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Books That Matter: The Art of War

Take a deep dive into the core principles of competitive strategy in this classic text from ancient China, and see how this remarkable book has influenced politics, war, business, and more from the 4th century BCE to the 21st century.
 
 
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Books That Matter: The Art of War

Trailer

Sun Tzu: The Man, the Myth, the Legend

01: Sun Tzu: The Man, the Myth, the Legend

Begin with a look at the dramatic changes within ancient China between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE, which prefigured the writing of The Art of War. Witness the tension between the era’s new military capabilities and antiquated ideas about war and its purpose. Trace the legend of the general Sun Tzu, whose ideas form the core of the book, and his call for new thinking about warfare and strategy.

32 min
War and Statecraft in the Eastern Zhōu

02: War and Statecraft in the Eastern Zhōu

Take a deeper dive into the military culture that gave rise to The Art of War. Study the revolutionary epoch of the Zhou dynasty, beginning with the history of the sub-kingdom of Qí, a major martial and economic power. Then follow the epic rise and fall of the Wú kingdom. Finally, learn about the military dominance of the Qín kingdom and its brilliantly organized central bureaucracy.

35 min
Inventing the General in Ancient China

03: Inventing the General in Ancient China

Observe how changes in the logistics of war and its preparations revolutionized the requirements of command. Follow the shift from chariot armies to infantry-based forces, mandating more complex strategic organization. Note the ways in which The Art of War’s authors used rhetoric to envision a new kind of military leader, whose command is based in professionalism, expertise, and intellect.

36 min
In Sun Tzu’s Own Words: Net Assessment

04: In Sun Tzu’s Own Words: Net Assessment

Here, translate the Sūnzǐ’s opening from the classical Chinese into English. Unpack the Chinese characters, and how they convey meaning, as reflected in the terse and direct style of the text. Follow the first chapter’s account of five categories of information that form the commander’s assessment of the enemy, and the means to grasp the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing forces.

35 min
Mastering Command and Method

05: Mastering Command and Method

Delve into the five traits of an effective commander, from wisdom to discipline. Follow this with the Sūnzǐ’s key elements of military method, encompassing organization, staffing, logistics, and communication. See these principles in action in the example of Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company in the early 20th century, an instance of leadership which dominated the global auto industry.

31 min
Mastering Weather and Terrain

06: Mastering Weather and Terrain

Another gauge of great leadership is the use of weather and terrain for advantage in combat. Examine what the Sūnzǐ says about exploiting climatic conditions in both offensive and defensive operations. Study the Sūnzǐ’s four categories of terrain, and how to use them in achieving victory. Note that weather and terrain also include collective energy, morale, and factors of psychological advantage.

30 min
Mastering Energy and Timing

07: Mastering Energy and Timing

Explore the integral Chinese concept of shi, translated here as “focused potential energy”; an army’s diverse reservoir of energy which is cultivated and prepared to unleash in combat. In examples from history, witness the application of shi to Western approaches to war and competition. Then, study the vital factor of timing in war, and how great leaders combine shi with timing to achieve victory.

31 min
Mastering Espionage and Deception

08: Mastering Espionage and Deception

The Art of War argues for doing whatever is necessary to shift the competitive balance. Explore the concept of gui, deception through psychological warfare; reaping information, sowing disinformation, and misleading the enemy into self-defeating actions. Then, study intelligence gathering through spies, the Sūnzǐ’s five types of spies, and dramatic examples of the risks and benefits of espionage.

31 min
Sun Tzu in the Chinese Strategic Canon

09: Sun Tzu in the Chinese Strategic Canon

Trace the process by which The Art of War became one of the seven classic military texts of ancient China. Note that the book sparked both praise and intense debate, as it attacked traditional military thought and the time-honored relationship of the military to the ruling class. Grasp the difficulty in assessing the ultimate on-the-ground effects of the theoretical constructs of the Sūnzǐ.

33 min
Sun Tzu’s Global Influence

10: Sun Tzu’s Global Influence

Track the transmission of The Art of War to the world at large, and its impact on modern strategic thought. Follow the spread of its fame to medieval Asia, and then to Enlightenment Europe in the 18th century. Finally, observe how the book became a global classic in the mid-20th century, through influential translations and the early Cold War’s renaissance of strategic thinking.

35 min
Master among Masters: Sun Tzu and the West

11: Master among Masters: Sun Tzu and the West

Compare the strategic constructs of The Art of War with major Western thought on strategy, from Greek historian Thucydides and Roman historian Livy to the influential writings of Nicolo Machiavelli, Henri Antoine Jomini, and Carl von Clausewitz. Observe where these classics align with Sun Tzu, where they diverge, and how the very succinct Sūnzǐ stacks up against these Western counterparts.

35 min
China’s Military Rediscovers Master Sun

12: China’s Military Rediscovers Master Sun

In the wake of Cold War politics, and the US military’s adoption of The Art of War, witness how China’s People’s Liberation Army have embraced the text. Note the current interest in the book by Chinese military scholars and strategists as it relates to China’s developing political ideology and doctrine. Reflect on what makes The Art of War a text of compelling relevance in the 21st century.

37 min

Overview Course No. 20140

The Art of War, also known as the Sūnzǐ, is a classic Chinese text on competitive strategy. It has influenced modern military and political strategists, East and West, and is considered a major landmark in the history of strategic thought. In these 12 lectures, Professor Wilson leads you in plumbing the depths of the text, understanding its historical context and profile, while grasping its application to contemporary politics, business, sports, and more, as you explore:

  • The Political Terrain of Ancient China. Dig deeply into the military and political culture of China’s Warring States era, spanning the 8th to the 4th centuries BCE. Learn the legend of the general Sun Tzu, and his ideology which comprises of The Art of War.
  • Foundations of the Sūnzǐ. In the shift from chariot to infantry warfare, track the factors which mandated more complex logistical organization; examine the Sūnzǐ’s call for a new kind of military leadership, rooted in intellect, expertise, and professionalism.
  • Integral Principles of Strategy. Across four lectures, examine the foundational tenets of competitive strategy, encompassing command and method, mastery of weather and terrain, management of energy and timing, and the complex matters of espionage and deception.
  • The Global Reach of The Art of War. Witness how the Sūnzǐ’s influence spread across Asia, its transmission to 18th century Europe, and its adoption in the 20th century by military and Cold War strategists in China and the West.
  • The Sūnzǐ in the 21st Century. Investigate how the Chinese People’s Liberation Army makes use of the text. Note the explosion of PLA studies of the Sūnzǐ, and their current focus on high-tech and cyber warfare.

Through a detailed and penetrating examination of the text, Books That Matter: The Art of War offers you a fascinating excursion into strategic thinking, as it has figured in human affairs from the battlefields of ancient China to today’s complex political and economic landscape.

About

Andrew R. Wilson
Andrew R. Wilson

Who are our masters of war? Paradoxically some of the great works of theory come not from the victors, but from the vanquished. The lessons of failure are often far more powerful, more enduring.

INSTITUTION

U.S. Naval War College

Andrew R. Wilson is a Professor of Strategy and Policy at the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He earned his PhD in History and East Asian Languages from Harvard University. An award-winning professor and an expert in both military history and strategic theory, he has lectured on Asian military history, the classics of strategic theory, and Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. He has authored or edited a number of books, including War, Virtual War and Society, and has contributed to the curriculum of military colleges all over the world.

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