What is The Art of War about?

Ancient treatise on strategy and conflict — timeless lessons for leadership and competition.

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  1. 1The Vital Importance of Warfare
  2. 2Calculating the Costs of War
  3. 3Winning Without Fighting
  4. 4The Importance of Tactical Dispositions
  5. 5Direct and Indirect Methods
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Illustration from The Art of War
The Vital Importance of Warfare

Sun Tzu opens with the assertion that the art of war is of vital importance to the state—it is a matter of life and death.

Calculating the Costs of War

In the chapter on waging war, Sun Tzu emphasizes the necessity of calculating the costs associated with military operations.

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Sun Tzu

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