.e. the adults around me when I was growing up) used these six characters to explain the simple considerations in life, being cognizant of the people and the things around you. In the case of ‘Heaven’, life happens. You can’t get what you want. You can’t have everything you want. And it simply wasn’t meant to be. A hard lesson for a kid… and for an adult.The edition I read is a Collins Classic with a crisp, simple translation and a good intro. I would have liked a version with side by side Chinese and English text, but ah well. In 13 Chapters, with numbered lines between 14 to 68 for each chapter, this was an easy read. As alluded to above, one can extract many layers of meanings from the simple text. Quotes:Ch 1, Line 22 – Perhaps this is the modern day equivalent of pressing someone’s buttons.“If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.”Ch 2, Line 19 – I read this as results driven, in business terms.“In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.”Ch 3, Line 18 – People Philosophy. Replace enemy with anyone else, this might work for understanding the probabilities of a relationship, friendship, etc.“Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”Ch 4, Line 10 – This was very humbling.“To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength; to see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight; to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear.”Ch 5, Lines 1 and 2 – This made me think about growing a team or an organization and managing them or taking on bigger challenges. “Sun Tzu said: The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers.”“Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.”Ch 6, Line 9 – One of the primary strategies in this book is deception. I’m guessing it is applauded for business and politics! Too brutal for my taste.“O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible; and hence we can hold the enemy’s fate in our hands.Ch 7, Line 13 – Earth Philosophy. In the most literal sense for battle.“We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country – its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps.”Ch 9, Line 35 – This made me think of office gossip, and the negativity associated with it.“The sight of men whispering together in small knots or speaking subdued tones points to disaffection amongst the rank and file.”Ch 10, Line 24, 25 – My business translation: A leader that is not after title for himself/herself, but simply cares, and gives a damn, for the work and for his/her team.“The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.”“Regarding your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.”Ch 10, Line 31 – I believe this is the one line that envelopes the 6 characters, even though I hope to never mark anyone as my enemy.“Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.”
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Rated: B-The New Lifetime Reading Plan: Number 10The general is responsible for the destiny and well-being of the nation. The scarcity of fine generals has always been a source of calamity.He regards his troops as his children, and they will go with him into the deepest ravine. He regards them as his loved ones, and they will stand by him unto death. (Chapter 10)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    one of the best books I've ever read; just be careful of the translator. There are some really horrendous editions out there. ALWAYS buy the one translated by "CLEARLY" he is very profound in eastern philosophy and tradition
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3 stars“All warfare is based on deception.”“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 it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.”Born in the fifth century B.C., Sun Wu (Sun Tzu was an honorary title) wrote the quintessential rulebook for warfare, known today as Art of War. While the often quoted lines of Sun Tzu are as lyrical as poetry, it was written 2,500 years ago with the singular purpose of codifying the essential requirements for generals and soldiers to be victorious on the battlefield. Even today, his treatise on war is studied by not just military officers, but business leaders and politicians as a roadmap to victory.While most of us have heard of Art of War and have no doubt read many of the catchy anecdotes that populate Sun Tzu’s writing, I dare say very few people have actually read the work from start to finish. While the version I read was about 300 pages, less than 50 pages make up the actual translated writings of Sun Tzu. That text is preceded by a rather informative historical overview of the life of Sun Wu – of which only a few documented facts are known. More importantly, the introduction does a good job of establishing the climate that Sun Tzu lived in within what we now know as China. Frankly, I found this to be the best and most informative part of the text.Sun Tzu’s actual text is written as a series of individual statements that appear to have been cobbled together. I’m unsure if this is the result of how the work was translated or if the original text was pieced together from scattered writings, but it gives the writing a disjointed feel. However, I can accept this limitation given that it was written as a technical document more than two millennia ago in a different language. From a content perspective, there are many well-known phrases that ring true today. But while the general philosophies are what we remember, the lion’s share of his text details very specific situations and strategies for warfare of that era. The remainder of the book – more than half of it in fact – is a detailed breakdown of individual passages from Sun Tzu’s text, expanded upon and placed into the context of more modern battles throughout history. This was the most problematic portion of the book because in a lot of cases it was a very tenuous leap to connect the specific tactics of some of the cited battles to the specific situations Sun Tzu wrote about. Sun Tzu’s text is just ambiguous enough that almost anything can be read into some of the passages. It was more wishful thinking than established doctrine that associated some of the examples to his writing. And while Art of War may include many philosophical musings that are usable today, most of Sun Tzu’s writing about specific military tactics– while educational from a historical perspective – are wildly obsolete in the modern world. As a fascinating historical document that illustrates the thinking and strategy of an era where little has survived the ravages of time, Art of War is an invaluable resource. But as a current day treatise on the conduct of war and competitive strategy, it is really lacks concrete value. Anecdotes aside, I’m pretty sure that no modern standing army or corporate think-tank is sending its best and brightest into the trenches with nothing but Sun Tzu’s writing even though some believe Art of War is the end-all, be-all of strategic thought. It would be a little like arguing before the Supreme Court with no other legal education outside of reading a lot of John Grisham novels. I think Art of War is a valuable work, but it has achieved a sort of cult following in certain circles that outstrips its actual contribution to strategy. The authors of this translation have gone overboard in assigning value to his teaching – value that can’t really be substantiated. Is it an important historical document? Absolutely. Is it the cornerstone of all of the strategic thought that exists today? Not hardly. While Sun Tzu was in fact a brilliant strategist and philosopher, Art of War wasn’t even translated into a western language until 1772 (French) and 1905 (English). I’m pretty sure most of these strategies had been discovered and utilized by western armies long before then. Perhaps the most important thing that is lost in the supplementation of Art of War is Sun Tzu’s primary motivation for writing his treatise. While his text is held up as the guide to war, this translation does hit on a key philosophy – it was peace that Sun Tzu was most interested in. He wanted his countrymen to be able to protect themselves and allow for the citizens to live in peace, not war. All you have to read for proof of that is what I think is the most important sentence he wrote:“There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.”Amen to that.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    There was a lot of repetition in this book, but maybe it's to enforce some of the most important things to remember when conducting a war.

