The art of war: book review

“Before starting the review, comment that I will follow the Avondale University College structure of how to write a book critique/review”: Microsoft Word - BOOKCRITIQUE_Tutoring_Service_AWS_2020.docx (avondale.edu.au)

Sun Tzu is the author of this book called The Art of War. The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise attributed to Sun Tzu, a military strategist and philosopher. It is believed that our author had lived in the Easter Zhou period of ancient China, around the 5th century BCE.

Back on his attributes, Sun Tzu is known for his expertise in military strategy. In this book, we can see many tips on how to face a War, how to resolve conflicts, and most importantly for us, how to lead.

Although not much is known about his life, the advice he gave is still held today. The Art of War is the best strategy book of all time. He inspired great characters such as Napoleon, Machiavelli and many other historical figures.[pic 2]

If we talk about the purpose of the book, The Art of War talks about military strategy and tactics, and its primary purpose is to provide guidance to military leaders on how to achieve success in warfare. In other words, the main purpose is to provide practical advice on how to win battles and wars. While its primary focus is on warfare, the book’s principles have been widely applied to various aspects of life, including business, leadership, and personal development (among many other).

If we talk about the core thesis of the book, in my opinion there’re two phrases that reflect it. The first one is “All warfare is based on deception”. Sun Tzu thinks that a victory does not only depend on the size of the army or the strength of them, but victory comes through exploiting the weaknesses of the opponent, always trying it without fighting. The other phrase that I think that reflects the core thesis is: “The Art of War is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin”. This one explains the importance of military strategy and tactics in the survival and success of a state.

After this short introduction of the book and the author, I will now briefly explain the contents of the book. The book is composed of thirteen chapters, each one giving different advices related to the war. I will go episode by episode to give the main ideas of each one.[pic 3]

1. Laying Plans: In this chapter it talks about five fundamental factors that must be known by any general. These are The Moral Law, Heaven, Earth, The Commander and Discipline. If the general knows them, he will be victorious. It also says that all warfare is based on deception.

2. Waging War: He talks about the importance of time. It will never be beneficial for a military operation to last long, because people will get tired, resources will run out… Resources are the happiness of the people, so an intelligent general will fight to deprive the enemy. In this chapter it also talks about the importance of rewards. So, the most important in a military operation is the victory, not the persistency.

3. Attack by Stratagem: In this chapter he tells us about the importance of the strategy. The best generals are those who win through strategy and not by fighting. Generals that triumph:

• know when to fight and when not to fight,
• know how to discern when to use many or few troops,
• have troops with the same objective,
• confront unsuspecting enemies with preparations,
• And have competent generals not limited by their civil governments.

4. Tactical Dispositions: Once I have read the chapter, I would highlight that for being invincible in the battle, it is necessary to know yourself and wait to notice what the enemy’s vulnerable point is, because after mastering this, you master everything else. “Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability is in the adversary”.

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5. Energy: He shows us the importance of the force. Force is the energy accumulated or that which is perceived. Good generals are capable of defeating the enemy with just perception, obtaining this way the victory without fighting. So, it remarks the importance of manipulating the reality: The most effective way to confuse the enemy is to “fake a disorder” and distract them, but for this it is necessary to first organize the disorder, and the create an artificial one.

6. Weak points and strong: In this chapter he explains that good warriors attract adversaries and do not allow themselves to be attracted. This causes you to be in a favourable situation. If you make them come to you, their strength will be empty, however if you do not go out to fight, your strength is full. This is the art of how to weaken others and take advantage from it. In general, it talks about showing things you want to show to confuse them and take advantage of what the enemies think that it’s his advantage. It’s all strategy.

7. Manoeuvring: In this episode he talks about the importance of flexibility. There cannot be a single tactic, because if they discover it, you are dead. Good generals are able to adapt to new situations. On the other hand, their soldiers must also be prepared because their situation can change unexpectedly at any moment.[pic 5]

8. Variation in Tactics: As the name suggests, this episode is about variation in tactics. Sun Tzu tells us that generals who know the possible variables to take advantage of the terrain, know how to handle the armed forces. It also tells us how important it is that your forces move quickly and silently in times of war. Finally, he reiterates the importance of knowing the opponent well (location, defences, and other information).

9. The Army on the March: In this episode he gives advice on military manoeuvres: quickly cross the valleys and position yourself on the enemy to be able to control him; consider the effect of the sun; when you attack from a mountain attack from top to bottom; prevent the water from dividing your forces; don't walk against the wind; do not camp near the river, as you may be attacked… The advantage in a military operation is to take advantage of all the beneficial factors of the terrain.

10. Terrain: There are different types of terrain, some easier, others more difficult, some neutral, bumpy... The question is knowing how to adapt to each terrain. “It is good to use paths that are easy for you, but difficult for the enemy”. Sun Tzu separates between six kinds of terrain:

• When the terrain is accessible, be the first to establish your position, then you will have advantage.
• When you are in an entangling terrain where it’s difficult to get out, you are limited and if the rival is prepared, you will have it difficult to survive.
• When you are in a neutral or temporizing terrain, this means that is difficult for both sides.
• In a narrow field, if you are the first to arrive, you must occupy it completely and wait for your opponent.
• With regard to precipitous heights, if you are the first to arrive, you must occupy its high and sunny points and wait for the opponent.
• Finally, if you are in an open terrain, anyone has an advantage and it’s difficult to have it.

11. The Nine Situations: This chapter explains the nine varieties of ground. These nine types are the following: dispersive ground, facile ground, contentious ground, open ground, ground of intersecting highways, serious ground, difficult ground, hemmed-in ground and desperate ground. In this case, I’m not going to review one by one because it will be too long but it’s important to know them all to assess all type of situations and always be able to react.

12. The Attack by Fire: In this episode, we are told that there are five types of fire attacks: Burn soldiers, burn stores, burn baggage trains, burn arsenals and magazines, and hurl dropping fire amongst the enemy. However, Sun Tzu not only talks about ways you can attack your opponent with fire, he also tells how to prevent them from attacking you. In general, fire is used to generate confusion to the enemy and thus be able to attack him.

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