The Art of War/The Book Of Lord Shang

by Sun Tzu, Tao Hanzhang, Shang Yang

The two political classics in this book are the product of a time of intense turmoil in Chinese history. Dating from the Period of the Warring States (403-221BC), they anticipate Machiavelli's The Prince by nearly 2000 years. The Art of War is the best known of a considerable body of Chinese works on the subject. It analyses the nature of war, and reveals how victory may be ensured. The Book of Lord Shang is a political treatise for the instruction of rulers. These texts are anything but armchair strategy or ivory-tower speculation. They are serious, urgent and practical responses to the desperate situations in which they were written. They have been immensely influential both inside and outside China.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Classics, History, Politics, War, China

244 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 1997

About the author

Sun Tzu (traditional Chinese: 孫子; simplified Chinese: 孙子; pinyin: Sūnzǐ) was a Chinese military general, strategist, philosopher, and writer who lived during the Eastern Zhou period (771–256 BC). Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thought. Sun Tzu is revered in Chinese and East Asian culture as a legendary historical and military figure. His birth name was Sun Wu (traditional Chinese: 孫武; simplified Chinese: 孙武) and he was known outside of his family by his courtesy name Changqing (Chinese: 長卿). The name Sun Tzu—by which he is more popularly known—is an honorific which means "Master Sun".
Sun Tzu mastered the military science of ancient China and created the military doctrine of asymmetrical warfare. According to it, an attack on the enemy should begin only after the enemy has no opportunity to either defend or counterattack. It was used in the wars in the era of the Warring States in ancient China (about 475–221 BC). It differs from the modern interpretation of asymmetric military strategy. The ancient warriors used to call it the Victorious Methods of Warfare (sheng er zhan zhi), but it has the same meaning as the modern asymmetrical military strategy. The ancient professional warriors used it in individual combats against the enemies in the wars. As a result, a variety of armed and unarmed combat combinations have been created for various combat situations as the individual battle plans. Those combat combinations had specific names, descriptions and classifications.
Sun Tzu's historicity is uncertain. The Han dynasty historian Sima Qian and other traditional Chinese historians placed him as a minister to King Helü of Wu and dated his lifetime to 544–496 BC. Modern scholars accepting his historicity place the extant text of The Art of War in the later Warring States period of 475 to 221 BC, based on its style of composition and its descriptions of warfare. Traditional accounts state that the general's descendant Sun Bin wrote a treatise on military tactics, also titled The Art of War. Since both Sun Wu and Sun Bin were referred to as "Sun Tzu" in classical Chinese texts, some historians believed them identical, prior to the rediscovery of Sun Bin's treatise in 1972.
Sun Tzu's work has been praised and employed throughout the arc of East Asian military history since its composition, and eventually earned global attention. During the twentieth century, The Art of War grew in popularity and saw practical use in the Western world as well. It remains influential in many contemporary competitive endeavors across the modern world beyond military strategy and warfare, including espionage, culture, governance, business, and sports.

Reviews

[Fayçal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Art of War was an interesting read, I just couldn't finish the second part of this specific edition which is "The Book of Lord Shang" so am just skipping that.

[Silvana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this is what I call a true classic! This book, as well as The Book of Lord Shang, preceded Machiavelli’s captivating masterpiece, Il Principe, by nearly 2000 years (I have to confess that I almost completely forget Il Principe’s contents, but I still remember that it was a captivating read).

Back to Sun Tzu…Yes, some of his advices are already outdated and cannot be applied in the modern war. However, the others are, well, I should say mind-opening and inspirational, yet very simple.

Want some examples? Here you go.

“Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you’ll never be defeated. When you’re ignorant of the enemy but know yourself; your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle.” If Hitler and General Tojo read this book, we’d all live in fascism now. If only Bush read this book, the war in Iraq will be over by now.

Sun Tzu may taught us about war. But note this, he stressed that non-violent ways are better. This means employing effective politics, diplomacy and strategic considerations. He said: "To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence." That’s my favorite quote.

I also heart this one: "A sovereign cannot launch a war because he is enraged, not can a general fight a war because he is resentful. For while an angered man may again be happy, and a resentful man again be pleased, a state that perished cannot be restored, nor can the dead be brought to life."

