Art of War Author: | Language: English | ISBN:
B0002P0FJE | Format: PDF
Art of War Description
Born over 2,400 years ago, warrior, thinker, and leader Sun Tzu lived during a time of great internecine conflict in China. A classic of Chinese literature,
Art of War reveals the strategies, tactics, and insights that lead to success. Mastery of warfare and the maintenance of power are the most important values in Sun's philosophy, without which there can be no peace or life. According to Sun, studying your enemy, detecting his weakness, allowing him to expose himself and then acting accordingly is the key to success. But, it is perhaps even more important to master the skill of winning without fighting.
Sun's battle-proven strategies have been put into practice by countless leaders, from Mao Tse-tung to Napoleon to the planners of Operation Desert Storm. Filled with practical wisdom and strategy, Art of War is an indispensable guide for anyone who want an edge over the competition. With powerful narration by Joe Mantegna, listeners are sure to be destined for greatness with this audibook.
Translation by Ralph D. Sawyer
- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 4 hours and 14 minutes
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Recorded Books
- Audible.com Release Date: July 8, 2004
- Language: English
- ASIN: B0002P0FJE
There are two critical things to consider when deciding to purchase a book such as the Art of War: the first being the content / author of the book and the second being the translator. This book deserves 5 stars for both. Sun Tzu's Art of War is the de facto standard on military strategy, and Sawyers translation and reference material take the work to new heights. Sawyer has a strong grasp of the material -- and discusses (through the introduction and footnotes) the times and military methods that brought about this brilliant work. The book has a number of minor typographical errors (such as lines of text that appear as the last line of one page, and the first line of the next) but overall these errors are minor annoyances at worst.
By J. Straub
There are two basic types of warfare: attrition and relational-maneuver. This ancient text is the ultimate text on the latter. The US Army has mostly used attrition warfare. That means you throw more soldiers and weapons at the enemy than the enemy can handle. General Grant and WW II are cases in point. On the other hand the US Marine Corps is well-known for it use of relational-maneuver warfare such as Inchon in the Korean War. In relational-maneuver warfare, one can have lesser forces and still heavily damage the enemy or even win. As Clauswitz called it--one attacks the enemy's center of gravity or attacks the enemy with more/better forces at isolated points (e.g. the Finns vs. the Germans in WWII). One of the beauties of this approach is that there are far less casualties. In Desert Storm, the Iraqi communications were taken out early--an attack on a center of gravity for command and control. The principles in Sun Tzu's "Art of War" are transferable to any conflict situation as a general case because they are so high level in nature. They can be applied to football, business negotiations, etc. Unlike some, Sun Tzu recognized that winning a war is not a matter of killing all the enemy; it's a matter of imposing a nation's political will upon another. From a certain perspective, he appears to be a realist, militarist, and humanist (he tries to minimize casualties) combined.
By Neal J. Pollock
VINE VOICE
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