Synopses & Reviews
For more than two thousand years,
The Art of War has stood as a cornerstone of Chinese culture-a lucid epigrammatic text that reveals as much about human psychology, politics, and economics as it does about battlefield strategy. The influence of Sun-tzu's text has grown tremendously in the West in recent years, with military leaders, politicians, and corporate executives alike finding valuable insight in these ancient words. In his crisp, accessible new translation, scholar John Minford brings this seminal work to life for modern readers.
Minford opens with a lively, learned introduction in which he explores the life and times of Sun-tzu, looks at The Art of War in the context of the turbulent Warring States period, and discusses how best to read and understand the work today. There follows Minford's translation of the core text itself in two different formats-first, the unadorned thirteen chapters of the original work and then the same text reprinted with extensive running commentary by classical Chinese scholars as well as Minford himself. The result is an opportunity for Western readers to experience Sun-tzu's work in all its intensity as it applies to many aspects of our lives.
About the Author
John Minford studied Chinese at Oxford and has taught in China, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. His highly regarded translations from the Chinese include two volumes of the Penguin Classics edition of Cao Xueqin's eighteenth-century novel, The Story of the Stone. He is the coeditor of the landmark volume Classical Chinese Literature: An Anthology of Translations and the coeditor of Seeds of Fire: Chinese Voices of Conscience.
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction, xi
A Note on the Text, xxxvii
Suggestions for Further Reading, xli
A List of Chinese Commentators, xlix
Chronologies, liii
Dynasties, liii
Historical Events, liv
The Art of War
Chapter 1. Making of Plans, 3
Chapter 2. Waging of War, 9
Chapter 3. Strategic Offensive, 14
Chapter 4. Forms and Dispositions 20
Chapter 5. Potential Energy, 25
Chapter 6. Empty and Full, 31
Chapter 7. The Fray, 39
Chapter 8. The Nine Changes, 47
Chapter 9. On the March, 51
Chapter 10. Forms of Terrain, 61
Chapter 11. The Nine Kinds of Ground, 69
Chapter 12. Attack by Fire, 84
Chapter 13. Espionage, 89
The Art of War with Commentary
Chapter 1. Making of Plans, 99
Chapter 2. Waging of War, 119
Chapter 3. Strategic Offensive, 131
Chapter 4. Forms and Dispositions, 148
Chapter 5. Potential Energy, 161
Chapter 6. Empty and Full,177
Chapter 7. The Fray, 196
Chapter 8. The Nine Changes, 214
Chapter 9. On the March, 226
Chapter 10. Forms of Terrain, 248
Chapter 11. The Nine Kinds of Ground, 265
Chapter 12. Attack by Fire, 304
Chapter 13. Espionage, 314