Strategies for the Human Realm: Crux of the T'ai-pai Yin-ching

by Ralph D. Sawyer

Composed by Li Ch’üan (Li Quan), a provincial military official who served in the middle T’ang dynasty, the T’ai-pai Yin-ching revitalized the theoretical study of warfare in China. Remarkably comprehensive, it first focuses upon the human realm, devoting a quarter of its hundred chapters to the grand issues of government, warfare, human society, ethical values, and man’s orientation within the universe while pondering the more concrete problems of the nature of command, methods for evaluating men, the role of rewards and punishments, and the implementation of subversive measures. Instead of conquering through combat or achieving the fabled hundred victories in a hundred clashes, Li’s aim was victory without combat so as to preserve the state rather than debilitate it in warfare. The remaining seventy-five chapters, not translated here, briefly discuss important battle equipment and techniques before unfolding extensive material on sacrifices and arcane prognosticatory methods. Highly regarded thereafter, the T’ai-pai Yin-ching stands at the beginning of the later military tradition in China and numerous chapters appear in the military compendia produced over the next thousand years. It also continues to be the subject of conscious study as the PRC strives to develop “military science with unique Chinese characteristics.”

222 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2012

Reviews

[Judah Nielsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since no one has read it or reviewed it so far, I suppose a few words are in order. This is a translation of the first 25 chapters of the T'ai-pai Yin-ching with extensive commentary by Ralph Sawyer, the definitive expert in English on Chinese military writings and strategy. The work in question is a relatively minor Tang Dynasty piece covering the usual range of topics: selecting talent, philosophy of leadership, terrain, rewards and punishments, and some ceremony.

If you've never read Chinese military writings, this would be a silly place to start. Start with Sawyer's Seven Military Classics of Ancient China, which contains the Art of War.

If you want to read Sawyer's own analysis, rather than translations, Fire and Water is a better choice.

This is for the few people out there who have read all the rest and are willing to devote a few hours to find the new insights here among the large quoted sections of Sun Tzu.

There are a few pros here, though. Sawyer has abandoned his usual endnotes here for a much easier format of translated material, commentary, and translation notes, so you won't need two bookmarks to make your way through. Also, most of the chapters are comprehensible even without knowing all of the allusions to historical events that pepper these works.

Unfortunately, this carefully written work was given a pretty sloppy physical incarnation, with font inconsistencies and typos, and at least in paperback, a cover that is curving back on itself like a banana peel.