In 1972, The Lost Art of War was discovered in an ancient Chinese tomb. The first complete manuscript ever found from the legendary military strategist Sun Tzu II (commonly known as Sun Bin, a lineal descendent of the great Sun Tzu), this sophisticated manual delves even deeper than The Art of War into the complex principles and practices of organizations, tactical formation, strategic maneuvering, and adaptation.
Like those of his distinguished ancestor, Sun Tzu II's insights and strategies can be applied to life situations far beyond warfare - including government, diplomacy, business, relationship, and social action.
Renowned scholar Thomas Cleary, universally praised for his ability to capture the often cryptic meanings of Chinese texts, has masterfully translated the subtle and challenging original text of The Lost Art of War and has contemporized Sun Tzu II's strategic insights with his own illuminating and accessible commentary.
An ancient version of Sun Tzu's The Art of War was also found in the tomb, which differs significantly from previously known editions. Thus, Cleary additionally offers a fascinating analysis comparing the teachings of The Lost Art of War to those of the classic The Art of War as it is presented in this newly discovered version. Sun Tzu II draws on other traditions of strategic thinking while extending the teachings of his ancestor.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
A work of military strategy by Sun Bin (or Sun Tzu II) which was discovered in a damaged condition in 1972. This is very much in the same vein as [b:The Art of War 10534 The Art of War Sun Tzu https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453417993s/10534.jpg 3200649] by Sun Tzu, and revisits a lot of the general strategy outlined there.There is a lot added by Thomas Cleary, who not only carried out the translation but also offers commentary on practically every statement.Hard to rate a work like this, where a lot of it is presented as a pretty self explanatory or straight forward statements, which are readily applicable to a certain setup, but when it comes to applying “The lost art of war” across, say, a military campaign, there are way more statements than there are direct directions. Maybe it takes a more keen military strategist's mind than I have on offer.There is plenty of filler here, for example, in chapter 29, page 125:Concentrate when there is a reason to concentrate, spread out when there is reason to spread out; fill up when there is reason for fullness, empty out when there is reason for emptiness.Helpful? Not really.Still, there are plenty of statements which assist in awareness of strategy, so I guess the worth of this book is to be determined by the way the reader can take the strategy and apply it.Middling at 3 stars, as I don't think it improves on [b:The Art of War 10534 The Art of War Sun Tzu https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453417993s/10534.jpg 3200649] by Sun Tzu.
