36 Stratagems - A Treasure Trove of Classical Chinese Literature

Author: Zhao Li
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: In ancient China, military strategy books were numerous, forming a grand collection. Over three thousand are recorded, and more than a thousand have been preserved to this day. Among them, "The 36 Stratagems" is particularly esteemed. As the old saying goes, "In war, like Sun Tzu, rely on the 36 stratagems." This shows that the rich content of wisdom covered by "The 36 Stratagems" has always been valued by people. Today, as humanity has entered the high-tech era, people still have a deep affection for "The 36 Stratagems," drawn by its profound "cleverness" and "wisdom." They believe it can not only be used in military affairs but also be applied broadly to fields such as politics, economics, philosophy, life, management, and business. "The 36 Stratagems" is one of China's most enduring and widely disseminated popular military strategy books. It compiles the "strategies" and "deceptive arts" of generations of military strategists and is renowned as an extraordinary book of military tactics and strategy. Many of its stratagem names and phrases are familiar to people, shining with sparks of wisdom. It is not only useful in military contexts but also invaluable in enlightening the human mind. This book not only presents the original text with translations but also focuses on "annotations." The annotations strive to accurately capture the essence of the original text, draw on the strengths of various scholars, and provide necessary explanations and research on the meaning, origin, and usage of the stratagem names. Moreover, they emphasize citing appropriate historical battles and other historical records to cover both ancient and modern, as well as Chinese and foreign contexts. This aims to provide readers with some empirical material, enhancing readability and interest.