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SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture
Изкуството на войната
През 1972 г. едно откритие на китайските археолози взривява научния свят – при разкопки в гробница от династия Хан е открит трактатът на Сун Бин „Изкуството на войната“, смятан за изгубен още в древността.
Авторът му, прочут стратег от IV в.пр.н.е., е не само родственик на знаменития Сундзъ, но и продължител на неговото дело.
Някога трактатът е бил една от най-ревниво охраняваните тайни на императорския двор. Той ще бъде интересен далеч не само за специалистите по военно дело или за тези, които се интересуват от класическата китайска култура.
Книгата на Сун Бин е незаменимо ръководство за всеки, който иска да изгради себе си като лидер или просто да даде здрава основа на живота си днес, в един турбулентен и изпълнен с изключителни предизвикателства свят.
Сун Бин е китайски генерал, военен стратег и писател, живял по време на периода на Воюващите царства (475–221 г.пр.н.е.) от китайската история. прочут стратег от IV в.пр.н.е. Известен е като Ци Сундзъ и Сундзъ II. Той е не само родственик на знаменития Сундзъ, но и продължител на неговото дело.
Авторът му, прочут стратег от IV в.пр.н.е., е не само родственик на знаменития Сундзъ, но и продължител на неговото дело.
Някога трактатът е бил една от най-ревниво охраняваните тайни на императорския двор. Той ще бъде интересен далеч не само за специалистите по военно дело или за тези, които се интересуват от класическата китайска култура.
Книгата на Сун Бин е незаменимо ръководство за всеки, който иска да изгради себе си като лидер или просто да даде здрава основа на живота си днес, в един турбулентен и изпълнен с изключителни предизвикателства свят.
Сун Бин е китайски генерал, военен стратег и писател, живял по време на периода на Воюващите царства (475–221 г.пр.н.е.) от китайската история. прочут стратег от IV в.пр.н.е. Известен е като Ци Сундзъ и Сундзъ II. Той е не само родственик на знаменития Сундзъ, но и продължител на неговото дело.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
29 people are currently reading
1612 people want to read
About the author
Sun Bin
39 books12 followersSun Bin (Chinese: 孙膑) (died 316 BC) was a Chinese general, military strategist, and writer who lived during the Warring States period of Chinese history. A supposed descendant of Sun Tzu, Sun was tutored in military strategy by the hermit Guiguzi. He was accused of treason by Pang Juan while serving in the Wei state and was sentenced to face-tattooing (criminal branding) and had his kneecaps removed, permanently crippling him. Sun later escaped from Wei and rose to prominence in the Qi state, serving as a military strategist and commander. He led Qi to victory against the Wei state at the Battle of Guiling and the Battle of Maling, killing Pang Juan in the battle and avenged himself in the process. Sun authored the military treatise Sun Bin's Art of War, which was rediscovered in a 1972 archaeological excavation after being lost for almost 2000 years.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 14, 2026
Brilliant
This isn’t just The Art of War — this is war as pure intellect.
Sun Bin reads like a human war machine. His mind operates on a level I’ve rarely encountered in any book. His strategies feel less like military tactics and more like a grand chess game — he knows the rules perfectly, anticipates every possible move, and watches his enemies walk straight into carefully designed traps. He doesn’t merely react to situations; he constructs the entire stage and allows events to unfold exactly as he planned. There’s something almost mesmerizing about watching that level of intellectual control at work.
What struck me even more is how vividly and clearly he explains his strategies and formations. Even as an amateur, I could genuinely understand how these formations work in practice — how they are built, how they look on the battlefield, how they are arranged, and which formation fits each situation. Nothing feels abstract or vague. His writing makes strategy feel visual, logical, and grounded in real execution.
More importantly, he never tells you only what to do — he explains why each formation exists and why it should be used in specific circumstances. That depth transforms strategy from memorization into true understanding. You start thinking in causes, consequences, and adaptability rather than fixed rules.
Sword warfare, in particular, fascinated me as a pure display of both intellectual and physical strength. It represents a form of war between two armed nations that openly acknowledge their conflict and meet with calculated intent — almost like two brilliant generals playing chess against each other, where every move is deliberate and every resource is maximized.
Sadly, this sense of honor and strategic integrity feels lost in the lifeless wars of the past century. I honestly see them as cowardly wars — sitting comfortably and launching weapons that erase entire unarmed populations without warning. That isn’t real power or dominance; it’s the absence of both. True strength doesn’t need to hide behind mass destruction.
