By: Sun Tzu
Preserved in China for more than 2000 years before it
was brought to the West by the French, this compact
little book is widely regarded the oldest military
treatise in the world. Rumored to have been used by
Napoleon in his campaigns to conquer Europe, it today
retains much of its original merit. American officers
read it closely during WW2. it is also said that many
Chinese officers know the book by heart. The book was
written in 500B.C ,the original author is Sun Tzu but
translated in English by Lionel Giles.
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Shang dynasty [1700 to about 1122 B.C]
Chou dynasty[1122-256B.C]
Chin dynasty[300-200B.C]
Han dynasty[about 200B.C-200A.D]
Then China divides up into kingdoms then
back to dynasties . Until the Russian
Revolution the Chinese became a republic.
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Chinese had very little knowledge of medical
science. The Chinese did not even study the
human body for religious reasons. They placed
great reliance on diagnosis by the pulse.
Chinese thought that by taking pulse in
different places it would determine the health
of different organs
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“Tartars “was the general name applied to the
barbarians who lived to the north and west of
China. There were many distinct tribes. As the
tribes, one after another, gained the ascendancy
among the Tartars. They lived in horseback
and moved from one place to another
destroying village after village just to get some
food or materials.
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The book talks about the importance of
attacking your enemy when he is unprepared
and scheming to discover his plans, the author
advises avoiding the strong and striking at the
weak, and using spies for every kind of
business. Principles of strategy, tactics,
maneuvering , and communications, the
treatment of soldiers , the importance of strong
troops and well-trained officers , and the
administration of rewards and punishments all
have a modern ring to them. It is a valuable
guide to the conduct of war.