Art of War

Sun Tzu was the author of The Art of War, an immensely influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy (for the most part not dealing directly with tactics). He is also one of the earliest realists in international relations theory.John Minford has translated many works from the Chinese, including two volumes of the Penguin Classics edition of Cao Xueqin's eighteenth-century novel The Story of the Stone. He is co-editor of the landmark anthology of translations Classical Chinese Literature.

"The strategic advice that [The Art of War] offers concerns much more than the conduct of war. It is an ancient book of proverbial wisdom, a book of life." —John Minford, from the Introduction

• The Art of WarAcknowledgmentsIntroductionA Note on the TextSuggestions for Further ReadingA List of Chinese CommentatorsCronologiesDyanastiesHistorical EventsThe Art of WarChapter 1: Making of PlansChapter 2: Waging of WarChapter 3: Strategic OffensiveChapter 4: Forms and DispositionsChapter 5: Potential EnergyChapter 6: Empty and FullChapter 7: The FrayChapter 8: The Nine ChangesChapter 9: On the MarchChapter 10: Forms of TerrainChapter 11: The Nine Kinds of GroundChapter 12: Attack by FireChapter 13: EspionageThe Art of War with CommentaryChapter 1: Making of PlansChapter 2: Waging of WarChapter 3: Strategic OffensiveChapter 4: Forms and DispositionsChapter 5: Potential EnergyChapter 6: Empty and FullChapter 7: The FrayChapter 8: The Nine ChangesChapter 9: On the MarchChapter 10: Forms of TerrainChapter 11: The Nine Kinds of GroundChapter 12: Attack by FireChapter 13: Espionage