Another aspect I deeply appreciated was Sun Bin’s focus on the character of a general. He speaks extensively about leadership, discipline, education, intellect, manners, and how commanders should treat their soldiers. This felt ahead of its time and incredibly relevant. Leadership isn’t only about commanding power — it’s about moral authority, responsibility, and example.
The diversity of tactics based on changing circumstances was also fascinating, especially his emphasis on using all available resources — including nature itself. In this sense, nature becomes an extra army capable of cruelty and decisive force. History proves this clearly; we all know what happened to Hitler in Russia, where the snow itself shifted the balance of power.
Beyond warfare, this book holds immense value for anyone in a leadership position. Not as a manual for conflict, but as a guide for structured thinking, clarity of action, fairness, vision, and ethical authority. His thoughts on how to treat soldiers were particularly powerful: leading by example, acting with justice without bias, building systems instead of chaos, and treating people with dignity. Loyalty and true motivation grow from respect — not fear, not cruelty, and not blind obedience.
The only downside is that some sections feel fragmented or scrambled, which is understandable considering the historical preservation of the text. At times this disrupts the reading flow slightly, but it never takes away from the brilliance or wisdom of the work. Having some background knowledge of historical figures also helps, otherwise certain references may feel unclear.
The number of strategies Sun Bin presents is mind-blowing. Every decision is layered with calculation, patience, and psychological insight. This is not a book you read once and move on from — it’s a book you read, reflect on, and revisit to uncover deeper layers each time. His mind is endlessly fascinating.
The only work I’ve encountered that comes close to this level of strategic sharpness and bold realism is The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli — similarly unapologetic, intelligent, and focused on how power truly operates, whether through weapons or ideas. While these books may seem targeted toward generals or political leaders, their principles are deeply applicable to everyday life, decision-making, and human behavior. They don’t promote dirty play — they teach how to stay intelligent and grounded when the world itself plays dirty.
What truly sets Sun Bin apart, however, is that despite being a master of war, he deeply understands and values peace. That balance reflects the mindset of true strength — secure, disciplined, and wise. Knowing how to fight does not mean craving conflict; it means knowing how to prevent chaos and protect stability.
A true master of his craft.
This isn’t just The Art of War — this is war as pure intellect.
Sun Bin reads like a human war machine. His mind operates on a level I’ve rarely encountered in any book. His strategies feel less like military tactics and more like a grand chess game — he knows the rules perfectly, anticipates every possible move, and watches his enemies walk straight into carefully designed traps. He doesn’t merely react to situations; he constructs the entire stage and allows events to unfold exactly as he planned. There’s something almost mesmerizing about watching that level of intellectual control at work.
What struck me even more is how vividly and clearly he explains his strategies and formations. Even as an amateur, I could genuinely understand how these formations work in practice — how they are built, how they look on the battlefield, how they are arranged, and which formation fits each situation. Nothing feels abstract or vague. His writing makes strategy feel visual, logical, and grounded in real execution.
More importantly, he never tells you only what to do — he explains why each formation exists and why it should be used in specific circumstances. That depth transforms strategy from memorization into true understanding. You start thinking in causes, consequences, and adaptability rather than fixed rules.
Sword warfare, in particular, fascinated me as a pure display of both intellectual and physical strength. It represents a form of war between two armed nations that openly acknowledge their conflict and meet with calculated intent — almost like two brilliant generals playing chess against each other, where every move is deliberate and every resource is maximized.
Sadly, this sense of honor and strategic integrity feels lost in the lifeless wars of the past century. I honestly see them as cowardly wars — sitting comfortably and launching weapons that erase entire unarmed populations without warning. That isn’t real power or dominance; it’s the absence of both. True strength doesn’t need to hide behind mass destruction.
Another aspect I deeply appreciated was Sun Bin’s focus on the character of a general. He speaks extensively about leadership, discipline, education, intellect, manners, and how commanders should treat their soldiers. This felt ahead of its time and incredibly relevant. Leadership isn’t only about commanding power — it’s about moral authority, responsibility, and example.
The diversity of tactics based on changing circumstances was also fascinating, especially his emphasis on using all available resources — including nature itself. In this sense, nature becomes an extra army capable of cruelty and decisive force. History proves this clearly; we all know what happened to Hitler in Russia, where the snow itself shifted the balance of power.
Beyond warfare, this book holds immense value for anyone in a leadership position. Not as a manual for conflict, but as a guide for structured thinking, clarity of action, fairness, vision, and ethical authority. His thoughts on how to treat soldiers were particularly powerful: leading by example, acting with justice without bias, building systems instead of chaos, and treating people with dignity. Loyalty and true motivation grow from respect — not fear, not cruelty, and not blind obedience.
