The Art of War: An Illustrated Edition

by Sunzi, C. C. Tsai (Illustrator), Brian Bruya (Translator), Lawrence Freedman (Foreword by)

Overview

A delightfully illustrated version of Sunzi’s classic The Art of War by bestselling cartoonist C. C. Tsai

C. C. Tsai is one of Asia's most popular cartoonists, and his editions of the Chinese classics have sold more than 40 million copies in over twenty languages. This volume presents Tsai's delightful graphic adaptation of Sunzi's Art of War, the most profound book on warfare and strategy ever written--a work that continues to be read as a handbook for success not just by military commanders but also by leaders in politics, business, and many other fields.

Conceived by a Chinese warrior-philosopher some 2,500 years ago, The Art of War speaks to those aspiring to rise through the ranks and help build successful countries. How can that goal best be achieved, and what is the role of warfare, if any, in the process? What are the powers and limits of the general in command? How can you win without going to war? Sunzi's answers to these and other questions are brought to life as never before by Tsai's brilliant cartoons, which show Sunzi fighting on dangerous ground, launching a surprise attack, spying on his enemies, and much more.

A marvelously rich introduction to a timeless classic, this book also features a foreword by Lawrence Freedman, one of the world's leading authorities on military strategy, which illuminates how The Art of War has influenced Western strategic thought. In addition, Sunzi's original Chinese text is artfully presented in narrow sidebars on each page, enriching the books for readers and students of Chinese without distracting from the self-contained English-language cartoons. The text is skillfully translated by Brian Bruya, who also provides an introduction.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781400889877
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	06/19/2018
Series:	The Illustrated Library of Chinese Classics , #3
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	41 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

C. C. Tsai is one of East Asia's most beloved illustrators. His bestselling editions of the Chinese classics have introduced generations of readers to the wisdom of such luminaries as Confucius, Zhuangzi, and Laozi. Born in Taiwan, Tsai now lives in Hangzhou, China. Brian Bruya is professor of philosophy at Eastern Michigan University, where he teaches Chinese and comparative philosophy. He has translated many of Tsai's books into English. Lawrence Freedman is professor emeritus of war studies at King's College London and the author of Strategy: A History.

Table of Contents

Foreword Lawrence Freedman vii

Introduction Brian Bruya xi

The Life of Sun Wu 2

1 Calculation 10

Calculation 11

The Dao, Heaven, Earth, Command, Law 12

The Dao 13

Heaven 14

Earth 15

Command 16

Law 17

The Seven Calculations 18

Subterfuge 20

Taking Advantage of the Enemy 21

Calculating Victory 22

2 Waging War 23

A Million Dollars a Day 24

Protracted War Is Disadvantageous 25

Victory, Not Duration 26

Gain Strength through the Enemy 27

The General Who Knows 30

3 Offensive Strategy 31

Sending Troops into the Field 32

Multiple Fronts 34

On the Battlefield 39

Powers of the Commander 42

Know Yourself, Know Your Enemy 45

4 Tactical Disposition 47

Conditions for Attack and Defense 48

Seek Victory before Fighting 51

The Circumstances of Decisive Battle 53

5 Force 55

Frontal and Surprise 56

Interchanging Frontal and Surprise Attacks 57

Force 60

Creating Force 61

6 Strength and Weakness 63

Control Others Instead of Being Controlled 64

Concentration against Fragmentation 66

Like Water 67

7 Maneuver 70

Make the Crooked Straight 71

Advantage and Disadvantage 72

Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain 75

8 Flexibility 78

Flexibility 79

9 On The March 86

Deployment 87

10 Terrain 94

Terrain 95

The Six Causes of Defeat 99

A Great General Is a National Treasure 101

11 Ground 102

Strategies of Ground 103

Dividing the Enemy 107

The Army of the Supreme Sovereign 109

Wage War Like a Serpent 110

Like a Maiden 113

12 Incendiary Warfare 114

Five Methods of Incendiary Warfare 115

Move Only when It Benefits You 116

13 Espionage 118

Spies 119

The Five Agents 121

Pronunciation Index 127

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"[C. C. Tsai's] books are awe-inspiring. His line is elegant; his characters are sharply drawn; his humor is sly and appropriate; and his subject is profound. This is cartooning of the highest order."—Larry Gonick, author of The Cartoon History of the Universe

"C. C. Tsai's introductions to the world of Chinese thought and spirituality are masterpieces. His drawings are charming, clever, and engaging; his texts are clear and faithful to the spirit of the originals; and Brian Bruya's translations are fluid and accurate."—Stephen C. Angle, Wesleyan University

"C. C. Tsai's popular cartoon adaptations of the Chinese classics are original and uniquely accessible."—Mark Csikszentmihalyi, University of California, Berkeley

Editorial Reviews

"Tsai’s adaptation of The Art of War revitalized the millenniums-old treatise by trimming away the repetitive elements, tightening the narrative until the ancient lessons of warfare leapt off the page. But the defining element of Tsai’s work is the illustrations. His Disney-influenced style brings humor and immediacy to the text, with Sunzi himself popping into the story as both the wise and fearless commander of blank-eyed, child-like soldiers and the conniving nemesis to the enemy who tries to cross him. Humiliated soldiers seethe and bluster while Sunzi and his men titter with laughter. A particular pleasure is the anthropomorphized livestock, like the horse who surrenders while standing on its hind legs with hooves raised in the air, mirroring its rider’s hands-up posture. Tsai’s characters are drawn to entertain, whether you’re a comic-book enthusiast or a military strategist."—-John Ismay, New York Times

From the Publisher