The Art of War was written by a Chinese general named Sun Tzu more than 2,500 years ago, possibly in the 6th Century BC. The book has long been heralded for its advice on military success. And this advice has since been co-opted by legions of armchair soldiers and generals in the business world.

The book is composed of 13 chapters, each of which focuses on a different aspect of war. It's a smart book. It's also poetic, repetitive, and arcane. So we've boiled down the highlights, compiling quotes from throughout the book.

ON MANAGEMENT: Care about your team, but also be tough


There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general:

recklessness, which leads to destruction;

cowardice, which leads to capture;

a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;

a delicacy of honor, which is sensitive to shame;

over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.

Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.

If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose.

When the general is weak and without authority; when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there are no fixed duties assigned to officers and men, and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner, the result is utter disorganization.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

ON MANAGEMENT: Hire great people, because weak, frustrated subordinates will cripple you.

When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse.

When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or not he is in a position to fight, the result is ruin.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

ON STRATEGY: Know your enemy

If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.

In your deliberations, when seeking to determine the military conditions, let them be made the basis of a comparison, in this way:

which of the two generals has the most ability?

on which side is Discipline most rigorously enforced?

which army is stronger?

on which side are the officers and men more highly trained?

in which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment?

Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

ON TACTICS: All warfare is based on deception


Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

ON TACTICS: Be decisive and quick


Though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.

There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.

The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.

Therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his decision.

Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted...

Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

ON TACTICS: Exploit your enemy's weaknesses, avoid his strengths


If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.

So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

ON TACTICS: Don't just do something for the sake of doing something -- make sure it helps you


If it is to your advantage, make a forward move; if not, stay where you are.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

ON TACTICS: Plan ahead -- don't make it up as you go


Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.

Carefully study the well-being of your men, and do not overtax them. Concentrate your energy and hoard your strength. Keep your army continually on the move, and devise unfathomable plans.

The skillful tactician may be likened to the shuai-jan. Now the shuai-jan is a snake that is found in the Ch'ang mountains. Strike at its head, and you will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle, and you will be attacked by head and tail both.

We cannot enter into alliance with neighbouring princes until we are acquainted with their designs. We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country - its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps. We shall be unable to turn natural advantages to account unless we make use of local guides.

Hence the saying: The enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead; the good general cultivates his resources.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

WARNING: Don't attack someone just because they made you mad


No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight a battle simply out of pique.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

INFORMATION IS KING: Don't go into battle without knowing what you're up against



What enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men, is foreknowledge.

Now this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; it cannot be obtained inductively from experience, nor by any deductive calculation.

Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only be obtained from other men. [i.e., spies.]

Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity.

They [spies] cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straightforwardness.

Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make certain of the truth of their reports.

Be subtle! be subtle! and use your spies for every kind of business.

When a general, unable to estimate the enemy's strength, allows an inferior force to engage a larger one, or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one, and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank, the result must be rout.

He who knows things, and in fighting puts his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. He who knows them not, nor practices them, will surely be defeated.

Carefully compare the opposing army with your own, so that you may know where strength is superabundant and where it is deficient.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

HOW TO LOSE: Tell your people to do something they can't; promote incapable people; or work your team to death


There are three ways in which a ruler can bring misfortune on his army:

By commanding the army to advance or to retreat, being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey. This is called hobbling the army.

By attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the conditions which obtain in an army. This causes restlessness in the soldiers' minds.

By employing the officers of his army without discrimination, through ignorance of the military principle of adaptation to circumstances. This shakes the confidence of the soldiers.

The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals. Hence his ability to pick out the right men and use combined energy

When he uses combined energy, his fighting men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones. For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope; if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round-shaped to go rolling down.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

MISCELLANEOUS: Drag yourself out of bed early -- and other tips


Now a soldier's spirit is keenest in the morning; by noonday it has begun to flag; and in the evening, his mind is only on returning to camp.

When the soldiers stand leaning on their spears, they are faint from want of food.

If those who are sent to draw water begin by drinking themselves, the army is suffering from thirst.

If there is disturbance in the camp, the general's authority is weak. If the banners and flags are shifted about, sedition is afoot. If the officers are angry, it means that the men are weary.

Thus the skilful general conducts his army just as though he were leading a single man, willy-nilly, by the hand.

It is the business of a general to be quiet and thus ensure secrecy; upright and just, and thus maintain order.

He must be able to mystify his officers and men by false reports and appearances, and thus keep them in total ignorance.

Bestow rewards without regard to rule, issue orders without regard to previous arrangements; and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to do with but a single man.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

ON WINNING


Thus we may know that there are five essentials for victory:

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.

He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.

He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.

He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.

He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.

In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.

Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.

The good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.

Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.

Based on text from "The Art of War."

THE BOTTOM LINE
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

Thanks a lot, had wanted to read that book long ago, even downloaded the PDF format, but the size always kills my spirit. Thanks once more.

So now, even those that haven't read the book will come here and be claiming over sabi!

OP, let me recommend '33 Strategies of War' by Robert Greene for you, and also, 'The 50th Law', by same Robert Greene and rApper 50Cent, exceptional books.

I read articles base on the likes it gathers

Let d sense of dis book fall on nigeria force men

nice

Abeg who fit help me summarise this summary? Abeg who fit help me summarise this summary?

This is my chance to read this book. I'm not bottling this Up.
Thanks OP

Most of these write ups are things we know already and embedded in our subconscious.

OP help me summarise "THE FIRST TIME" by DIANE a lecturer of mass communication UNN. thanks my email =kenchizzy1@gmail.com ONCE THANKS in advance.

Every potential leader must own and read this book. So much wisdom and strategy to achieve goals and become successful in any field of discipline. Thanks OP.

Profound

Even people who haven't read the book will come here to praise it and recommend similar texts just to f'eel among '

7Alexander:
OP, let me recommend 'Strategies of War' by Robert Greene for you, and also, 'The 50th Law', by same Robert Greene and rApper 50Cent, exceptional books.

I have the "33 Strategies Of War", but I have not seen the "The 50th Law"

This book has two versions. I have read and I own both copies.

I tot u said summary...

Currently reading it. This life for naija don pass war.

When we go to war, we do not carry any book.

48 laws of Power changed my life.

This is one of my favourite books of all time.

I use it to solve life's daily problems.

Ever since I read this book, nothin' life throws me has ever overpowered me.

Im tryin' 2 attach the book.

Thought nairaland says 250kb max 4 'other files'. Book is just 216kb.

Why won't it upload

Thanks for this

ShyCypher:
Im tryin' 2 attach the book.
Thought nairaland says 250kb max 4 'other files'. Book is just 216kb.
Why won't it upload

try again

Something is missing. Most average and low class in Nigeria are Prisoners of war

Any prisoner of war is taken down by Bezebub rule of surrenderness in the spiritual slavery

Only Jehovah rule is miraculous. You as the soldier, weaken and taken captive as prisoner of war does not need Sun Tsu anymore. Unless a Spiritual force like Jesus Christ rescue you. After you begin a new life. Go to the book of Proverbs in the Bible to get wisdom.

This world gets advanced everyday. How would you win a nuclear war in sophisticated world like this. Only God's word is 100% efficient

someone stole my art of war.... love the book die

teamsynergy:
someone stole my art of war.... love the book die

oya take

IBBG:
try again

hehe

done

Some other good reads will be:

The prince
The richest man in Babylon.

Tnks 4 dis.. Any link to d pdf download if d entire book? Appreciate