That statement breaks me heart, really…. considering what happens in the world today.
Highly, highly recommended. I’ll give this book a solid five stars.

[Amr Swalha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The greatest book of all books about war and how it's done. This book contains information not only about how to fight, also a psychological analysis of the enemy and it's troops. This book can teach you a lot about leadership and command and guiding your team to victory.

The book at the begging is the original book of "The Art of War" then it goes to commentary about it. And there is also a a section for other chines writer "The Book of Lord Shang".

I will go into details for the first part only:

1-The chapters are not too long and maybe couple of pages, but inside each one is wisdom in every line and every sentence.
2-The book take a logical approach to the war more than focusing on the force and power.
3-You will notice it list at the begging of each chapter different factors that need to be looked at and goes into further explanation of it.
4-Also, it make you think more of the different factors in your surrounding more while not forgetting the main objective.

[Rita Leite · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Art of War” offers timeless strategies and wisdom, but it felt more like a collection of abstract principles than practical advice. While insightful, it didn’t fully resonate with me. Still, a classic worth reading.

[Aroub Al-Shalabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first experience in reading these types of books, and I was lucky to have got this book .
It just takes you into that atmosphere , the way people in the past used to fight wars, and as a matter of principles & concepts , the ones in the book still apply to these days.

[Jamille · Rating 2 out of 5]

For all of the hype said about the Art of War i must say i was reasonably disappointed. However, if you take the time in which the book was originally wrote into consideration then i guess its a must read.
The Art of War itself as other reviewers have wrote i would also give 3 stars, and even the Book of Lord Shang isn't too bad. However, what is bad and in my opinion ruins the book is the commentary and introduction. I usually enjoy reading these parts of books, as i get a modern day experts opinion on the topics.
So in conclusion, the Art of War and the Book of Lord Shang are ok but the introduction and commentary and awful. So if your thinking about getting this book i would advise either simply not reading the introduction and the commentary, or get a different edition.

[Churchill Osimbo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Art of War by Sun Tzu should be mandatory reading for anyone eyeing a future in leadership of any kind. The commentary (second part) where they give real life past and present examples and uses of Sun Tzu's principles is great. The third part however, written by another ancient Chinese warlord, The Book of Lord Shang, is repetitive, bordering on drilling. The wisdom of what is being drilled is invaluable though, mostly spins on Sun Tzu's doctrines with a more ruthless outlook, it was actually kind of funny. But it's hard to get through, you'll end up skipping several chapters at a go just to find him discussing the same things under different topics.

[Adel · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. The art of war. Sun Tzu
It feels natural that after reading von Clausewitz’s On War I would turn my gaze to The Art of War. Although the text is about warfare and military affairs, Sun Tzu argues that the best approach to victory is to win the war before waging it. That is why it is necessary to calculate the probability of victory. Sun Tzu’s strategy does not advocate for success at any cost, because to achieve success there is a need for strategic assessment, numerical strength, intelligence agents, navigation of the terrain, etc. Therefore, the author thoroughly dwells on outsmarting the enemy. As “all warfare is based on deception,” victory can be accomplished by “attacking the enemy’s strategy,” “disrupting his alliances by diplomacy,” using “the art of manoeuvring,” and intelligence forces.

Yet one point seems no longer relevant in today’s world warfare: “A speedy victory is the main object in war… When the army engages in protracted campaigns, the resources of the state will fall short.” It is evident that the political and economic order has since drastically transformed; therefore we have witnessed many armed conflicts take place for years, although the military supremacy of particular states is known to be undisputed. So a question emerges: Is it possible for warring states to prolong the war artificially to achieve certain objectives?

2. The Book of Lord Shang. Shang Yang
Frankly, this book should be called “How to Attain Supremacy Among Other States by Means of Human Resources,” as it contains general strategies aimed at the ruler’s ascendancy rather than the people’s welfare in the state. Therefore, prior to reading this book one must understand that it is a sort of guide for a ruler and that it vividly contrasts with the Western Renaissance philosophers, who developed their political theories to achieve a new societal order beyond monarchical arbitrariness and paternalism.

