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shrvn_k's review against another edition
3.0
What is this book about?
An explanation of Chinese warfare and military strategy written by an Army General in 500 BC. With occasional footnotes and examples by people who came after him.
Is the content of this book useful in the modern age?
Mostly no. Well, maybe if you think about it a lot and draw parallels with corporate culture and all that. Or if you command an army of 100,000 men and plan to overthrow a country using horses, spears, and arrows. But mostly no.
Would I still recommend reading it?
Yes. It's an interesting body of literature and is honestly quite interesting. Don't expect it to change your life in any way though.
An explanation of Chinese warfare and military strategy written by an Army General in 500 BC. With occasional footnotes and examples by people who came after him.
Is the content of this book useful in the modern age?
Mostly no. Well, maybe if you think about it a lot and draw parallels with corporate culture and all that. Or if you command an army of 100,000 men and plan to overthrow a country using horses, spears, and arrows. But mostly no.
Would I still recommend reading it?
Yes. It's an interesting body of literature and is honestly quite interesting. Don't expect it to change your life in any way though.
classical_learner's review
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
Excellent staple in the art of war, and the echoes of this document's consequence can be well-appreciated in many other instances in history. Great prep for this summer's Institute for the Study of War seminars, and fascinating to contrast with Clausewitz's On War (whom I think does a better job of blending tactics and strategy, the science and art of war, respectively).
Only mildly to severely traumatized to learn from the helpfully thorough commentators that war manuals (such as this) are neary indistinguishable from sex manuals of the time as the subjects were approached in the same way.
Interesting things I'm left to ponder:
The number nine in Chinese culture is used to convey infinity.
Make decisions based on the terrain you are fighting in.
To reinforce something means to weaken something else.
For the record, I listened to the 2004 Minford translation audio with commentary from Raver, Porter, and Rasovsky.
Only mildly to severely traumatized to learn from the helpfully thorough commentators that war manuals (such as this) are neary indistinguishable from sex manuals of the time as the subjects were approached in the same way.
Interesting things I'm left to ponder:
The number nine in Chinese culture is used to convey infinity.
Make decisions based on the terrain you are fighting in.
To reinforce something means to weaken something else.
For the record, I listened to the 2004 Minford translation audio with commentary from Raver, Porter, and Rasovsky.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
marieintheraw's review against another edition
4.0
An impulse read as it was in the free audiobook collection that Audible has. Overall, I found it pretty insightful. I really enjoyed how it puts emphasis on only going to war after you've done a bunch of other steps.
shareen17's review against another edition
I listened to this on Audible. The reader is quite good, but I think it would be better to read to give more time to pause and think.
edocrave's review against another edition
informative
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
3.0
L'arte della guerra di Sun Tzu è sicuramente un libro da leggere almeno una volta nella vita, anche solo per l'aspetto storico-culturale del periodo in cui è stato scritto. Ma se vi aspettate una foresta di massime filosofiche e profonde che riguardano la guerra come metafora di conflitto sia esteriore che interiore, come spesso si fa credere nelle miriadi di citazioni false/modificate, rimarrete estremamente delusi. Infatti sebbene qualche massima sia effettivamente interessante (nulla che non si conosca già, però per il periodo in cui è stato scritto è comunque degno di nota), la maggior parte riguarda tecniche militari rivoluzionarie al tempo ma che per uno spettatore moderno sono pressochè inutilizzabili, per via del vasto cambiamento nel modo di combattere che c'è stato nel corso dei secoli.
In conclusione è un libro da leggere per l'aspetto storico culturale (e per capire le citazioni diciamoci la verità), ma non offre nessuno spunto di riflessione interessante ad un lettore moderno
In conclusione è un libro da leggere per l'aspetto storico culturale (e per capire le citazioni diciamoci la verità), ma non offre nessuno spunto di riflessione interessante ad un lettore moderno
bouldermimi's review against another edition
3.0
Read 2/17/2023 - Audio
I was bored to tears, but hey, now I know what I should do if I ever lead an army into battle. It's too bad most of the world, especially the leaders, have read this too. I guess it's better to avoid the conflict when we can and just fight through cyberspace.
I was bored to tears, but hey, now I know what I should do if I ever lead an army into battle. It's too bad most of the world, especially the leaders, have read this too. I guess it's better to avoid the conflict when we can and just fight through cyberspace.