Published by Amber Books in 2011 this 2500 year old text is offered a new translation by James Trapp. According to Trapp, the text is recommended reading for the United States Marine Corp, and was considered a favorite by General Douglas MacArthur and Mao Zedong[i]. It is not known if any of the world leaders or rulers, who have instigated the 42 plus wars in the world today have read it, or knows of the book’s existence and the advice it offers on the subject of war.

The book is divided into 13 sections, each of which offers sage advice to the General of an army and the ruler of the country going to war. I have chosen a few pithy quotes from each section to convey a sense of the overall theme of the book on the principles on how a just war (if there’s such a thing) should be fought.

On the planning of war Sun Tzu says “war is a place where life and death meet”[ii], “A ruler must be possessed of wisdom, honesty, benevolence, courage and discipline”[iii] on the Waging of war, he notes that a “protracted campaign depletes the state’s resources”[iv]. On strategic offence he states that “the ultimate achievement is to defeat the enemy without even coming to battle”[v], and that “siege warfare should only be undertaken if it is avoidable”[vi] further he adds that “we may say that to know yourself and to know your enemy, you will gain victory a hundred times out of a hundred”[vii].  On the deployment of armies he suggests that “being prepared for all circumstances is what ensures certain victory “, and that “a great strategist follows his Moral Compass and adheres to his methods of Regulation, for these are the means by which he determines victory or defeat”[viii]. On gaining momentum Sun Tzu says that in “military strategy, there is only the direct and the oblique, but between them they offer an inexhaustible range of tactics”[ix].

On the insubstantial and substantial strategies for obtaining victory, Sun Tzu invokes a water analogy: “Military strategy is like water, which flows from high ground to low ground; so, in your tactics, avoid the enemy’s strengths and attack his weaknesses. Water shapes its course according to the terrain; in the same way you should shape your victory around the enemy’s dispositions. There are no constants in warfare, any more than water maintains a constant shape. Thus a General who gains victory by shaping his tactics according to the enemy ranks with the Immortals”.[x]

 On manoeuvres against the enemy he states the obvious that “manoeuvres against the enemy can bring great advantage or great peril”[xi].  The nine variables which decide a war’s outcomes can best be summed up in his advice that “there will be roads that should not be followed, there will be armies that should not be attacked”[xii].  For armies on the move his advice is summed up thus: “…you must bring your troops together with humane treatment, and bind them with discipline-this is the path to invincibility. Enact consistency in orders and the men will be loyal to you; if there is no consistency, they will not…”[xiii] Terrain, and the nine types of ground outline the perils of not understanding the landscape of the enemy’s country and how such ignorance and folly leads towards ill-disciplined armies, chaos in the field, and subsequent defeat because “the natural characteristics of the terrain are a soldier’s friend”[xiv].   On attacking with fire Sun Tzu says “a general who attacks with fire is demonstrating his intelligence”, but he goes on to warn that “It is disastrous not to consolidate your achievements if you are victorious in battle and successful in your attacks-this is called waste and delay. Hence it is truly said that a wise ruler thinks ahead, and a good general builds on his victories. Do not move unless you see a clear advantage. Do not use your soldiers unless there is something to be gained. A ruler should not call his general to arms out of anger; a general should not attack because he has been insulted. Only advance if it is to your clear advantage, otherwise stay put. Anger may change to contentment and insult to pleasure; but, a kingdom once destroyed cannot be recovered, and the dead cannot be brought back to life. Thus a wise ruler is cautious and a good general alert. This is the way to keep a country at peace, and its armies intact”[xv] Finally, on using spies Sun Tzu suggests that “when you find the enemy agents spying on you, offer them bribes”[xvi], and that  “the local spy, the converted spy, the expendable spy, and the permanent spy should be used sagaciously and treated with benevolence”[xvii]

Overall the book is a fascinating, timeless look into warfare and its advantages and disadvantages. I suppose the whole text could be summed up in the Confucian principle that when taking advantage be just and fair. Definitely worth a read if you are aware of, or trying to figure out any one of the 42 plus armed conflicts in the world today.

[i] Tzu, S The Art of War (translated by James Trapp)

[ii] Ibid, p.7

[iii] Ibid, p.9

[iv] Ibid, p.13

[v] Ibid, p.17

[vi] Op.Cit

[vii] Ibid, p.21

[viii] Ibid, p.23

[ix] Ibid, p.29

[x] Ibid, p.39

[xi] Ibid, p.41

[xii] Ibid, p.49

[xiii] Ibid, p.61

[xiv] Ibid, p.67

[xv] Ibid, p.89

[xvi] Ibid, p.

[xvii] Ibid, p.93