The Art of War · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

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Chapter 1
Dedication
The translator dedicates this work to his brother, Captain Valentine Giles, expressing the hope that a text over two millennia old may still offer valuable lessons for the modern soldier.
Chapter 2
Preface by Lionel Giles
Lionel Giles introduces his translation of Sun Tzǔ's The Art of War, criticizing previous translations by Père Amiot and Capt. E. F. Calthrop for inaccuracies and omissions. He explains his methodology, including paragraph division, selective commentary, and textual references, aiming to provide a more faithful and scholarly edition.
Chapter 3
Sun Wu and His Book
This chapter provides a biography of Sun Wu (Sun Tzǔ) as recorded by Ssǔ-ma Chʽien, detailing his test with King Ho Lu's concubines, his appointment as general, and his military successes. It also discusses scholarly debates about the authenticity of Sun Wu's existence and the origins of his work, The Art of War, including references to later commentators and textual history.
Chapter 4
The Text of Sun Tzǔ
This chapter traces the textual history of Sun Tzǔ's Art of War, from its early circulation in the Han dynasty through the discovery of Chi Tʽien-pao's lost edition by Sun Hsing-yen in the 18th century. It details the challenges of textual corruption, the role of early encyclopedias like the Tʽung Tien and Tʽai Pʽing Yü Lan in preserving fragments, and the scholarly efforts to reconstruct a reliable standard text.
Chapter 5
The Commentators
This chapter provides a detailed historical overview of the many commentators who have annotated Sun Tzǔ's 'The Art of War', from Tsʽao Kung in the 2nd century AD through the Sung dynasty. It discusses the contributions, styles, and reputations of key figures such as Tu Mu, Chʽên Hao, Mei Yao-chʽên, and Chang Yü, as well as lesser-known commentators, and notes the circumstances that led to a flourishing of commentary during the Sung period.

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Dedication

Preface by Lionel Giles

Sun Wu and His Book

The Text of Sun Tzǔ

The Commentators