Book Description
An illuminating new look at the classic primer on warfare. Distinguishing itself from many previous versions, this contemporary translation of Sun-Tzu's landmark text acknowledges the work first and foremost as a masterpiece of military strategy. Translator Ralph Sawyer provides the most detailed introduction and commentary yet offered on the text, its author, and his age. Get inside the head of Sun-Tzu, and find out which significant historical battles influenced his thinking. Sawyer's exhaustive biographical research helps you separate the myth from the elusive man himself. Immerse yourself in the mindset of the Chinese military organization through an extensive overview of its history as well as its tactical use of chariots, horse and cavalry, armor and shields, and swords. Several supplementary sections illuminate relevant portions of the recently discovered tomb texts and "lost writings," reputed to be earlier variants of the standard version. A glossary identifies figures and terms for the convenience of readers unfamiliar with Chinese history and writings.
Customer Reviews:
A good translation.......2007-06-05
This translation of Sun-Tzu's classic, 'The Art of War', is very well written. Let me preface this review by stating that I am not a scholar of ancient Chinese literature and history. This book has been on my 'must read' list for years and I have finally able to check it off.
This book opens with a long and in-depth explanation of the history of China, and the three major powers at the time. An history of Sun-Tzu is also included along with the different viewpoints on Sun-Tzu. This opening to the book can get a little tedious and slow in points, but it does help to bring the reader into the time period of the author and shed some light on the subject.
I found the translations to be well written and enjoyable. Not being an expert in the field I can not comment on the accuracy of the translations. However, for the average reader this translation is very good.
Excellent Translation of a Military Classic.......2005-03-02
Ralph Sawyer's new translation of one of the greatest classics of military strategy and history not only provides the reader with a simple translation of "The Art of War", but also includes a 162 page long introduction that includes a helpful chronology, note on the translation, detailed historical backround covering Chinese military strategy and history during Sun-tzu's time, and information about the life of Sun-tzu and his legacy. Also, detailed notes for both the introduction and the actual text of "The Art of War" are included. In addition, a glossary and index, as well as many maps, illustrations, and military diagrams are included in the book.
"The Art of War" is integral to the library of anyone interested in military history or strategy, and this new edition is a great way to experience this classic.
Very Nice Sarter Edition.......2004-08-04
This translation is a very nice one. The translation errs on more words rather than more and the added verbiage makes it easier to understand, especially for people, like myself, who might be new. The actual translation is found towards the end of the volume and comes with many notes, some for the newbie and some for the scholar. The beginning of the book has a very lengthy explanation of war and the times when this text was written to help the reader understand the text in context. I haven't ofund that to be as interesting but the price is nice and the translation is well done and easy to understand and get meaning from. I would recommend this to nayone wanting to get into this volume. The only thing I would have preferred would be to get the text and notes without the lengthy historical background in a smaller paperback version.
The best version of this classic available.......2003-12-24
Most of the time, it's best not to spend too much time actually reviewing classics. As a reviewer, there is not much more to add than to say that this book is a classic, and that history deems it so, and you should read it. I guess I should try to do better than that...read this book...or else risk being called a loser...okay, that failed.
The Art of War is important for anybody, after having read this book, I found numerous tidbits of advice and ways of thinking that I could use towards my hum drum college life. This edition also gives the reader historical information that is invaluable to those who like history. Translation notes are along with the text, and even some old never before published tomb texts are in this translation. This is a complete volume for the home library, and at the very least I can say you need to read this book.
Customer Reviews:
more applicable for the modern thinker.......2007-04-11
The art of strategy is a less militaristic translation than others I have read. I have used it in a strategy class and found the students were comfortable with the concepts and the way Wing applies them to modern confrontation in all its potential. I find this translation is a real problem solver by providing the reader with a more total look at the use of strategy and the need to think through the roadblocks that confront us. I have purchased several dozen copies of this book as gifts for people who for one reason or another have a need to apply taoist thinking to problem solving. In most cases the Art of Strategy has proved of benefit. While other translations of the Art of War may be clearer in the presentation of Sun Tzu's use of the tao, (such as Cleary's "Art of War"), this version seems to connect with today's mind.
