Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, there was a period in China known as the Age of Warring States. This was an age of great conflict and uncertainty, as seven states fought for survival and control of China. It was during this time that there arose a general from the state of Ch’i known as Sun Tzu. To hand down the wisdom he had gained from his years of battle, Sun Tzu wrote a book, The Art of War, which became a classic on military strategy in China. His book, which details a complete philosophy on how to decisively defeat one’s opponent, has given guidance to military theorists and generals throughout the ages.
Widely regarded as ‘the oldest military treatise in the world’, this compact little book, written more than 2,500 years ago, is still widely read today. American officers during World War II read it closely. The Japanese army studied the work for decades, and many twentieth-century Chinese officers are said to have known the book by heart.
