The Art of War

More than 2,000 years old, this classic of Chinese philosophy lays out a systematic, rational approach to tactics and strategy that leaders worldwide have applied not only to the military, but also to business, law, martial arts, and sports. This elegant edition uses Lionel Giles’s classic translation and stands apart for its gorgeous design. Giles’s extensive annotations and commentary on Sun Tzu’s aphorisms and proverbs are also included.

Sun Tzu (544-496 B.C.) was a philosopher and military strategist who served the kingdom of Wu at a time when the kingdoms of China were in a state of near-constant war. His many aphorisms about strategy were later compiled into The Art of War. The book’s international popularity over the following two-and-a-half millennia made Sun Tzu one of history’s most influential writers and thinkers.