Personal strategic development workbook.......2006-12-05
I first read this I think it was around the time it first came out, and have gone through it a number of times over the years. It is laid out to be able to spread out into bite-sized chunks over a year (or whatever time you want to organize it for). It makes a great workbook for personal strategic development that is based on a classic in strategy. And it touches on different areas of life - personal, relationships, work, etc. The translation has good notes to help in understanding the rendering.
Brilliant! A brilliant piece of a complex whole.......2004-02-06
Chinese language and culture differ so strongly from American thought and culture that it is impossible to think that a single translation of a classic Chinese text can give the reader the complete experience of having read the text in its original language and context. RL Wing's translation brilliantly shines a light on the ART OF WAR.
I came to Wing's translation after having studied and studied the old public domain English translation with its copius notes and explanations. Wing gives the reader a tremendous insight into THE ART OF WAR, the brevity and compactness of Chinese language expression, the morality and thinking of Sun Tzu, and the different ways that the Eastern mind comprehends war from the Western mind.
If you are a dedicated student of Sun Tzu's ART OF WAR, this translation belongs in your collection. I don't know if it's the best or not, but it's a vital translation. If peace is your highest aim and the resolution of conflict without coming to violence is your highest aspiration, this book displays the wisdom of the great general in terms that clarify meaning for Western readers.
Explanation on Strategy & Politics.......2002-04-12
5 star for SunTzu's work
0 star for R.W.Wangs annotaion
3 stars over all
Sun Tzu's strategy is based on the laws of nature - both human and environment. His treatise is a universal template that shows the way to triumph over conflicts from interpersonal to international. The strategy follows a direct path that escalates until victory is assured. From analysis and projection, through planning and positioning and on to confrontation. Sun Tzu explains such techniques as the use of camouflage the creation of illusion and gathering intelligence. A true victory can be won only with a strategy of tactical positioning so that the moment of triumph is effortless and destructive conflict is averted. Sun Tzu pointed out "Those who win one hundred triumphs in one hundred conflicts do not have supreme skill. Those who have supreme skill use strategy to bend others without coming to conflict".
Sun Tzu explores the psychological motivations for power and discipline in `Art of War'. His work is ostensibly about tactics and day-to-day practice of warfare. As Sun Tzu was a keen observer of human nature, `the Art of war' is filled with advice useful not only for those engaged in war but also for those carrying on their normal lives.
The strategic and tactical doctrines expounded in `The Art of War' are based on deception, the creation of false appearance to mystify and delude the enemy; the indirect approach; readily adaptability to the enemy situation' flexible and co-ordinate maneuver of combat elements and speedy concentration against point of weakness. The best policy is to attack the enemy plans to prevent him from acting; then disrupt his alliances; creating a wedge amongst the people in state.
In the `Art of War' the underlying tone is discipline. The general has to spend considerable amount of energy in emphasizing the need for discipline. Discipline via fear is however useful only up to a point. There must be a motivating force for all people who aspire to succeed, whether in the field of business, politics, administration, government or warfare. Wars cannot be won by just mere strength but it is on a conglomeration of factors, which need to be accounted. Sun Tzu emphasizes the need to take the moral of oneself and its enemy, the environment and other barriers into consideration. The moral strength and intellectual faculty of men were decisive in war, and that if these were applied war could be waged with certain success. Never to be undertaken thoughtlessly or recklessly, war was to be preceded by measures designed to make it easy to win. The master conqueror frustrates his enemy plans and breaks his alliances; he creates cleavages between the sovereign and minister, superior and inferiors, commanders and subordinates. His spies and agents are active everywhere, gathering information, sowing dissention and nurturing subversion. The enemy needs to be isolated and demoralized and his will to resist broken, thus without battle his army is conquered his cities taken and his state overthrown.
Sun Tzu is a very vigilant and keen observer on human psychology.
The commentaries and annotations inserted preceding each chapter by R.W.Wang were lacking in depth; thought and any structure. They are more of an irritant than interesting read. I found myself skipping over his annotations. I found that his annotations had grammatical mistakes and I didn't find an introduction about the author.
Enter the Dragon.......2002-01-11
I purchased this book in its first edition when I was in my late twenties trying to climb the corporate ladder. I had just finished reading James Clavell's 'Shogun', was deep into the Akira manga and began dating a girl from Shinjuku. Needless to say I was a bit overboard on the whole Asian trip. But you remember the 80s, we were all thinking about the Pacific Rim. With that in mind, I took this book more seriously than the average reader might, but let me tell you something, it was profoundly impressive, and it worked.
