IntroductionApplications of the BookIndex

Introduction

Sun Tzu (The art of War) was written by Sun Mo in The Spring and Autumn Period (B.C. 512), which is roughly the same period as Confucius. Sun Mo's father was a senior officer in the military establishment, which helped to develop his interest in tactical warfare at an early age and lead him to become an expert in the military field.

He was introduced to the emperor of Wu Kingdom by Wu Gi Xu to explain his art of war theories. Having successfully demonstrated the military strategies with the emperor's royal concubines at the emperor's request, the emperor eventually agreed to employ him as his General.

The strategies in the "The Art of War" were widely followed in Japan in medieval times (15th to 16th Century), and the Japanese military classic "Book of Five Rings", written by Miyamoto Musashi, a noted samurai (1645), contained many similarities to Sun Tzu's teachings.

The book has been translated into different languages such as, English, Japanese, German, French and Russian, which is highly valued in different countries especially as a reference book for various military academies around the globe.

Nowadays, the theories of the book are also widely employed in business approach, organization strategy and developing management skills.

(1) Strategic

(2) Waging War

(3) Attack by Stratagem

(4) Tactical Dispositions

(5) Posture of Army

(6) Weak and Strong Points

(7) Maneuvering