The only downside is that some sections feel fragmented or scrambled, which is understandable considering the historical preservation of the text. At times this disrupts the reading flow slightly, but it never takes away from the brilliance or wisdom of the work. Having some background knowledge of historical figures also helps, otherwise certain references may feel unclear.
The number of strategies Sun Bin presents is mind-blowing. Every decision is layered with calculation, patience, and psychological insight. This is not a book you read once and move on from — it’s a book you read, reflect on, and revisit to uncover deeper layers each time. His mind is endlessly fascinating.
The only work I’ve encountered that comes close to this level of strategic sharpness and bold realism is The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli — similarly unapologetic, intelligent, and focused on how power truly operates, whether through weapons or ideas. While these books may seem targeted toward generals or political leaders, their principles are deeply applicable to everyday life, decision-making, and human behavior. They don’t promote dirty play — they teach how to stay intelligent and grounded when the world itself plays dirty.
What truly sets Sun Bin apart, however, is that despite being a master of war, he deeply understands and values peace. That balance reflects the mindset of true strength — secure, disciplined, and wise. Knowing how to fight does not mean craving conflict; it means knowing how to prevent chaos and protect stability.
A true master of his craft.
March 29, 2013
A should-read book on office politics which will happen to you and around you whether you participate in politics or not.
March 29, 2017
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 The Art of War 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 The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
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 The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
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August 12, 2015Haluk Hepkon'un kitabın sunuş yazısına taşıdığı "Belki de bu yüzden Sun Bin'i okumadan Sun Tzu'yu incelemenin bir eksiklik olduğuna inanılmaktadır," iddiası, abartı bile sayılamayacak kadar desteksiz bir iddiadır. Hepkon, ya bu kitabı ya da Sun Tzu'yu okumamış, yahut gerçek dışı iddialara değer vererek bir pazarlama cümlesini metnine sıkıştırmış, başka bir açıklama bulamıyorum. Kitap ise bana sorarsanız sadece askerî tarihle ilgilenen "askerlere" hitap edecek cinsten; üç sayfalık son bölümü harici neredeyse hiç felsefe yok, yalnızca somut savaş stratejilerinden bahsediliyor. Sun Tzu'yla kıyaslanması söz konusu edilemez. Onun dışında, Çince aslı yerine Almanca bir kopyasından dilimize kazandırılmasını anlarım, bazı metinlerde bu bazen daha iyi bile sonuç verebilir ancak kitapta çok fazla dipnot eksikliği var, metinde pek çok defa okur fenersiz bırakılmış, anlayamayacağı nice sözler kitaba hiçbir açıklama olmaksızın basılmış. Kitabın arka kapak yazısı da içeriğini gizlemek amacıyla yazılmış gibi. Özetle, kitap bir hayal kırıklığı oldu, kitabın içeriğini dürüstçe yansıtabilen bir arka kapak yazısı olsaydı hiç satın almazdım.
January 29, 2021
Ridiculously repetitive. I also don't see how any of this is relevant.
November 10, 2022
I find it even more interesting since the original. There are many references though which makes it great to read alongside it.
November 12, 2019
Want insight into war and strategy from ancient China? No, this work should not be confused with Sun Tzu’s Art of War; it sounds similar but its Sun Pin’s The Art of Warfare. While there are similarities this is a separate military text from Chinese classical writings. Lesser known than the other work that I mentioned, I picked this work up to read it not just only for surveying strategic insight but also to see what I can gleam from the work in terms of Ancient China’s use of weapons of warfare and how their armies and military unit was organized. This was work was compiled, edited, translated and explained by both Roger T. Ames and D.C. Lau in a superb academic manner.
There is a lengthy introduction running over a hundred page, but it is much needed to historically situate this military text. Discussion in the introduction include an overview of the work and also comparison and contrast between Sun Tzu’s famous work along with an analysis of the philosophical terminology in Sun Pin’s The Art of Warfare. I found all of this very helpful and insightful. The meat of the book is the text of The Art of Warfare. This is translated in three parts with the part one giving us the sixteen chapter text recovered from the Yin –Ch’ueh-Shan Han Dynasty Strips while part two is on the fifteen supplemental chapters recovered from the Yin –Ch’ueh-Shan Han Dynasty Strips. Part three then translates from text recovered from later commentarial, historical and encyclopedic sources. The appendix was also interesting for history buff with discussion of the excavation of the tombs in which the text was found and also discussion of dating these bamboo strip manuscripts.
