Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: Sun Tzu

  1. #1
    Council Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Rocky Mtn Empire
    Posts
    473

    Default Sun Tzu

    Question: What is the best text to use to teach Sun Tzu?

    I just got lateraled a course in strategic masters. No big surprize that Sun Tzu is one of the masters. When I went to Amazon to see what books are available, I learned that there are WAY too many. I have my Griffith's copy from active duty days, and the school uses Caleb Carr's Book of War.

    I welcome any insights you well read contributors might have.

  2. #2
    Council Member J Wolfsberger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    806

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Old Eagle View Post
    Question: What is the best text to use to teach Sun Tzu?

    I just got lateraled a course in strategic masters. No big surprize that Sun Tzu is one of the masters. When I went to Amazon to see what books are available, I learned that there are WAY too many. I have my Griffith's copy from active duty days, and the school uses Caleb Carr's Book of War.

    I welcome any insights you well read contributors might have.
    I'd use the Griffith copy and handouts.
    John Wolfsberger, Jr.

    An unruffled person with some useful skills.

  3. #3
    Council Member Backwards Observer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Posts
    511

    Default have sun - will travel

    The 1963 hardcover copy of Griffith's translation was usually the first thing I'd throw in a suitcase when travelling, it has wabi. The more recent Denma translation is unusually insightful, in this reader's opinion, but possibly overestimates the potential of the human mind to foster mutually positive outcomes under real world conditions.

    Art Of War - Denma Group

    Interview with Denma Group - sonshi.com


  4. #4
    Council Member Backwards Observer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Posts
    511

    Default 'clausewitz guy' speaks

    Quote Originally Posted by William F. Owen View Post
    [...] [A] former PLA Colonel, I met in London, assured me that no-one in the PLA ever refers to the book as the "The Art of War." - and that the Griffith translation has substantial errors. He recommended the RL Wing translation as being the most accurate.
    'nuff said, I guess.

    The Art of Strategy by R.L. Wing - amazon
    ...

    R. L. Wing's version of the Art of War addresses the notion that we are warring with conflict. In our lives we face nonnegotiable conflicts and we must move or limit their impact, or we will have to lower our standards for success. Each chapter in this book begins with a reflection on 4 types of conflict: with the self, with the environment, with another, and among leaders. These help the reader approach the Art of War not just as mere battle planning in combat, but the reader can begin to plan and execute a strategy that accomplishes a goal. These might be personal or related to your livelihood, or it may be about how to talk with family members or co-workers, or just about how to adjust the relationship itself. R. L. Wing helps the reader open up to things from a new perspective with these 4 subject areas. The Conflict Among Leaders section looks at inter-organizational communication and conflict, which is best solved by planning and preparation so that the triumph is obvious and both entities are preserved. This is the essence of the Art of War, that when your action affects many other people, then your aim is to capture and convert the enemy and it's resources, not wantonly destroy them. (from bullshido.net review by Dr._Tzun_Tzu)
    Art of Strategy by RL Wing - Review - bullshido.net
    Last edited by Backwards Observer; 03-10-2013 at 08:58 AM. Reason: add quote

  5. #5
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    13,366

    Default Deciphering Sun Tzu: How to Read The Art of War

    A review of Deciphering Sun Tzu: How to Read The Art of War by Derek M Yuen:http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbo...he-art-of-war/

    Taster:
    It is likely that reading ....is very much a light bulb moment for commentators on Western strategic thought, as the quote at the start of this review highlights the secret of the Chinese dialectical system and why it is predisposed to strategic thinking.

    On the surface....appears to be such a new piece of work that comparison and analysis is tricky. The strategic literature is well defined. Not since Martin van Creveld’s On Future War has there been a serious attempt to break the stranglehold of the Clausewitzian Trinity on Western strategic thinking. However, the philosophical segment of the book is arguably the most important.

    ..... is primarily geared to the experienced strategic commentator as knowledge is needed to grasp some of the subtleties of the argument put forward. However, an inexperienced reader on the subject would still be able to gain the importance of understanding different culture and perspectives in which something is written, but they may lack the depth of knowledge specifically targeted in the book.
    davidbfpo

Similar Threads

  1. New Guidance on Counter-Insurgency
    By Michael C in forum The Whole News
    Replies: 128
    Last Post: 10-02-2009, 05:30 PM
  2. Officer Retention
    By Patriot in forum Military - Other
    Replies: 360
    Last Post: 07-03-2009, 05:47 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •