Title: The Art of War.
Author: Sun Tzu (Edited by James Clavell).
Publisher: Delta Trade Paperback (by Dell Publishing, a
division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc.)
ISBN: 0-385-29985-0
Copyright: © James Clavell, 1983
I read Sun Tzu for the first time in 1995. That was the time when I
almost stopped picking up anything but problem books. It was one Sunday
afternoon at Chaitanya's place that I found this book on the table and
turned a few leaves, I got hooked, and did not put it down till I
completed it. It was just 80 odd pages in big letters and did not take
much time. Ever since, I read this book more than once and finally
bought my own copy the other day at Strand.
The Art of War is a very "quoteable" book. Concise, but not like any
book that you flip through and put down. It is one that you have to put
thought into, come back to read again, and assimilate slowly.
Excerpts ...
The book is as much about peace as it is about war:
- In peace prepare for war, in war prepare for peace.
- To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme
excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's
resistance without fighting.
- In all history, there is no instance of a country having
benefited from prolonged warfare. Only one who knows the disastrous
effects of a long war can realize the supreme importance of rapidity
in bringing it to close. It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted
with the evils of war who can thoroughly understand the profitable way
of carrying it on.
It also tells the reader that the principles may be radical, and that
there should be a difference in applying these for different situations.
There is an emphasis on flexibility:
- But remember: While heeding the profit on my counsel, avail
yourself also of any helpful circumstances over and beyond the
ordinary rules and modify your plans accordingly.
- The skillful employer of men will employ the wise man, the
brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man. For the wise man
delights in establishing his merit, the brave man likes to show his
courage in action, the covetous man is quick to seizing advantages,
and the stupid man has no fear of death.
General wisdom that is useful in a modern non-war kind of a scenario as
well:
- He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.
- He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior
forces.
- He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit
throughout all its ranks.
- He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy
unprepared.
- He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered
with by the souvereign.
The thirteen chapters are written in stylish prose and make use of nice
similes and metaphors. My personal favorite Chapter happens to be the
anectodal Chapter 11 (The Nine Situations - the kind of characterization
of scenarios in which you can find yourself in as described in this
chapter is typical of this book).
A list of chapters: (for now, more later)
- Laying Plans
- On Waging War
- The Sheathed Sword
- Tactics
- Energy
- Weak Points & Strong
- Maneuvering
- Variation of Tactics
- The Army on the March
- Terrain
- The Nine Situations
- Attack by Fire
- The use of Spies