One thing that is clear is that warfare and agriculture are the cornerstone domains for a successful ruler. The majority of the population must be employed in these two sectors in order for the state to flourish. However, for this purpose intelligence and education need to be sacrificed, as “when people are stupid, they are easy to govern.” This idea prevails throughout the book because here Shang Yang crafts a state of coercion by means of rule by coercion: “Therefore my teaching is to issue such orders that people, if they are desirous of profit, can attain their aim only by agriculture, and if they want to avoid harm, can only escape it by war.”

Now we approach the most interesting part: the people’s mandatory engagement in war. For the successful state is not the state that is capable of defending itself, but one that is able to wage war. That is why a ruler’s main objective is to cultivate “brave people” who will “fight to the death.” Lord Shang further postulates: “A country that has no strength and that practices knowledge and cleverness will certainly perish; but a fearful people, stimulated by penalties, will become brave, and a brave people, encouraged by rewards, will fight to the death.” Yet how do people acquire bravery when in reality many of them do not possess any? Shang solves the issue in the following manner: “If they [people] are timorous, they should be put to death in a manner they hate. In this way timorous people, being incited by punishments, will become brave; and the brave, being encouraged by rewards, will fight to the death.” A logic that seems to be justified on the surface but is false in its nature. From my perspective, one cannot force a scared person to become “brave” by punishing; rather, one is capable of making this person more fearful of instant capital punishment than of death on the battlefield.

It is also worth noticing that Shang indirectly says that the government must possess a strong army to suppress the people: “If the people are stronger than the government, the state is weak; if the government is stronger than the people, the army is strong.” Thus, according to Shang, a governor should bring up soldiers ready to die for him and agriculturists uninterested in external affairs. For modern readers such ruthlessness and brutality are evidently alien, as these principles completely contradict the liberal ideals of contemporary society. Nevertheless, more than 2,000 years ago Shang Yang tried to establish a certain political order that would correspond to the time now called the Period of the Warring States (403–221 BC). Thus, what Hobbes said in the 17th century, Lord Shang concluded two millennia earlier: “Indeed, there is no greater benefit for the people in the empire than order, and there is no firmer order to be obtained than by establishing a prince.” Yet, whereas Hobbes was the propagator of strong authority for the sake of people’s safety and defence, Shang pleads his case in another direction. According to his state doctrine, people have to “think lightly of death,” as the ruler needs people who are law-abiding and prepared to die.

Overall, it was somewhat fascinating to read about a kind of statesmanship that is not directed toward social justice or individual liberties, as I am used to, but toward state supremacy and unconditional power. Additionally, it was useful to trace parallels between Lord Shang and classical philosophers, although the historical context and the approach to policy application were different. The main thing is that excessive moral coloring has to be avoided when reading this text. On the contrary, it shows a quite different side of politics, and for this reason the book should be appreciated.

[Pramod Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Edition from Wordsworth Classics is a real jackpot. It contains a very good translation by Yuan Shibing of 'Art of War' by Sun Tzu, a commentary on 'Art of War' by General Tao Hanzhang and another lesser known political classic 'The Book of Lord Shang' by Shang Yang translated by J.J.L Duyvendak all in a 242 page low priced paper back format.

Both these political classics are worth reading as they give insights into a many aspects of strategy and life even if they deal mainly in the business of warfare.

[Sportyrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic written by a military adviser based during China’s Period of the Warring States (403-221 BC). The strategies are clear, short and insightful and give one or two historic scenarios to help convey the point. This advice would surely have helped win and avoid many a war.

Even with satellites and more developed intellegence agencies of the new, this advice could easily help shape the direction of today’s conflicts.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first part of the book feels obvious from a modern perspective, though I can see how it would have been relevant in its time. It would probably work well as an introductory guide for those new to strategy or military-themed computer games.

The main takeaway is clear: the more prepared you are, the less you have to worry about unpredictability. The commentary on this principle provides good context, especially when applied to more recent history. General Tao’s insights are decent overall, though at times they lean a bit too much into Communist propaganda glorifying Mao.

I enjoyed the book—it was a relatively easy read, largely because much of the text reinforced fundamental truths about strategy and conflict. I particularly liked how it emphasized that rushing headfirst is rarely the answer; most conflicts can be avoided, but when they’re unavoidable, thorough preparation is key to an exceptional outcome.

Then there’s the Book of Lord Shang… That guy hated thinkers, artists, or anyone with independent thought. His philosophy boiled down to total dependence on the state and the inevitability of war. No wonder he got torn to pieces by chariots after his enemies captured him.

Wordsworth edition also has some good reading suggestions on the topic.

[Adam Halilovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started to read this book not just because it was considered a classic of ancient literature but I was curious to find out why it was a must read for all business men never mind I am not one myself. The text for the art of war was wonderful and the commentary by General Tao Hanzhang was good as well. It was easy to see how General Tao commentary was influenced by chinese communism and wasnt quite impartial but never the less referring it to ancient and modern battles help framed better what Sun Tzu was trying to illustrate. The book of Lord shang is a different story. I can see many ways that his philosophy on law mimics those of modern and past dictators. It's a one stop book of how to run a agrarian dictatorship and see that it might of influence chairman mao's vision for China.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book I wanted to read for years.
Mostly from hearing so much about it.

The Art of War, is filled with the sort of common sense (if adapted to the modern times, like a corporate setting) which are easy to understand, agree upon and even apply (in part obviously).
It is short and interesting.

However, the Book of Lord Shang, I feel, cannot so easily be interpreted with a modern eye.
It is too twisted for a modern frame of mind.
Sure it is not like it is difficult to understand but trying to find meaning in the world of today for such ideas and theories, particularly in the western world is not an easy endeavour.

So, I did like reading the Art of War. I found no joy in the Book of Lord Shang

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to finally read this venerable classic. There is a lot of wisdom in there that still holds true thousands of years after it was composed, but the thought that young buck stockbroker types might be using Sun Tzu’s warfare maxims as a model for their careers is an appalling thought.

Like others, I found The Book of Lord Shang, which occupies the latter part of this volume, to be tedious, archaic, and morally repugnant in all but a few of its principles, and abandoned it about halfway through.

[Erin Wood · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is comprises of two separate books: The Art of War by Sun Tzu and The Book and Lord Shang by Shang Yang. Both individuals had separate insights on governing during turmoil Chinese empires. The Art of War has more so the nature of war (politics, weather, terrain, commander, and doctrine) and The Book of Lord Shang was basic concept and instructions on how to rule. Difficult read but insightful.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Art of War is an interesting, concise read. The introduction to the text (as well as the dialectic materialist critique) compliments the book well.

Lord Shang is unfortunately a very dry read. Undoubtedly a key legalist text, it is not a particularly interesting read (admittedly, it was written for rulers!) due to its repetitive structure. Still, Shang’s perspective of human nature puts Hobbes to shame!

[Jean Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

It has been a while since I wanted to read this book. I thought it would be interesting to try a new topic, however, I stopped it before finishing it especially when got to the part of "The Book of Lord , but I got disapointed when started the second part. So overall, I would actually give the book a 1.5 stars rather than 1.

[Hiep Pham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains the iconic quote:
"Know the enemy and know yourself, in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated."

The translation is a bit "dry" and uses difficult terms of war (which I have to look up in the dictionary too many times). If you can take it to have the atmosphere, then go ahead.

I skipped the second part of commentary though.

[Yates Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible historical document, that at times reads like a contemporary self help book.

While the content might be somewhat generic and subject to various interpretations, the style and method of explaining war strategy is somehow timeless.

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the second of the two books The Book of Lord Shang. As a political philosophy it is very draconian. The concept of keeping the population simple, stupid or docile I can’t agree with. If one wants to develop a regime that is authoritarian in nature this is the formula to build on.

[Alivia Griffin]

So far so good. I'm enjoying how he thinks of war in a psychological sense.

[Ahmad Addam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attacking the world of wars through the two Grand Masters, Lord Shuan and Lord Sun Tsu, sculpted the logical fact of wars lavishly and excitingly. The master pieces and techniques offered by these two authors since thousands of years reflects authentically the tactics used by the most powerful countries of the modern world. Additionally, usage of historical examples gave the manuscript a beautiful line of knowledge specifically once referring each law of combat to a scenario of an ancient chinese war.

