Sun Tzu and The Art of Modern Warfare

Abstract

Abstract Long acknowledged as a classic text on strategy, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War has been admired by leaders as diverse as Mao Zedong and General Norman Schwartzkopf. However, written two thousand years ago, the book can often be hard to fathom. Now Mark McNeilly, author of Sun Tzu and the Art of Business, which made Sun Tzu accessible to the business executive, has extracted six concepts most applicable to modern warfare, making them easy to understand and apply to military situations. Drawing on a wealth of fascinating historical examples, McNeilly shows that these six principles might be used in wars of the future limited actions, regional conflicts -and how they can provide insight into current affairs, such as the future course of China’s increasingly important strategic and military role in the world. He describes how to win the information war how, to lead by example, and how to use alliances to defeat the opponent. Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned from Sun Tzu, especially for strategists who want to maximize their resources, is how to “win without fighting”. And, should fighting be unavoidable, victory should be achieved in a manner that minimizes losses, leaves the victor stronger and ensures a lasting peace. Including the full text of The Art of War in the popular Griffith translation, with cross-references to quotations used in the book, Sun Tzu and the Art of Modern Warfare unlocks these elusive secrets for anyone interested in strategy and warfare, whether they are professional soldiers, military history buffs, or business executives.