It's certainly an ineresting book.

You can find some quotes from it here, as well as a translated PDF file:
http://www.military-quotes.com/Sun-Tzu.htm

Interesting is hardly the word to describe it, perfect is more like it. First thing i would like to say is he's not japanese and hes not a ninja for who ever said that. He's chinese and ive never heard of any exploits of his on the battlefield. He wrote his book only because the emporer asked him to create a guide to war for his generals (almost like a modern day military doctrine). He was a jenious not in the way Ceasar or Alexander was, he was more in the logic of war. He simply stated what was needed to win a battle, sustain a long term campaign or simply defeat the enemy before any battle took place. He ignored the code of honor wich most knights followed and as we all know was their downfall. For instance he insisted that Spy's were the most valuable weapon of war. This is true but most Lord did not openly employ spy's (of course they spy's on their payrole) because they knew it was dishonorable. Sun Tzu also taught that nothing should be put to chance, he wrote that it was necesary to always have better terrain, generals, soldiers, and number. My personal favorite part of his book where he talks of how to fight someone depending on your numbers.


"The art of using troops is this:
......When ten to the enemy's one, surround him;
......When five times his strength, attack him;
......If double his strength, divide him;
......If equally matched you may engage him;
......If weaker numerically, be capable of withdrawing;
......And if in all respects unequal, be capable of eluding him,
..........for a small force is but booty for one more powerful."
- Sun Tzu, the Art Of War


He almost reminds me of Machiavelli.

Crappy computer reposted. Someone delete this.

"Killer Angels", Sun Tzu's "Art of War" and a few other books were on the "recommended" reading list of our Senior TAC when I was attending OCS.

there is some book about Alexander too

Originally Posted by bulldogg

"Killer Angels", Sun Tzu's "Art of War" and a few other books were on the "recommended" reading list of our Senior TAC when I was attending OCS.

Sun Tzu should be required reading for any budding military strategist/tactician.

Our Senior TAC, Captain Lynch was prone to understatements a Briton would be proud of Doppleganger. He also had "recommendations" to memorise certain Field Manuals, always be prepared for locker inspections etc.

Sun Tzu provides the ulitmate in "how to not screw up at Warfare" done in a format that works for just about any level of technology. Much is insanely obvious. Some is very insightful and learnable only by a lot of experience in war.

I've been wondering abouit something, and maybe Bulldog can answer it. Sun Tze is supposedly the ancestor of the rulers of the Wu kingdom rulers (Sun Jian, Sun Ce, etc.) Is this certain, or is it a case of nobility making stuff up to make their lineage/family gain in reputation??

Isn't it interesting that most of the best/useful original works of ancient China were written before China was ever forged into a unified "nation"? Confucious was from the same era, for instance, if I'm not mistaken.

Sun Tzu? underrated in value by the vast majority of today's leaders (fixed)

Clausewitz forms the basis for our military framework, and while on a grand scale his ideas were generally good within his own time, maybe a little beyond that, times change, and so should doctrines. Sun Tzu, with the emphasis on creating friction within an opponent, has arguably the best doctrinal basis for the U.S. in a terrorist encounter

when i read The Art Of War i thought to myself... hey, this is easy basic stuff...

and indeed i still think so... its very basic. every single commander should know everything that the book says and i believe that everyone does... the only diffrence between Sun Tzu and other people is that he actually took the time to write it down ~_-