#ART OF WAR 2 SOUNDTRACK HOW TO#
Its 13 chapters offer specific battle strategies–for example, one tells commanders how to move armies through inhospitable terrain, while another explains how to use and respond to different types of weapons–but they also give more general advice about conflicts and their resolution. The Art of War presents the basic principles of warfare and gives military leaders advice on when and how to fight. (Historians say that the French emperor Napoleon was the first Western leader to follow its teachings.) It was finally translated into English in 1905. However, it did not reach the Western world until the end of the 18th century, when a Jesuit missionary translated the book into French. Japanese samurai, for example, studied it closely. (The oldest Japanese version dates from the 8th century A.D.)įor more than 1,000 years, rulers and scholars across Asia consulted The Art of War as they plotted their military maneuvers and imperial conquests. From there, translated copies of “Sun Tzu’s” work found their way to Korea and Japan. What they do know is that copies of the book, typically written on sets of sewn-together bamboo slats, ended up in the hands of politicians, military leaders and scholars across China. Scholars do not know how The Art of War came to be-and whether or not “Sun Tzu,” if he existed, had anything to do with its creation. Under these circumstances, Sun Tzu’s skills as a warrior were much in demand.Ħ Scandals That Rocked the Winter Olympics The Art of War This was a time of great turmoil in China, as many vassal states vied for power and control of the country’s unpopulated territories. Legend has it that he was a Chinese military leader in an era known as the Spring and Autumn Period. The Mystery of Sun Tzuįor generations, scholars have been trying to figure out who Sun Tzu was–if he existed at all. Whether or not Sun Tzu was a real person, it’s clear that “he” was very wise: The Art of War still resonates with readers today. Today, however, many people think that there was no Sun Tzu: Instead, they argue, the book is a compilation of generations of Chinese theories and teachings on military strategy. Historians don’t know the exact date of the book’s publication (though they believe it to be in the 4th or 5th century) in fact, they don’t even know who wrote it! Scholars have long believed that The Art of War’s author was a Chinese military leader named Sun Tzu, or Sunzi. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.” So begins The Art of War, a meditation on the rules of war that was first published in China.
It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. “The art of war is of vital importance to the state.