Mastering the Art of War: Commentaries on Sun Tzu's Classic

by Zhuge Liang, Liu Ji, Liang Zhuge

Book Overview

Composed by two prominent statesmen-generals of classical China, this book develops the strategies of Sun Tzu's classic, The Art of War, into a complete handbook of organization and leadership. The great leaders of ancient China who were trained in Sun Tzu's principles understood how war is waged successfully, both materially and mentally, and how victory and defeat follow clear social, psychological, and environmental laws. Drawing on episodes from...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0877735131
• ISBN13: 9780877735137
• Release Date: November 1989
• Publisher: Shambhala
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great reading

I liked the qualities of the general section of this book. For those who are looking for some insight that applies to today's world, you can find some gems here. I read The Art of War translated by Griffith and think that this is much better. The commentary is easier to follow and is presented well. The book gives examples of the principles it talks about from The Three Kingdoms but doesnt always give the names of the people that it talks about. So for readers familiar with the Three Kindoms this can be a little disappointing. Otherwise its a good book to read.

An excellent study in leadership & strategy

The Chinese have been studying leadership almost two millenia before it became a popular management topic in the West. In the first chapter of "The Art of War", Sun Tzu already recognised leadership as one of 5 factors that determines a nation's strategic success. Zhuge Liang has substantial authority to espouse on the subject - he is the most capable ( and feared ) strategist in China's turbulent era of Three Kingdoms. Cleary has put forth Zhuge's thoughts in a clear and concise manner.

A great application of the principles of "The Art of War".

To be able to see that main points of "The Art of War" from applicable perspectives is very important. Zhuge does a good job of explaining the the principles from Sun Tzu's classic work and Liu Ji is very adept at showing situations where the principles were applied.A must have for anyone who has read "The Art of War".

An extention to Sun Tzu's "Art of War"

This book on the thoughts of Zhuge Liang and Liu Ji is a must have for anyone who owns the the original works of Sun Tzu. Zhuge Liang's thougths on the successful running of a state, and Liu Ji's moralistic anecdotes tell of the ways to extend the original theories of Sun Tzu, then explaining them with stories from the time, showing how they were put to good advantage by ancient martial strategists. All in all, a superior work by both of the martial masters Zhuge Liang, and Liu Ji.