Sun Tzu
The plain-English guide: which translation to read, the thirteen chapters at a glance, the ideas that matter, the quotes people use (and two he never wrote), and what is known about the man.
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Fast facts
- Name
- Sun Wu, known as Sunzi or Sun Tzu ('Master Sun')
- Lived
- Traditionally c. 500 BC, state of Wu (eastern China)
- Only book
- The Art of War (Sunzi bingfa), 13 chapters
- Text took shape
- Probably 5th–3rd century BC
- Earliest copy found
- Bamboo slips from a Han tomb at Yinqueshan, found 1972
- Best first edition
- Samuel B. Griffith (1963) or John Minford (2002)
- Free edition
- Lionel Giles's 1910 translation (public domain)
Where to start with Sun Tzu
There is one short book, so the choice is the translation. Read The Art of War straight through first; it takes an evening. Then read it again slowly with a translation that has notes, because many lines only make sense once you know the warfare of ancient China they were written for.
- 1
Thirteen short chapters. Read them in one sitting to see the whole argument: plan, avoid long wars, know the ground, use deception, use spies.
- 2
A translation with commentary
Find it on Amazon· affiliateGriffith (1963) explains the military context; Minford (2002) gives a plain version followed by an annotated one. Either turns cryptic lines into usable ideas.
- 3
A scholarly translation
Find it on Amazon· affiliateRoger Ames (1993) or Victor Mair (2007) work from the Yinqueshan bamboo text and argue over what the original really said.
Lionel Giles's 1910 translation is free online and still accurate, but it has no modern notes. Our chapter-by-chapter summary of The Art of War covers all thirteen chapters.
The Art of War: the translations worth choosing between
Sun Tzu wrote one book; dozens of English translations exist. These are the ones readers and scholars return to, in order of publication.
- 1910
1. The Art of War, tr. Lionel Giles
ModeratefreeThe first strong English translation, with a long introduction. Public domain, so most free and cheap copies use it.
- 1963
2. The Art of War, tr. Samuel B. Griffith
Moderatebest first readBy a US Marine general who studied Chinese. Clear, with essays on the book's history and its influence on Mao and on Japan.
- 1988
3. The Art of War, tr. Thomas Cleary
GentleshortA compact, readable version that brings in the Taoist side of the text and the traditional commentators.
- 1993
4. Sun-Tzu: The Art of Warfare, tr. Roger Ames
HardAn early English translation built on the Yinqueshan bamboo text found in 1972, including passages recovered from it.
- 1994
5. The Art of War, tr. Ralph D. Sawyer
HardA historian of Chinese warfare; detailed notes on weapons, armies and campaigns of the period.
- Penguin, 2002
6. The Art of War, tr. John Minford
ModerateTwo versions in one book: the bare text first, then the same text with the classic Chinese commentaries. Excellent for a second read.
- 2007
7. The Art of War, tr. Victor H. Mair
HardA careful scholarly translation with a strong argument about when and how the text was really written.
His big ideas, explained simply
The handful of ideas that made the book last.
Win before you fight
Battles are decided by planning and assessment before they start. Compare yourself and the enemy honestly; fight only when the comparison favours you.
The best victory needs no battle
Breaking the enemy's plans and alliances is better than defeating his army, and taking a city intact is better than destroying it. Fighting is the costly last resort.
Know the enemy and know yourself
Most defeats come from ignorance of one side or the other. Knowledge, including what spies bring, is the foundation of everything else in the book.
Deception
Appear weak when strong, far when near. Shape what the enemy believes so that he commits where you want him to.
Strike weakness, avoid strength
Like water flowing around rocks to low ground, an army should avoid where the enemy is strong and press where he is weak.
Long wars ruin states
Speed matters. A drawn-out campaign drains money, people and morale, and no country has ever gained from a long war.
Famous quotes, and what they actually mean
“All warfare is based on deception.”
Conflict is a contest of information. Control what the other side believes and you control what it does.
“Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.”
The best result is the one that costs nothing: the opponent gives up because his position is hopeless.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
Honest knowledge of both sides is the closest thing to a guarantee in conflict.
“In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.”
Aim at a quick decision. Long efforts exhaust even the side that eventually wins.
Wordings follow Lionel Giles's 1910 translation; other translations number and phrase the lines differently.
Who he was, as far as anyone knows
Almost everything we know about Sun Tzu comes from a short biography by the historian Sima Qian, written around 100 BC, four centuries after the events it describes. In it Sun Wu, a native of the state of Qi, presents his thirteen chapters to King Helü of Wu, proves his method by drilling the king's palace women into soldiers, and goes on to command Wu's armies.
Many modern historians doubt parts of that story, and some doubt that Sun Wu existed at all. The text itself mentions weapons and army sizes that fit the Warring States period (5th–3rd century BC) better than 500 BC, which suggests it grew over time. In 1972 archaeologists opening a Han dynasty tomb at Yinqueshan found the book written on bamboo slips, together with a long-lost work by Sun Bin, said to be his descendant.
The Art of War reached Europe through a French translation by the Jesuit Jean Joseph Marie Amiot in 1772, and English readers through Lionel Giles in 1910. It has since been studied by generals, revolutionaries, lawyers, coaches and business schools.
Common misreadings to avoid
The Art of War is among the most misquoted books in the world. Four corrections.
The myth: 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.'
What is true: Not in The Art of War. The line is from the film The Godfather Part II (1974).
The myth: 'In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.'
What is true: This does not appear in the standard translations. The book does say disorder can be used against an enemy, but not in these words.
The myth: It is a book about winning by force.
What is true: It argues the reverse: avoid battle when you can, win by preparation and position, and treat fighting as costly and dangerous.
The myth: It was written by one man in one sitting.
What is true: That is the tradition, but scholars widely think the text was shaped by several hands over generations before it reached the form we read.
Frequently asked questions
Which translation of The Art of War should I read?
For a first read, Samuel B. Griffith (1963) or John Minford (2002). Lionel Giles (1910) is free online. For scholarship, Roger Ames (1993) or Victor Mair (2007).
Did Sun Tzu really exist?
Nobody knows for certain. The only early biography was written four centuries later, and many historians think the book grew over time rather than coming from a single author.
How long is The Art of War?
Very short: thirteen chapters, about 6,000 Chinese characters. Most readers finish it in an evening; editions with commentary are longer.
Did Sun Tzu write any other books?
No other book is credited to him. A separate work, Sun Bin's Art of War, is attributed to a later descendant and was rediscovered in 1972.
Is The Art of War useful outside war?
Its ideas about preparation, knowing your position, avoiding costly fights and using information are widely applied in business, law and sport. Read it first as a book about war, then decide what transfers.
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Researched and written by the Read Stacks editorial team. Last verified October 8, 2026. Quotations follow Lionel Giles's public-domain translation; historical claims follow standard scholarship on the text.