    I was surprised by how much from this ancient text seems applicable today. I guess that can be chalked up to the knowledge and foresight of Sun Tzu, as well as our sad inability to change our violent ways.

    One particular bit of text seemed particularly relevant:

    When the army engages in protracted campaigns the resources of the state will not suffice.

    Good advice.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Classic, brilliant techniques put so simply. Yet, naturally, reading this as a modern day civilian, I applied it to my modern day battles such as in business, relationships, Los Angeles traffic...the typical. As a naturally paranoid person, I feel it did me more harm than good. In addition, I prefer to (perhaps ignorantly) avoid seeing things as if they are wars. Some things will never change though because I will always act shy and giggle right before I slaughter my enemy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    My first "android" book :)
    3 days of boring lectures and you complete a whole book !!!!
    A Sun Tzu's masterpiece on competition in a battlefield.An obstinate struggle to survive,to fight with a person's best spirits and a anecdote of survival in tough times. The book talks about various moves of enemies and optimum strategic judgement according to opponent's strength and weakness.
    Main categories under which the comprehensive book is divided are: Laying plans, waging war, strategic attacks, energy, tactical dispositions, army on march, fire attacks and use of spies.
    A book one of its kind. Precise, short statements without any kind of obfuscation, a provident manifestation of a probable war like situation.Indeed, a complete war time reference manual.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    If you're already self-actualized (read: me), this is nothing but a bunch of shih.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    No wonder the words in this book have such wide applications across a whole massive spectrum of professions to situations.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Quite possibly the most influential book on military tactics of all time. I was incredibly surprised by its brevity. A must-read for any historian. 
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Inspiration comes from many places and The Art of War is one of those books mentioned frequently in my circles. It's one of those books I've been meaning to get to for years and, while I am not sorry that I finally got to it, its usefulness to me is limited.Most of the non-strategic advice is good leadership advice. Things such as being a leader means setting the standard for how the work should be done, including getting one's hands dirty with the lowliest tasks. I've read plenty of stuff about leadership, and setting the example, that there really wasn't anything new for me here.Since I'm not interested in military strategies, the rest was dry.From a strictly historic perspective, I can understand the importance of this treatise. But as an outstanding example of leadership and strategy in the 21st century? I'm not seeing it.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Don't like this edition. The history is boring and confusing (chi, Ch'i, ch'i all mean different things) 1 star for the edition and history part.

