The Art of War · Sun Bin's Art of War

Author: Pan Yuqian et al. Translated and Annotated
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-09-01
Features: The Art of War, commonly known as Sunzi, was recorded in The Book of Han·Bibliography as Sunzi's Art of War, and it is one of the surviving military treatises in Chinese history. The current canonical version consists of thirteen chapters: Planning, Waging War, Stratagems, Form, Momentum, The Art of Infiltration, The Art of Maneuvering, The Nine Variations, The Art of Marching, Terrain, The Nine Lands, The Art of Fire Attacks, and Espionage. Its content is profound and extensive, with highly summarized theories, rigorous logic, and endless practical applications. It is not only a shining gem in the classical military cultural heritage of China but also an important part of the treasure trove of outstanding traditional Chinese culture. As a distinguished representative of classical Chinese military studies, The Art of War possesses a very comprehensive and complete system, reflecting the relationship between war and politics, economy, culture, and other aspects.
Sun Bin's Art of War, also known as The Art of War of Qi, is another name for it. Records of the Grand Historian mentions, "It is said that Sun Bin passed down his military treatise," and "Sun Bin lost his feet, and then discussed the art of war." The Book of Han·Bibliography records "The Art of War of Qi, eighty-nine chapters, with four volumes of illustrations." The Biography of Chen Tan in The Book of Han cites the phrase from Sun Bin's Art of War, "When the guests are double and the hosts are half, then the enemy can be defeated," indicating that Sun Bin's Art of War was still popular during the Western Han Dynasty. However, due to various historical reasons, it was lost after the Eastern Han Dynasty, leading to numerous speculations afterward. Some claimed that Sun Bin was the same as Sun Wu, while others argued that Sun Bin's Art of War was the same as The Art of War, ultimately denying the coexistence of the two Sunzi and their respective military treatises, and rejecting the record in The Book of Han·Bibliography of "The Art of War of Qi, eighty-nine chapters, with four volumes of illustrations." In 1972, Sun Bin's Art of War, along with The Art of War and other pre-Qin military treatises, was discovered in Western Han Dynasty tombs at Yinque Mountain in Linyi, Shandong, resolving this long-standing historical mystery.