Books That Matter: The Art of War

Begin with a look at the dramatic changes within ancient China between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE, which prefigured the writing of The Art of War. Witness the tension between the era's new military capabilities and antiquated ideas about war and its purpose. Trace the legend of the general Sun Tzu, whose ideas form the core of the book, and his call for new thinking about warfare and strategy.

Take a deeper dive into the military culture that gave rise to The Art of War. Study the revolutionary epoch of the Zhou dynasty, beginning with the history of the sub-kingdom of Qí, a major martial and economic power. Then follow the epic rise and fall of the Wú kingdom. Finally, learn about the military dominance of the Qín kingdom and its brilliantly organized central bureaucracy.

Observe how changes in the logistics of war and its preparations revolutionized the requirements of command. Follow the shift from chariot armies to infantry-based forces, mandating more complex strategic organization. Note the ways in which The Art of War's authors used rhetoric to envision a new kind of military leader, whose command is based in professionalism, expertise, and intellect.

Here, translate the Sūnzǐ's opening from the classical Chinese into English. Unpack the Chinese characters, and how they convey meaning, as reflected in the terse and direct style of the text. Follow the first chapter's account of five categories of information that form the commander's assessment of the enemy, and the means to grasp the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing forces.

Delve into the five traits of an effective commander, from wisdom to discipline. Follow this with the Sūnzǐ's key elements of military method, encompassing organization, staffing, logistics, and communication. See these principles in action in the example of Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company in the early 20th century, an instance of leadership which dominated the global auto industry.

Another gauge of great leadership is the use of weather and terrain for advantage in combat. Examine what the Sūnzǐ says about exploiting climatic conditions in both offensive and defensive operations. Study the Sūnzǐ's four categories of terrain, and how to use them in achieving victory. Note that weather and terrain also include collective energy, morale, and factors of psychological advantage.

Explore the integral Chinese concept of shi, translated as "focused potential energy"; an army's diverse reservoir of energy which is cultivated and prepared to unleash in combat. In examples from history, witness the application of shi to Western approaches to war and competition. Then, study the vital factor of timing in war, and how great leaders combine shi with timing to achieve victory.

The Art of War argues for doing whatever is necessary to shift the competitive balance. Explore the concept of gui, deception through psychological warfare; reaping information, sowing disinformation, and misleading the enemy into self-defeating actions. Then, study intelligence gathering through spies, the Sūnzǐ's five types of spies, and dramatic examples of the risks and benefits of espionage.

Trace the process by which The Art of War became one of the seven classic military texts of ancient China. Note that the book sparked both praise and intense debate, as it attacked traditional military thought and the time-honored relationship of the military to the ruling class. Grasp the difficulty in assessing the ultimate on-the-ground effects of the theoretical constructs of the Sūnzǐ.

Track the transmission of The Art of War to the world at large, and its impact on modern strategic thought. Follow the spread of its fame to medieval Asia, and then to Enlightenment Europe in the 18th century. Finally, observe how the book became a global classic in the mid-20th century, through influential translations and the early Cold War's renaissance of strategic thinking.

Compare the strategic constructs of The Art of War with major Western thought on strategy, from Greek historian Thucydides and Roman historian Livy to the influential writings of Nicolo Machiavelli, Henri Antoine Jomini, and Carl von Clausewitz. Observe where these classics align with Sun Tzu, where they diverge, and how the very succinct Sūnzǐ stacks up against these Western counterparts.

In the wake of Cold War politics, and the US military's adoption of The Art of War, witness how China's People's Liberation Army have embraced the text. Note the current interest in the book by Chinese military scholars and strategists as it relates to China's developing political ideology and doctrine. Reflect on what makes The Art of War a text of compelling relevance in the 21st century.