    The actual Art of War is good. 3 stars.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This is a manual and reads like one. Better to take in very small doses, digest and discuss rather than to read continuously.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This audio book had Joe Montenga narrating the text.It was pretty cool to have the Simpsons's Fat Tony quoting a 500 BC Chinese War Scholar.(The analysis of the text was a real snooze-fest!)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When you go to buy The Art of War, you will have several editions to choose from. If not, you're in the wrong shop; go and find another. I recommend going through each edition and pick the one whose translation you find easiest to read.It's difficult to review this book. The Art of War is not the kind of book you read. It's the kind of book you reflect on. For best results, reflect and then bring your reflections to a group who have also read the book. Everyone will find a passage or two that really struck a note for them, and for different reasons. Prepare to talk long into the night.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A great translation. That was meant to be funny since I don't read Chinese and can't possibly really know how good his translation is. However, this is a great book and belongs right next to your other war strategy greats.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a beautiful and scholarly presentation of a truly elegant piece of ancient literature. Griffith puts forth his interpretation of "The Art of War" based on a revision of his Ph.D. thesis presented some years ago. Commentaries from several sources are included along side of Griffith's own translation. Footnotes are ubiquitous in the text explaining various discrepancies in interpretations, translations and historical contexts. There is a nicely-done introduction discussing various scholarly debates surrounding "The Art of War" including, original authorship, and date of creation. Beyond the content, the presentation of the book is beautiful. The cover is silk fabric with silk-screened golden Chinese characters on the cover. There is also an attached black ribbon bookmark. The pages are thick construction done with a glossy-print and includes many beautiful color plates placed throughout the text.Really, I believe this to be an exquisite presentation of this piece of literature. Not only is the presentation exceptional, the scholarly content is both attainable and interesting. This is an excellent piece to have in any library.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I heard a lot of people talking about "The Art of War." In business, during news commentary...everywhere. I find it funny, when reading it, to see something very simple. Descriptions of the appropriate duties of the army and generals are basic, and the "secrets" of successful conquering is good common sense. I suppose the reason it seems so enlightening is the lack of common sense in the huge majority of people. Saying that, this was a great opporunity to see some of the basis for business practices overseas and at home. There are many people who think about business as warefare. These tactics will be used, and should be understood. Because common sense is no longer common, and probably wasn't in ancient China, this is a great guide to dealing with conflict...if you want to win.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    All the guff about it being the greatest management text in history is of course utter nonsense, but it's an interesting read. I preferred and would recommend the Hagakure if you're after samurai warrior philosophy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Hmm, this book can really be used in company`s management, because some war strategies are quite similar to organization management. For example, need for clear and not doubtful commands, advice to put best soldiers (workers) on first line, importance of understanding ones own weaknesses and strengths etc.Overall, it`s boring literature if one don`t think how to use those advices in life.[more: rozmarins.blogspot.com]
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A classic that is as valuable for war strategies as it is for work and everyday relations.My edition is from Shambhala, and translated by Thomas Cleary (famed for his translations of Miyamoto Musashi's work, as well as his biography).In this edition, each of the passages is interpreted by 11 different people (from Li Quan to Zhang Yu), for scope and perspective. While it's not necessary to include so many interpreters, I find that the different perspectives (and wording) sometimes made Master Sun's wisdoms clearer.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very quick read of a classic. I had always been meaning to get around to this book, and I did not realize how short it was. The version I have contains more commentary than the actual writing, and I did not bother with the commentary.

