The Art of War: Sun Zi's Military Methods

The Art of War: Sun Zi's Military Methods (Translations from the Asian Classics) (Hardcover) by Sun Zi (Author)

"After reading Victor Mair's elegant new rendering of the ancient text, I was left without any doubt that it is an important contribution to our understanding of both the meaning of the text itself and the evolution of Chinese military thought. While some translations in the past have been informed by philosophical studies or the translator's own personal experience of modern warfare and intelligence matters, what Mair brings to bear is a remarkable feel for the Chinese language of ancient times that results in lucid and persuasive renderings of many of the more enigmatic and obscure passages. He steers a judicious course between the free translation and the overly literal, and further aids our comprehension by providing a concise glossary explaining the key terms that appear in the text." -- David Graff, associate professor of history, Kansas State University

Customer Reviews

Mair's new translation does a great job of making "The Art of War" readable while better imbuing it with the feel of the Classical Chinese original.

His explanations also shed new light on various aspects of this work by attempting to put it in broader context than many previous translators and annotators.

I still think that every enthusiast of "The Art of War" ought to read the annotated Lionel Giles translation at least once--but without question, Victor H. Mair has created a genuinely valuable new translation that is superior to the work of most other modern Sinologists who tackled Sunzi's enduring masterpiece.