Other editions of book The Art of War:

Ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the Spring and Autumn period in 5th century BC. The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu ("Master Sun"), is composed of 13 chapters. Each one is devoted to a distinct aspect of warfare and how that applies to military strategy and tactics. For almost 1,500 years it was the lead text in an anthology that would be formalised as the Seven Military Classics by Emperor Shenzong of Song in 1080. The Art of War remains the most influential strategy text in East Asia.

The stratagem of the Renaissance Prince. Written in the form of a dialogue, Machiavelli's discussion of the art of war is set in converstaion among Florentine friends in the early sixteenth century. His ideas on the essential unity of politics and military science have always appealed to great military figures including Frederick the Great, Napoleon, and von Clausewitz.

Niccolo Machiavelli considered this book his greatest achievement. Here you will learn how to recruit, train, motivate, and discipline an army. You will learn the difference between strategy and tactics. Machiavelli does a masterful job of breaking down and analyzing historic battles. This book of military knowledge belongs alongside Sun-Tzu and Clausewitz on every book shelf.

A fundamental work by one of the greatest political and military theorists of Western civilization. Voltaire said, "Machiavelli taught Europe the art of war; it had long been practiced, without being known." For Machiavelli, war was war, and victory the supreme aim to which all other considerations must be subordinated. The Art of War is far from an anachronism-its pages outline fundamental questions that theorists of war continue to examine today, making it essential reading for any student of military history, strategy, or theory. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) believed The Art of War to be his most important work.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an Italian diplomat, political philosopher, musician, poet and playwright. Machiavelli was a figure of the Italian Renaissance and a servant of the Florentine Republic. In June of 1498, following the ouster and execution of Girolamo Savonarola, the Great Council elected Machiavelli as the Secretary to the second Chancery of the Republic of Florence. He is most famous - or notorious - for one of his shorter works, The Prince, sometimes described as a work of realist political theory. However, both that text and the more substantial republican Discourses on Livy - as well as History of Florence (commissioned by the Medici family) - were printed only after his death, all appearing in the early 1530s. In his own lifetime, while he circulated The Prince among friends, the only work Machiavelli promoted through printing was his dialogue on The Art of War. But generations from the sixteenth century onwards were most attracted and repelled by the cynical approach to power on display in The Prince, the Discourses and History. Whatever Machiavelli's own intentions (and they remain a matter of heated debate), his name became synonymous with ruthless politics, deceit, and the pursuit of power by any means.

The words held within these pages, written over two and a half thousand years ago, ring just as true today as they did in fifth century BC China. Bestselling author and master storyteller James Clavell (Shogun) brought The Art of War to greater prominence in the West in the 1980s and showed how the book’s instruction was applicable on a smaller scale and could be used for personal betterment. Clavell’s wonderfully evocative foreword and helpful notes throughout the text guide the reader through preparations and battle plans, correct use of weapons and knowing when to fight—and when not to fight.With a deep understanding of both strategy and human nature, this military treatise illustrates the fine craft of knowing one’s enemy and oneself. From military officers to CEOs to those simply looking to be more powerful in their own life, The Art of War has become required reading for anyone seeking a path of success through the modern world.