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The Annotated Art of War

Disciplines > Warfare > The Annotated Art of War

Next: part 1.1-2

Sun Tzu was a Chinese General around 500 BC who wrote a short treatise on warfare, called The Art of War. Across the years it has been highly influential and there are few military strategist now who have not studied it.

The pages below cover a set of related parts of each chapter, giving them a collective name. It is based on the 1910 translation by Lionel Giles and adds a commentary on it, including notes about business application and the underlying psychology and leadership principles.

Chapter 1: Laying Plans

• Parts 1.1-2: Importance

• Parts 1.3-12: Five Constant Factors

• Parts 1.13-14: Seven Considerations

• Parts 1.15-17: Appreciate Advice

• Parts 1.18-25: Deception

• Part 1.26: Calculations

Chapter 2: Waging War

• Part 2.1: Expense

• Parts 2.2-7 Brevity

• Parts 2.8-15: Foraging

• Parts 2.16-18: Rewarding Troops

• Parts 2.19-20: Victory not Campaigns

Chapter 3: Attack by Stratagem

• Parts 3.1-5: Avoid Battle

• Parts 3.6-10: Fighting Strategy

• Parts 3.11-15: Bringing Misfortune

• Parts 3.16-18: Five Essentials for Victory

Chapter 4. Tactical Dispositions

• Parts 4.1-7: Defend or Attack

• Parts 4.8-15: Excellence

• Parts 4.16-20: Military Method

Chapter 5. Energy

• Parts 5.1-2: Large and Small
• Parts 5.3-6: Direct and Indirect
• Parts 5.7-11: Combination
• Parts 5.12-15: Decision
• Parts 5.16-18: Apparent Disorder
• Parts 5.19-20: Deceit
• Parts 5.21-23: Combined Energy

Chapter 6. Weak Points and Strong

• Parts 6.1-6: Taking Initiative

• Parts 6.7-12: Choosing Moments

• Parts 6.13-20: Knowing and Secrecy

• Parts 6.21-24: Understanding Them

• Parts 6.25-27: Conceal Tactics

• Parts 6.28-34: Varying Tactics

Chapter 7. Maneuvering

• Parts 7.1-4: From command to maneuver

• Parts 7.5-10: The price of speed

• Parts 7.11-14: Ensure familiarity

• Parts 7.15-22: Be skilled

• Parts 7.23-26: Signs and signals

• Parts 7.27-29: Spirit

• Parts 7.30-32: Calm

• Parts 7.33-37: Caution

Chapter 8. Variation in Tactics

• Parts 8.1-2: On the move

• Parts 8.3-11: Advantages

• Parts 8.12-14: Five sins

Chapter 9. The Army on the March

• Parts 9.1-2: High places

• Parts 9.3-6: Rivers

• Parts 9.7-8: Salt marshes

• Parts 9.9-10: Dry plains

• Parts 9.11-17: Obstacles

• Parts 9.18-28: Enemy Tactics

• Parts 9.29-31: Thinking

• Parts 9.42-45: Control of Soldiers

Chapter 10. Terrain

• Parts 10.1-13: Six Kinds of Terrain

• Parts 10.14-20: Six Calamities

• Parts 10.21-24: Applied Intelligence

• Parts 10.25-26: Soldiers as Children

• Parts 10.27-31: When to Attack

Chapter 11. The Nine Situations

• Parts 11.1-10: Nine Varieties of Ground

• Parts 11.11-14: Nine Ground Tactics

• Parts 11.15-19: Division, Moves and Speed

• Parts 11.20-28: Motivating Soldiers

• Parts 11.29-31: Mutual Support and the Shuai-jan Snake

• Parts 11.32-34: Leading Everyone

• Parts 11.35-37: Secrecy

• Parts 11.38-40: No Way Back

• Parts 11.41-51: Nine Ground Measures

• Parts 11.52-55: Alliances

• Parts 11.56-59: Confusing Leadership

• Parts 11.60-68: More Tactics

Chapter 12. The Attack by Fire

• Parts 12.1-2: Five Ways

• Parts 12.3-4: Seasons

• Parts 12.5-12: Five Developments

• Parts 12.13-14: Using Water

• Parts 12.15-16: Encouraging Enterprise

• Parts 12.17-22: Waste Not

Chapter 13. The Use of Spies

• Parts 13.1-3: War is Expensive

• Parts 13.4-6: Foreknowledge

• Parts 13.7-13: Five Classes of Spies

• Parts 13.14-20: Using Spies

• Parts 13.21-25: Using The Five Classes of Spies

• Parts 13.26-27: Conclusion

More to come...

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