Customer Reviews

The Art of War

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First off, I'd like to make it clear that I have read the Art of War by Sun Tzu in a variety of translations, interpretations, and presentations - so this is not in so much a review of the work as it is this version.

The Art of War is a seminal text on military strategy, doctrine and mindset. Absolutely essential reading for any involved with martial arts, warfare, or simply seeking a new way to enlighten their daily lives. An astounding work, and a fairly painless, quick read.

However. And there's always a however.

I recently bought this version after misplacing one of my former versions of the work. Needless to say, this was a buy I don't regret, but I would have liked to have picked another version had I been given the chance to do it all again. There are a number of typos, formatting errors, and misinterpretations in this version. The page size is large for the amount of text per page, likened to an 8 1/2' x 11' piece of paper folded width-wize. Actually, that may be what this is really printed on, save for a better paper stock. The editors and printers would have done better to select a smaller book format, made it thicker, or utilized more of the page space itself. This is a short work, but placing it in a large format doesn't add to it's value - especially for a public domain piece.

In any case, this is an adequate version and printing of the text, but consider spending your money on a more developed version.

3/5, based on this actual version.

Sun Tzu emphasized the importance of positioning in military strategy, and that the decision to position an army must be based on both objective conditions in the physical environment and the subjective beliefs of other, competitive actors in that environment. He thought that strategy was not planning in the sense of working through an established list, but rather that it requires quick and appropriate responses to changing conditions. Planning works in a controlled environment, but in a changing environment, competing plans collide, creating unexpected situations.