Sun Tzu on the Art of War

This book unravels the complexities of meaning found in the world's oldest existing military treatise. In examining the work step-by-step, Lionel Giles pays particular attention to the subtleties of the Chinese characters—which appear throughout his text—and the interpretations offered by centuries of informed commentators. Examples from both ancient and modern history bring alive the explanations and illustrate the remarkable timelessness of Sun Tzu's words. The work is respected as much today for its skilful handing of human nature as for its battle stratagems.