Sun Zi: The Art of War & Sun Bin: The Art of War (Chinese/English edition) |  | Authors: Sun Bin, Sun Zi, Wu Xianlin, Zheng Tian, Sun Tzu
Creators: Wu Rusong, Zhang He, Lin Wusun
Publisher: People's China Publishing House
Category: Book
List Price: $22.95
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New (3) Used (7) from $17.41
Seller: ChineseCultureMart
Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 1382266
Media: Paperback
Pages: 158
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.7
ISBN: 7800655105
EAN: 9787800655104
ASIN: 7800655105
Publication Date: January 1, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The first time ever. this amazing military treatise is now available in English. French and German, and together With the original text in classical and modern Chinese. Like its predecessor, Sun Zi: The Art of War by Sun Wu, Sun Bin's book is also an outstanding piece of ancient Chinese Military writing. However, it was lost for more than a millennium, which gave rise to a long-standing controversy as to whether Sun Wu .and Sun Bin were one and the same person. In April 1972, a large number of bamboo strips were unearthed in an archeological find from a Western Han (206 BC - Ad 25) tomb at Yinqueshan (Silver Sparrow Mountain) in Linyi County, Shandong Province in China. Among the strips were Sun Zi: The Art of War and Sun Bin: The Art of War. The simultaneous discovery of the two works from the same tomb provided conclusive evidence that both Suns existed in history, and that each had written a significant corpus on military affairs. A milleniumlong dispute was thus settled. A descendant of Sun Wu, Sun Bin summed up the military experiences prior to and during the midWarring States Period (475 BC-221 BC) on the basis of inheriting and developing Sun Wu's military thinking. He has thus provided important new material for study by Sun Zi specialists and scholars the world over.
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| Customer Reviews:
One of the most important military books in history October 4, 2009
Michael A Neulander (VA)
The Warring States period Warring States Period 475-221 BCE is a history of constant warfare, of alliances and counter-alliances, and of treaties made and broken. The nature of warfare evolved during the period. During the Warring States period, political stability was impossible to gain by adventurous military action. With the advent of swelling ranks of soldiers, protracted sieges, and an ever increasing drain on state treasuries, warfare became a serious matter for study.
Thus, the opening remark of "The Art Of War" states--without exaggeration--war had become the most serious business of the state, the key to survival or ruin. The author of this and other pithy aphorisms on how to successfully fight a war was Sun Tzu. Sun Tzu scholars place his writing "The Art of War" in the Warring States Period, based on the descriptions of warfare in the text. The book has received great exposure in the west starting in the eighteenth century after being translated by a French missionary. It has been reported that Napoleon studied the text and effectively put many of its teachings to good use. For the past 2,000 years, it has been the most important military treatise in all of Asia, even known by name with the common people. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese military figures have studied it and employed its concepts to good effect. This is especially evident in the military tactics of 20th century revolutionaries like Mao Zedong and Ho Chi Minh.
The book is comprised of 13 chapters. The thesis of Sun's work is one should employ an army after a thorough analysis mandated by careful planning and the formulation of an overall strategy before embarking on a campaign. Sun emphasizes rational self-control, influenced by Daoist teachings throughout the book.
Chap 1-Laying Plans
18. All warfare is based on deception. 19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
Chap 6-Weak Points And Strong
8. Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
The best translation is the Samuel B. Griffith edition
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