The Art of War
Sun Tzu · ancient · 10k words
Thirteen short chapters on winning before the battle begins. Composed in China around the fifth century BC, The Art of War treats conflict as a problem of information, economics, and psychology rather than courage — which is why it outlived the chariot and conquered the boardroom. Lionel Giles’s 1910 translation remains the standard English text.
Contents
- Laying Plans3 min
A matter of life and deathAll warfare is based on deceptionCalculations win battles
- Waging War3 min
- Attack by Stratagem3 min
Winning whole, without fightingKnow the enemy, know yourself
- Tactical Dispositions2 min
- Energy3 min
- Weak Points and Strong4 min
- Maneuvering4 min
- Variation of Tactics2 min
- The Army on the March5 min
- Terrain4 min
- The Nine Situations8 min
- The Attack by Fire2 min
Five ways of attacking with fireMove only when there is gain
- The Use of Spies3 min