# Tu Mu — The Art of War character guide

> Tu Mu in The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** 杜牧 Tu Mu

**First appearance:** 0004-the-commentators

## Snapshot

A Tang poet with no battlefield experience but a deep love of military history, Tu Mu annotates Sun Tzǔ with copious historical parallels.

## Who they are

Tu Mu was a bright star of Tang poetry who read widely in the military history of the Ch'un Ch'iu and Chan Kuo eras, though he never commanded troops himself. His notes are copious and packed with historical parallels, and he summarized Sun Tzǔ's gist as practicing benevolence and justice while making full use of artifice. Later commentators found him long-winded and sometimes at odds with Ts'ao Kung, but his enthusiasm for the subject makes his marginal voice one of the most engaging in the text.

## Relationships

### [Tsʽao Kung](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/characters/tsao_kung)

_professional_

Tsʽao Kung and Tu Mu were both prominent commentators on The Art of War, often engaging in scholarly dialogue through their annotations.

### [Sun Tzǔ](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/characters/sun_tzu)

_professional_

Tu Mu was a Tang dynasty poet and commentator who provided extensive analysis of Sun Tzǔ's text.

### [Wang Hsi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/characters/wang_hsi)

_professional_

Tu Mu and Wang Hsi were both commentators on Sun Tzǔ, with Tu Mu's poetic insights contrasting with Wang Hsi's more practical analyses.

### [Sun Tzǔ](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/characters/sun_tzu)

_professional_

Tu Mu was a Tang dynasty poet and commentator who provided extensive analysis of Sun Tzǔ's text.

### [Wang Hsi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/characters/wang_hsi)

_professional_

Tu Mu and Wang Hsi were both commentators on Sun Tzǔ, with Tu Mu's poetic insights contrasting with Wang Hsi's more practical analyses.

### [Tsʽao Kung](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/characters/tsao_kung)

_professional_

Tsʽao Kung and Tu Mu were both prominent commentators on The Art of War, often engaging in scholarly dialogue through their annotations.

## In the story

### [Sun Wu and His Book](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/chapters/sun-wu-and-his-book)

Important commentator on Sun Tzǔ who asserted that Tsʽao Kung abridged Sun Wu's original writings into 13 chapters.

### [The Commentators](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/chapters/the-commentators)

A famous Tʽang poet and commentator whose notes are copious and replete with historical parallels; he summarized Sun Tzǔ's work as practicing benevolence and justice while using artifice.

### [Apologies for War](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/chapters/apologies-for-war)

Wrote a preface to his commentary on Sun Tzǔ, arguing that war is a form of punishment and a function of government.

### [VII: Manoeuvring](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/chapters/vii-manoeuvring)

Commentator providing historical examples of manoeuvring and the dangers of forced marches.

### [XI: The Nine Situations](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/chapters/xi-the-nine-situations)

Commentator providing historical examples and clarifications on the nine situations.

### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/chapters/endnotes)

Quoted for his interpretation of 依 as 近 and for his description of the general Wu Chʽi's conduct.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/characters/tu_mu
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_art_of_war_se/characters