Students of military history, strategy and Chinese history would find this work fascinating. I enjoyed i
There is a lengthy introduction running over a hundred page, but it is much needed to historically situate this military text. Discussion in the introduction include an overview of the work and also comparison and contrast between Sun Tzu’s famous work along with an analysis of the philosophical terminology in Sun Pin’s The Art of Warfare. I found all of this very helpful and insightful. The meat of the book is the text of The Art of Warfare. This is translated in three parts with the part one giving us the sixteen chapter text recovered from the Yin –Ch’ueh-Shan Han Dynasty Strips while part two is on the fifteen supplemental chapters recovered from the Yin –Ch’ueh-Shan Han Dynasty Strips. Part three then translates from text recovered from later commentarial, historical and encyclopedic sources. The appendix was also interesting for history buff with discussion of the excavation of the tombs in which the text was found and also discussion of dating these bamboo strip manuscripts.
Students of military history, strategy and Chinese history would find this work fascinating. I enjoyed i
August 12, 2017
This book tried to revive the original strategy book of Sun Bin, or Sun Tzu II or the scared Sun. While I found the content to be not so different from Sun Tzu's the art of war, there are some new things though. Sadly there were many parts missing from the original strategy book.
July 7, 2018
No lo disfrute para nada, eso de que le faltaran frangementos y capítulos no ayuda a engarcharse. Prefiero mil veces El Arte de la guerra de Sun Tzu.
October 11, 2017
جائت مقدمه الكتاب للتعريف عن سن تزو... وكيف ألف الكتاب فيها... و كيف اشتهر بين المتخصصين في العلوم الاستراتيجية ... جاء الكتاب في شكل جمل أو فقرات إشارية ذات مغزى تكتيكي عام ... يمكن تطبيقها في عالم الاقتصاد والتجاره و السياسه والرياضة... اعجبني الكتاب كثيرا ... اغلب الارشادات يمكن اعتمادها في ازمنة مختلفة ... "القرار الأقل صوابا في وقت الحاجة إلى الحسم، أصوب من القرار النموذجي بعد ضياع الفرصة" ... "لن نكون قادرين على أن نحقق السبق والتقدم، إذا لم نعتمد على أدلاء محليين، من نفس البلاد التي نمر بها" ... "بعيدا عن العوامل الطبيعية، هناك ست كوارث قد تصيب الجيش من قبل قائده، وهي: الهروب، التمرد وعصيان الأوامر، التدهور والانهيار، الدمار، الفوضى، الهزيمة" ... علي مدي 13 فصلا يقوم سن تزو بتقديم هذه الارشادات منذ قرون مضت.. لتزال قائمه ليومنا هذا ..
September 23, 2018
The Art of War by Sun Tzu is an attempt to lay down affirmative positivistic guidelines for war. He lays down the forms of terrain, the ways of attack, rules for commanders, and the vital employment of spies. The guidelines are succinct and commanding, with an assortments of dos and don'ts according to the particular situation. Its a rather powerful book in some ways, but in others I imagine this is a text that requires punishing instruction to fully understand. Clausewitz was intuitively understandable, even when the narrative was at times chaotic and tediously overdone. Sun Tzu is not, at least not until you drill its terminology firmly in your head.
I used to read The Art of War a lot when I was younger, and it is still rather difficult to internalize. There's also the fact that some of the terminology and advice is under-explored, which draws into question the degree to which it should be internalized. Regardless, its an important text, and should probably be read if you have a spare hour or so.
Score?
91/100 | A-
I used to read The Art of War a lot when I was younger, and it is still rather difficult to internalize. There's also the fact that some of the terminology and advice is under-explored, which draws into question the degree to which it should be internalized. Regardless, its an important text, and should probably be read if you have a spare hour or so.
Score?
91/100 | A-
August 10, 2025
The Art of War II, or The Lost Art of War, is a treasure for those into strategy books. Sun Bin, the author, is believed to be a relative of Sun Tzu, the creator of the great classic The Art of War.
Today, up-to-date translations provide a whole different meaning to chapters of the original, and a better bet at this one.
A must-read.
Today, up-to-date translations provide a whole different meaning to chapters of the original, and a better bet at this one.
A must-read.
August 25, 2017
Okunmaya değer olarak içeriği olmayan; strateji olarak sadece sunuş yazısında bulunan satış stratejisini bulabileceğiniz; felsefe olarak da, kitap satsın da nasıl satarsa satsın anlayışında bir kitap.
Zamanınızı boşa harcamayın ...
Zamanınızı boşa harcamayın ...
