The Art of War: Sun Zi's Military Methods

Sun Zi (Sun Tzu); Translated by Victor Mair

December, 2007
Cloth, 256 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-231-13382-1
$19.95 / £11.95

"Mair provides insight on how this manual came to exist." — Indianapolis Star

"Lean, clear, all fustian removed." — Donald Richie, Japan Times

"Mair’s excellent new translation of Sunzi’s (Sun Tzu) Art of War . . . brings a new, and extremely useful perspective to the text." — Peter Lorge, Journal of Military History

"Sun Zi's The Art of War is widely recognized as one of the most significant political and philosophical works of early China and the foundational work of Chinese military theory. It has been translated numerous times; some translations have been bestsellers, especially when configured as books of business strategy rather than military theory. Victor Mair's excellent new translation, as one would expect from someone of his high reputation, combines textual accuracy, literary grace, and historical depth. It will bring pleasure and insight to non-specialist readers and scholars alike." — John S. Major, senior lecturer, The China Institute

"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

"Victor Mair's brilliant translation of the Sunzi bingfa is especially commendable for its clarity and elegance. Although this classic text of Chinese military thought enjoys several authoritative English translations, Mair succeeds in providing a novel, insightful, and yet rigorous approach to its history and interpretation. The author's consummate knowledge of Classical Chinese and sensitivity to the nuances of the text shows it in a genuinely fresh way. Mair presents the Sunzi bingfa not as an exotic well of wisdom but as a genuine historical product, and Western readers will be able to enjoy it on its own terms and understand better what they are reading, and why." — Nicola Di Cosmo, Princeton University

Related Subjects

• Asian/Islamic Philosophy
• East Asian Studies

Series

• Translations from the Asian Classics

About the Author

Victor Mair is a graduate of Dartmouth College, the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, and Harvard University. He is professor of Chinese language and literature at the University of Pennsylvania and is the founder and editor of Sino-Platonic Papers, an academic journal that examines diverse aspects of Chinese language, script, and culture, paying particular attention to historical relationships with other societies in Eurasia. For the past two decades, he has led a major international investigation of the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age peoples of Eastern Central Asia, a project that has resulted in numerous publications and several films. His Columbia books include The Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature and The Columbia History of Chinese Literature.

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