The book is laid out in such a way that it makes a perfect blueprint for a year's worth of meditations. I rushed the process, but memorized each of the pages, and followed up with journal writings. A bit more extreme than the average bear, I confess but it made such a difference. Now, more than ten years later, what I have internalized from that period remains core. As I review the axioms, it's hard for me to imagine how I saw things before they became as self-evident to me as they are now. And yet I still find myself drawn to repeat the entire process as I embrace a new set of challenges at middle age.
I'm not the kind given to 12 step programs and all that, I make jokes about the person who asks for directions to the self-help section of the bookstore, but this is great stuff for the most hard headed pragmatists as well as the wooliest thumbsuckers. My recommendation to you is to take this book as a guide to meditations and study of the tao. The deeper you are into 'untenable' situations, the more profound the insights you will gain.
Book Description
Sun-Tzu is a landmark translation of the Chinese classic that is without a doubt one of the most important books of all time. Popularly known as The Art of War, Sun-Tzu is one of the leading books on strategic thinking ever written. While other books on strategy, wisdom, and philosophy come and go, both leaders and gentle contemplators alike have embraced the writings of Sun-tzu.
Sun-Tzu is not simply another of many translations already available, but an entirely new text, based on manuscripts recently discovered in Linyi, China, that predates all previous texts by as much as one thousand years. In translating the text, researcher and interpreter J. H. Huang traced the roots of the language to before 221 B.C. to get to the original intent; Besides offering a wonderfully clear translation, Huang adds an introduction to the history behind Sun-Tzu and his own comments on the meaning of the text. In addition, Sun-Tzu includes six appendices, five of which were uncovered at Linyi and are not found in other editions.
The writings of Sun-tzu have stood the test of time, and J. H. Huang's Sun-Tzu is the edition for the next millennium and beyond.
Customer Reviews:
A Warrior's Bible.......2007-01-18
I was pleased to repossess this tome, which had become misplaced. I first read it on a recommendation from a Sensei as a Dracling. I have found it to be a worthwhile tome which can be applied to a wide variety of situations, and does actually contribute to one's mental fortitude, offering a glimpse into the warrior ethos.
Not a metaphor for management.......2002-03-23
I read this book in the context of a military training environment, and that was appropriate. The fact that so many regard this book as a means for improving management skills, to me, is bothersome. Sun Tzu was a military leader and this book should be taken at face value. In that regard the book is excellent. It pares down the factors of military command into its constituent parts and explains the what, how, and why of winning a military contest. It's not a page-turner in the sense of a good Clancy novel; rather it is somewhat choppy, perhaps owing to the age of the text and the fact that it is a translation. Nevertheless, the principles are timeless, and they come through the time and language barriers loud and clear. Students of military history simply must read this book.
Wonderfully analyzed Sun Tzu book.......2000-07-08
This translation from J. H. Huang is better suited to explaining the text as opposed to giving you a clear rendering of it. Three-fourths of the book seemingly is devoted to explanation and commentaries. Published in 1993, it used the latest discovered Sun Tzu text found in China in 1972, which predates previous original Sun Tzu's by 1,000 years. The translation is slightly imperfect as sometimes the author used awkward words. If you want analysis however this is it. Sonshi.com
The absolute BEST, most accurate version of Sun-tzu ever !.......1998-07-07
I've read all of the other English "translations" out there, and not one of them comes even close to this. Based on the ancient Linyi text recently found in China, in this translation the author has created margin notes in an outline form so that all of Sun-tzu's words become completely logical. Unlike any other translation of a Chinese book that I've ever seen, Mr. Huang gives detailed proof using ancient Chinese sources for almost every sentence of his translation, so this version of Sun-tzu should be used a standard for all other Chinese translations to come. It reads not only fluidly but makes total sense, and would be an ideal handbook for both field marshals and marketing strategists. The introduction notes that military personnel from Colin Powell on down read and reviewed this book, and their contributions show in the accurate use of modern American military terms throughout the work. It's also written so well that every time I pick it up, I end up reading the whole thing. Mr. Huang is an amazing scholar of both ancient Chinese thought and English prose. All I can say in conclusion is, "Thank you, Mr. Huang."
Average customer rating:
- The finest, clearest translation I've experienced
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The Art of War: The Denma Translation
Sun-tzu
Manufacturer: Sounds True
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The Art of War: The Denma Translation (Shambhala Library)
ASIN: 1591790417
Release Date: 2006-12-28 |
Book Description
At the core of this ancient strategy manual is the understanding that conflict is an inescapable part of human life. Since, as Sun Tzu teaches, aggression and response in kind can lead only to destruction, we must learn to work with conflict in a more profound and effective way. Crucial to this strategic vision is knowledge - especially self-knowledge - and a view of the whole that seeks to bring conflicting views into a larger perspective. This new and unusually faithful translation carefully preserves the enigmatic quality of the original - allowing us to discover innumerable insights in its lines millennia after this oral tradition was first set down. Line-by-line commentary reveals the broader implications of Sun Tzu's teachings and how they can be applied to everyday circumstances. An abridged audio recording of the book The Art of War (Shambhala Publishing, 2002). Shambhala Lion Editions.
Customer Reviews:
The finest, clearest translation I've experienced.......2007-02-10
The Denma Group has taken a terse and somewhat cryptic ancient text and contextualized it for modern ears. Their most brilliant addition - simple and relevant commentary that guides readers across the sometimes confusing conceptual terrains that the text presents. The audio version is nearly perfect, I've listened to it hundreds of times.
Book Description
Transcending the literal bounds of genre, Euripides' Helen has been characterized as both a comedy and a tragedy. In this evocative translation by James Michie and Colin Leach, Euripides' delicate balance--in all its subtlety of texture and tone--is beautifully captured. The reader encounters myriad reversals, worlds--real/ideal, tragic/comic--surprisingly juxtaposed and, as in any story of Helen, the pathos of the impossible, all allowing Euripides to comment of the futility of war and the difficult distinction between appearance and reality.
Download Description
HELEN Good friends, to what a fate am I united? Did not my mother bear me to be a monster to the world? For no woman, Hellene or barbarian, gives birth to babes in eggs inclosed, as they say Leda bare me to Zeus. My life and all I do is one miracle, partly owing to Hera, and partly is my beauty to blame. Would God I could rub my beauty out like a picture.
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The Art of War: The New Translation
Sun-tzu , and
J. H. Huang
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
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- Important work now in English
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Flavius Philostratus: Heroikos (Writings from the Greco-Roman World)
Philostratus , and
Ellen Bradshaw Aitken
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Philostratus's Heroikos, available here in English for the first time, is a fictional dialogue set at the tomb of Protesilaos, the first hero to die in the Trojan War. Returning to life, Protesilaos reveals his insights about Homer, the Trojan War, its heroes, and their cults. The author of the Life of Apollonius of Tyana here molds heroic traditions to promote for his own day a renewed Greek cultural and religious outlook, providing fresh material for comparing the construction of cultural identity by various groups--including the early Christians--in the Roman Empire and Late Antiquity. In their introduction and notes, Maclean and Aitken, trained in the classics and early Christianity, discuss how issues of authority, revealed knowledge, religious practice, and gender were treated in this early-third-century C.E. text. With Greek text and English translation on facing pages, an extensive glossary and maps, this volume offers an insightful introduction to the Heroikos for both scholars and students.
Customer Reviews:
Important work now in English.......2001-11-21
The Heroikos is important in its own right, but also gives important (and entertaining) ancient commentary on Homer's Odyssey and provides relevant background for the study of Christian origens and the New Testament. Maclean and Aitken provide an excellent introduction and translation. If that is not enough, the prologue by Gregory Nagy and epilogue by Helmut Koester alone make the book worth getting.
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The Friend From Kananam: Adventures In The New Guinea Jungle
Kenneth G. Linton
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Fascinating memoirs about sailing in tropical waters, swimming and fishing in coral lagoons, the feasts and dances of native friends, shark and crocodile attacks, a boar hunt on a volcano.
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The Art of War: (Miniature book)
The Book of Five Rings
On War (Oxford World's Classics)
Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy
The Prince (Bantam Classics)
