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Cover of The Art of War

Nonfiction

The Art of War

by Sun Tzu

With Lionel Giles

Translated by Lionel Giles

An ancient Chinese classic discussing the art of war.

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First published
1900
Length
74,219 words
Reading time
About 5 hr 10 min
Language
English (UK)

About the book

Sun Tzu’s ancient treatise on the art of war has exerted enormous influence over both Asian and Western soldiers, covering subjects ranging from morale and discipline to the correct use of spies. Despite questions about the historicity of the author, the text has stood the test of time and remains widely read by strategists, politicians, and even business leaders today.

Though Dr. Lionel Giles was not the first to translate Sun Tzu into English, he was the first to do so in a systematic and scholarly manner. His translation was unequaled until the mid-20th century, and remains relevant today due to his copious notes.

the Read4Max reading text contains approximately 74,219 words arranged in 23 navigable sections.

The source metadata identifies Annotator: Lionel Giles; Translator: Lionel Giles.

About the author

Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu (544 BCE–496 BCE) is described by Wikidata as 6th century BCE Chinese general and military strategist, with citizenship or national association recorded as Qi and Wu.

Recorded occupations include writer, philosopher, and military personnel. Languages recorded for Sun Tzu include Chinese. Wikidata lists The Art of War among Sun Tzu's notable works. Open Library identifies The Art of War as a leading work in its author record. Open Library catalogs 328 works under this author record. The Read4Max catalog currently includes The Art of War under Sun Tzu's authorship.

544 BCE–496 BCE

Contributors

Annotator

Lionel Giles

Translator

Lionel Giles

Reading options

  • A complete text with direct section navigation in the browser reader.
  • A downloadable EPUB for phones, tablets, desktop reading apps, and compatible ereaders.
  • Book and contributor metadata are checked against the source edition before indexing.

Themes and ideas

  • Military art and science
  • War

Table of contents

Open reader
Show all 23 sections
  1. Dedication
  2. Preface by Lionel Giles
  3. Sun Wu and His Book
  4. The Text of Sun Tzǔ
  5. The Commentators
  6. Appreciations of Sun Tzǔ
  7. Apologies for War
  8. Bibliography
  9. The Art of War
  10. I
  11. II
  12. III
  13. IV
  14. V
  15. VI
  16. VII
  17. VIII
  18. IX
  19. X
  20. XI
  21. XII
  22. XIII
  23. Endnotes
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