The Art of War

The Art of War

THE OLDEST MILITARY TREATISE IN THE WORLD

Sun-tzu ping-fa (Sun Tzu The Art of War) is a rare text that has transcended time. Although it was written more than 2,000 years ago, it is arguably still the most important work on the subject of strategy. It was intended only for the military elite of the time, but since the ideas are pragmatic and universally applicable to any situation that requires absolute victory, its ideas have been used by warriors of every century, both on the battlefield, in sport competitions, and in the business world. Although developed for armies waging war, it also applicable to a lone warrior defending against one or more attackers.

The Art of War was written by Sun Tzu, a Chinese general in the state of Wu, during the 6th century BC, and was first translated into a European language in 1782 by French Jesuit Jean Joseph Marie Amiot. It is composed of 13 chapters (subtopics), each devoted to some aspect of warfare strategy.