[Justin Covey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic edition. I'd read the Art of War once before, I don't know what translation it was but it was inferior to this one by Yuan Shibing. The meaning and open ended nature of Sun Tzu's advice comes across much clearer here. This is further enhanced by the commentary by Tao Hanzhang which provides a bevy of fascinating historical examples of the principles laid out by Sun Tzu. Though, his attempts to make connections between Sun Tzu's beliefs and Maoism wear a bit thin.

Finally the Book of Lord Shang is a fascinating look into the rationale of evil. While the insistence on meritocracy is worth praising, just about everything else laid forth in this book is abhorrent. These policies led directly to the great book burning of 213BC. A loss of history, culture, and thought on par with the loss of Alexandria or the Mongol sacking of Baghdad. Frightening to think that for a short while China was dominated by a philosophy which holds as central tenants that "virtue has it's origin in punishment" and "kindness has it's origin in force".

[Muhammed · Rating 5 out of 5]

To read the art of war and a commentary on it then follow it by the book of lord shang is priceless. Reading them opens your mind to really interesting views of many things. it enables you to have better understnading of life and military tactics and how to use them in life. i was more intrigued by the fact that while the book of lord shang containes many concepts of cruelty and what people may regard as dictatorships but truely it offeres me great insight in the current policies of the nations. the results for failures and conditions he addressed are without a doubt evident in all the dictatorships in our world today. it appears as if the rulers of the nations took the recipe for failure and instead of avoiding them, they decided to prove them correct. the language may be somehow difficult to an extent. I recommend this book to those who have read 1984 (Orwell) and the Prince (Michavielle)

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book of Lord Shang is one of the strangest texts to read as a Westerner, but contains many familiar principles. One can easily see where it has been applied, particularly in "burying the scholars" through history.

There were some parts that sounded absurd on their face:

"The climax in the understanding of rewards is to bring about a condition of having no rewards; the climax in the understanding of punishments is to bring about a condition of having no punishments; the climax in the understanding of education is to bring about a condition of having no education."

(From 'Rewards and Penalties')

However, once it's explained that 'education' here refers to learning histories and love songs from the Confucians, it makes a lot more sense. He's not talking about Calculus!

In any case, quite a fun read. Not sure about its wisdom, but I enjoyed learning about something totally new to me.

[Jak · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure what I really expected of ‘The Art of War’ I’ve wanted to read it for ages because I’d heard so much about it over the years. I guess I expected it to be a great philosophical thesis with profound insights that still bare true in modern society.

There was some philosophising but not anything I haven’t already picked up elsewhere (whether that was derived from Sun Tzu I can’t say). So there was no great enlightenment or epiphany that made the book stand out in my mind

Not having done anything militaristic nor reading many military books I can’t say how much relevance the actual advice for waging war retains today but as I read it I guessed that the invention of gunpowder had more or less made most of the tactics moot.

[Isaiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wordsworth classic edition of the Art of War and the Book of Lord Shang, translated by J.J. Duyvendak and Robert Wilkinson is truly an amazing read. The translation for the Art of War was outstanding. The Art of War had added commentary by Tao Hanzhang. The commentary is interesting and includes historical examples of the ideals of the Art of War in action. The commentary also includes obsolete ideas from the Art of war. Unlike most books, the Art of War is short but requires reflection and rereads for even a partial understanding.

The Book of Lord Shang is an interesting but a much more complicated read. There are parts where the text is downright confusing and others where text is missing. Unfortunately I did not have the patience to finish it.

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would have gotten a much better review had they left out the other commentary. I can only assume that the publisher figured that it wasn't worth printing a whole lot of very thin books.

It's got some valuable advice if you're willing to sit down and ponder how you can use the ideas in your own life. My favourite is this:
"Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be defeated." It's a bit overused, but honestly I see why.

[Nur Gucu · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should read this book if you want to thinking about life, world and strategies.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Art of War and the commentary on the art of war are good - The book of Lord Shang is really bad