The Art of War: The Oldest Military Treatise in the World (1910)

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Kessinger Publishing, 2010 - 262 pages
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

About the author (2010)

Sun Tzu was born around 544 B.C. Almost nothing is known about his life except that he was a Chinese military general who helped the King Ho-lu capture the city of Ying, bringing about the fall of the Ch'u state in 506 B.C.E. From this, Sun Tzu became known throughout the country as a wise and respected leader. Sun Tzu is best known today for a collection of essays called The Art of War, the oldest military treatise in the world. The text became known through translations by Father J. J. M. Amiot, a French Jesuit priest. The principles in the book are varied and include: "All warfare is based on deception," "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting," and "The art of war is governed by five constant factors (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline)". Sun Tzu is believed to have died in 496 B.C.E.

Lionel Giles was on the staff of the Department of Oriental Printed Books and Manuscripts at the British Museum.

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