The Art of War by Sun Tzu (elon musk reading list TXT) 📕

the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.187

If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.188

If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.189

If he is taking his ease, give him no rest.190 If his forces are united, separate them.191

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand.192

Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought.193 The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.

II Waging War194

Sun Tzǔ said: In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers,195 with provisions enough to carry them a thousand li,196 the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day.197 Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.198

When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men’s weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped.199 If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.200

Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.201

Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.202

Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.203

There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.204

It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.205

The skilful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his supply-wagons loaded more than twice.206

Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.207

Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army to be maintained by contributions from a distance. Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes the people to be impoverished.208

On the other hand, the proximity of an army causes prices to go up; and high prices cause the people’s substance to be drained away.209

When their substance is drained away, the peasantry will be afflicted by heavy exactions.210

With this loss of substance and exhaustion of strength, the homes of the people will be stripped bare, and three-tenths of their income will be dissipated;211 while government expenses for broken chariots, worn-out horses, breastplates and helmets, bows and arrows, spears and shields, protective mantles, draught-oxen and heavy wagons, will amount to four-tenths of its total revenue.212

Hence a wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy. One cartload of the enemy’s provisions is equivalent to twenty of one’s own, and likewise a single picul of his provender is equivalent to twenty from one’s own store.213

Now in order to kill the enemy, our men must be roused to anger; that there may be advantage from defeating the enemy, they must have their rewards.214

Therefore in chariot fighting, when ten or more chariots have been taken, those should be rewarded who took the first.215 Our own flags should be substituted for those of the enemy, and the chariots mingled and used in conjunction with ours. The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept.

This is called, using the conquered foe to augment one’s own strength.

In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.216

Thus it may be known that the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people’s fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril.217

III Attack by Stratagem

Sun Tzǔ said: In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy’s country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to capture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.218

Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.219

Thus the highest form of generalship is to baulk the enemy’s plans;220 the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy’s forces;221 the next in order is to attack the enemy’s army in the field;222 and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.223

The rule is, not to besiege walled cities if it can possibly be avoided.224 The preparation of