    The book is basically a series of maxims that describe how to lead as a general at war. I think its appeal is universal, and many of the ideas can be applied as strategic thinking in other aspects of life. I don't think it was all that profound, but then again, its ideas have been used for centuries. It was nice to be able to read where a lot of them came from.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I'm sure I'm not the only person that James Clavell, who wrote the foreward to this edition, introduced to Sun Tzu. I appreciate him for that as much as for his own books. Although ostensibly a book about military strategy, The principles in The Art of War can be applied to any kind of strategic situation. Thanks to centuries of commentary, it now functions as something like a cross between the Torah and the I Ching.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This turned out to be a cheap and good translation. If all you want is the straight translation, this is a great edition
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I had to read this for an English class. I'm still trying to figure out why.Maybe I'll be better at strategy games?

Book preview

Sun Tzu's The Art of War - Sun Tzu

PREFACE

The seventh volume of Mémoires concernant l'histoire, les sciences, les arts, les moeurs, les usages, &c., des Chinois¹ is devoted to the Art of War, and contains, amongst other treatises, Les Treize Articles de Sun-tse, translated from the Chinese by a Jesuit Father, Joseph Amiot. Pére Amiot appears to have enjoyed no small reputation as a Sinologue in his day, and the field of his labors was certainly extensive. But his so-called translation of Sun Tzŭ, if placed side by side with the original, is seen at once to be little better than an imposture. It contains a great deal that Sun Tzŭ did not write, and very little indeed of what he did. Here is a fair specimen, taken from the opening sentences of chapter 5:

De Fhabileté dans legouvernement des Troupes. Sun-tse dit: Ayez les noms de tous les Officiers tant généraux que subalternes; inscrivez-les dans un catalogue à part, avec la note des talents & de la ca-pacité de chacun d'eux, afin de pouvoir les employer avec avantage lorsque l'occasion en sera venue. Faites en sorte que tous ceux que vous devez commander soient persuadés que votre principale attention est de les preserver de tout dommage. Les troupes que vous ferez avancer contre l'ennemi doivent etre comme des pierres que vous lanceriez contre des oeufs. De vous à l'ennemi il ne doit y avoir d'autre difference que celle du fort au foible, du vuide au plein. Attaquez à découvert, mais soyez vainqueur en secret. Voilà en peu de mots en quoi consiste l'habileté & toute la perfection meme du gouvernement des troupes.

Throughout the nineteenth century, which saw a wonderful development in the study of Chinese literature, no translator ventured to tackle Sun Tzŭ, although his work was known to be highly valued in China as by far the oldest and best compendium of military science. It was not until the year 1905 that the first English translation, by Capt. E. F. Calthrop, R.F.A., appeared at Tokyo under the title Sonshi (the Japanese form of Sun Tzŭ²). Unfortunately, it was evident that the translator's knowledge of Chinese was far too scanty to fit him to grapple with the manifold difficulties of Sun Tzŭ. He himself plainly acknowledges that without the aid of two Japanese gentlemen the accompanying translation would have been impossible. We can only wonder, then, that with their help it should have been so excessively bad. It is not merely a question of downright blunders, from which none can hope to be wholly exempt. Omissions were frequent; hard passages were willfully distorted or slurred over. Such offences are less pardonable. They would not be tolerated in any edition of a Greek or Latin classic, and a similar standard of honesty ought to be insisted upon in translations from Chinese.

From blemishes of this nature, at least, I believe that the present translation is free. It was not undertaken out of any inflated estimate of my own powers; but I could not help feeling that Sun Tzŭ deserved a better fate than had befallen him, and I knew that, at any rate, I could hardly fail to improve on the work of my predecessors. Towards the end of 1908, a new and revised edition of Capt. Calthrop's translation was published in London, this time, however, without any allusion to his Japanese collaborators. My first three chapters were then already in the printer's hands, so that the criticisms of Capt. Calthrop therein contained must be understood as referring to his earlier edition. In the subsequent chapters I have of course transferred my attention to the second edition. This is on the whole an improvement on the other, though there remains much that cannot pass muster. Some of the grosser blunders have been rectified and lacunae filled up, but on the other hand a certain number of new mistakes appear. The very first sentence of the introduction is startlingly inaccurate; and later on, while mention is made of an army of Japanese commentators on Sun Tzŭ (who are these, by the way?), not a word is vouchsafed about the Chinese commentators, who nevertheless, I venture to assert, form a much more numerous and infinitely more important

Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1