The Art of War by Sun Tzu (elon musk reading list TXT) 📕
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Sun Tzu’s ancient treatise on the art of war has exerted enormous influence over both Asian and Western soldiers, covering subjects ranging from morale and discipline to the correct use of spies. Despite questions about the historicity of the author, the text has stood the test of time and remains widely read by strategists, politicians, and even business leaders today.
Though Dr. Lionel Giles was not the first to translate Sun Tzu into English, he was the first to do so in a systematic and scholarly manner. His translation was unequaled until the mid-20th century, and remains relevant today due to his copious notes.
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- Author: Sun Tzu
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This is explicitly stated in the Tso Chuan, 昭公 XXXII, 2: 夏吳伐越始用師於越也. ↩
There is this to be said for the later period, that the feud would tend to grow more bitter after each encounter, and thus more fully justify the language used in XI. (“For the men of Wu …”) ↩
See his preface to Sun Tzǔ:—入郢威齊晉之功歸之子胥故春秋傳不載其名葢功成不受官. ↩
With Wu Yüan himself the case is just the reverse:—a spurious treatise on war has been fathered on him simply because he was a great general. Here we have an obvious inducement to forgery. Sun Wu, on the other hand, cannot have been widely known to fame in the 5th century. ↩
See Tso Chuan, 定公, 4th year (506), § 14: 自昭王卽位無歲不有吳師 “From the date of King Chao’s accession [515] there was no year in which Chʽu was not attacked by Wu.” ↩
See supra. (“There is every reason to suppose …”) ↩
秦漢已來用兵皆用其法而或祕其書不肯注以傳世魏武始為之注. ↩
See 宋藝文志. ↩
Alluded to in note 32. ↩
Note 32: 蓋宋人又從大興朱氏處見明人刻本餘則世無傳者. ↩
A good biographical notice, with a list of his works, will be found in the 國朝詩人徵略, ch. 48, fol. 18 sqq. ↩
Preface ad fin.: 吾家出樂安眞孫子之後媿余徒讀祖書考証文字不通方略亦享承平之福者久也 “My family comes from Lo-an, and we are really descended from Sun Tzǔ. I am ashamed to say that I only read my ancestor’s work from a literary point of view, without comprehending the military technique. So long have we been enjoying the blessings of peace!” ↩
Hua-yin is about 14 miles from 潼關 Tʽung-kuan on the eastern border of Shensi. The temple in question is still visited by those about to make the ascent of the 華山 or Western Sacred Mountain. It is mentioned in the 大明一統志 (AD 1461), ch. 32, f. 22, as the 西嶽廟:—在華陰縣東五里廟有唐玄宗所製華山碑 “Situated five li east of the district city of Hua-yin. The temple contains the Hua-shan tablet inscribed by the Tʽang Emperor Hsüan Tsung [713–755].” ↩
曩予游關中讀華陰嶽廟道藏見有此書後有鄭友賢遺說一卷. ↩
Cf. Sun Hsing-yen’s remark apropos of his mistakes in the names and order of the commentators: 吉天保之不深究此書可知. ↩
國家令甲以孫子校士所傳本或多錯謬當用古本是正其文適吳念湖太守畢恬溪孝廉皆為此學所得或過于予遂刋一編以課武士. ↩
See my Catalogue of Chinese Books (Luzac & Co., 1908), no. 40. ↩
This is a discussion of 29 difficult passages in Sun Tzǔ, namely:
Chapter I “It is a matter of life and death …”
Chapter I “Now the general who wins a battle …”
Chapter I “While heeding the profit of my counsel …”
Chapter II “Bring war material with you from home …” and “Poverty of the State exchequer …”
Chapter III “Thus the highest form of generalship …”
Chapters III and VII
Chapter III “Thus we may know that there five essentials …”
Chapter IV “Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer …”
Chapter IV “Standing on the defensive indicates …”
Chapter V “To ensure that your whole host may withstand …”
Chapter V “In battle, there are not more than two methods …” and “The direct and the indirect lead on to each other …”
Chapter V “Therefore the good fighter will be terrible …”
The headings of the 13 chapters, with special reference to chap. VII.
Chapter VII “Manoeuvring with an army is advantageous …”
Chapter VII “In war, practice dissimulation …” and “Whether to concentrate or to divide your troops …”
Chapter VII “A whole army may be robbed …”
Chapter VII “It is a military axiom not to advance uphill …”, etc.
Chapter VIII “In war, the general receives his commands …” through “So, the student of war who is unversed …”
Chapter IX “All armies prefer high ground to low …”
Chapter X “We may distinguish six kinds of terrain …” through “There are six ways of courting defeat …”
Chapter XI “Throw your soldiers into postions whence there is no escape …”
Chapter XI “Hence it is not enough to put one’s trust …”
Chapter XI “Rapidity is the essence of war …”
Chapter XI “When you leave your own country behind …”
Chapter VII “We cannot enter into alliances …” through “We shall be unable to turn …” and “We cannot enter into alliance …”
Chapter XI “Bestow rewards without regard to rule …”
Chapter XIII “Spies cannot be usefully employed without …” and “They cannot be properly managed without …”
Chapter XIII “Of old, the rise of the Yin dynasty …”
Chapter XIII in general.
↩
Preface to Mei Yao-chʽên’s edition: 孫子注者尤多武之書本於兵兵之術非一而以不窮為奇宜其說者之多也. ↩
See 魏書, ch. 1. ↩
魏書, ch. 1: 然前世言善用兵稱曹公曹公嘗與董呂諸袁角其力而勝之遂與吳蜀分漢而王傳言魏之將出兵千里每坐計勝敗授其成算諸將用之十不失一一有違者兵輒敗北. ↩
Cf. 天一閣藏書總目 Catalogue of the library of the 范 Fan family at Ningpo, 子部, fol. 12 vo: 其註多隱辭引而不發 “His commentary is frequently obscure; it furnishes a clue, but does not fully develop the meaning.” ↩
See 玉海, ch. 141 ad init. ↩
Wên Hsien Tʽung Kʽao, ch. 221, f. 9 vo. ↩
Ch. 207, f. 5 ro. ↩
It is
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