April 10, 2020
very similar to the art of war, the commentary is by far the best part. the bit on how a company can be like a sword was the most helpful. knowing what a vanguard and a rear guard kinda do was a great metaphor for sales and estimating and then the PM's to finish it up.
December 29, 2022
لا أنصح به كتاب ناقص وسئ ومعلوماته عفى الزمن عنها
October 14, 2023
3/5 ⭐️
Interesante, aunque la guerra sea la cosa más inútil del mundo.
Interesante, aunque la guerra sea la cosa más inútil del mundo.
May 16, 2024
ثم ان بني البشر الذين لم تكن لهم مخالب حرب او اذناب قتال طبيعية كتلك التي لبعض فصائل الحيوانات صنعوا لانفسهم ادوات يخوضون بها القتال فكان ذلك من طبع الحكمة
ص 95
ص 95
January 4, 2025
Kırmızı kedi yayınevi Türkçe çevirisi çok başarısız. Açıklamalar ve referanslar yok. Dipnot yok. Çince kavramlar olduğu gibi bırakılmış. Büyük olasılıkla Çince’den de çevrilmemiş. Yazık olmuş.
June 14, 2022
Libro esencial de estrategia militar china del periodo de los Reinos Combatientes, además de ser un documento histórico de gran relevancia, perdido hasta hace apenas unas décadas cuando se hayó un ejemplar en la excavación de una tumba de la dinastía Han. La edición es bastante académica, bilingüe, y con un estudio introductorio, no es una lectura dominguera ni para aficionados, pues la traducción de D.C. Lau y R.T. Ames es de enfoque filológico-filosófico, por lo que absténganse los lectores ocasionales que esperan encontrar una estrategia para la vida cotidiana, empresarial, financiera u alguna otra trivialidad. Aunque de forma popular han llegado a muchas estanterías sacados de su contexto original, Sun Pin (Sun Bin) y Sun Tzu (Sunzi) son dos autores con un contexto histórico muy preciso al igual que sus obras. Es sumamente interesante que se los traduzca y reinterprete de formas tan dispares más de dos milenios después de muertos, pero hay que tener en cuenta que en estas reinterpretaciones se los aleja de su propósito y significado originales. En la edición de Lau y Ames se busca lo contrario con Sun Bin, se intenta/n encontrar su/s significado/s primigenio/s. En el trabajo compilatorio ambos traductores además de incluir naturalmente los hallazgos de hace unas décadas también incluyen las citas, menciones y comentarios de la obra de Sun Bin en fuentes posteriores. Hay que anotar que la traducción de D.C. Lau y R.T. Ames tiene dos ediciones diferentes, la original, publicada por Ballantine Books, es en cartoné, está en wade-giles, contiene varias láminas en color y además los textos en chino y en inglés están enfrentados. Esta edición ya no se edita desde hace mucho pero es la más recomendable. La última re-edición, de State University of New York Press está en Pinyin, es en rústica, carece de las láminas en color y para ahorrar páginas los textos ya no están enfrentados. Para los estudiosos del tema es recomendable contrastar esta traducción e interpretación con la edición de Sawyer, de enfoque más militar.
July 25, 2012
War has taken such a strange turn in these days. Drones instead of soldiers, countries with nuclear warheads that are so primitive you expect to see Christ riding over the hill on a donkey. Not sure how much these "principles" apply anymore.
August 20, 2007
tertarik habis baca legend of the dragon son
Currently reading
April 27, 2008Buku Ini tentang seni perang sun Tzu yang Hilang. dan buku ini dikarang oleh sun tzu II (sun Bin). muridnya Sun wu (sun tzu I).
Read
April 27, 2008Bukunya bagus Bwt strategi...
tapi ngebacanya gak bisa sekali...
harus berulang2 biar bisa memahami...
agak berimajinasi dikit lebih mantap tu..
tapi ngebacanya gak bisa sekali...
harus berulang2 biar bisa memahami...
agak berimajinasi dikit lebih mantap tu..
September 21, 2012
Pretty interesting read, I have read a lot of Sun Tzu but never Sun Bin, they both are very similar with some smaller differences on the emphasis of war.
September 7, 2012
There are a variety of sources and interpretations of the Art of War. I think this one falls a little short. I didn't enjoy reading it as much as I expected.
Read
August 5, 2014so much incomplete
Read
February 5, 2018كتاب جميل و يوضح للقارئ الرؤيه الصائبه التي تدار بها الحروب من خلال سونبين
Want to read
June 15, 2018This class of books are awesome i couldn't put it down.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews