The Art of War?

Greatwaveofkanagawa43I haven’t read all of The Art of War in over a decade. I think it’s time I read it again.

This time around, though, I’m considering buying the audio version from iTunes Music Store. Has anyone listened to that? What do you think?

If you have a favored translation, annotated version, or other thoughts on this classic text, I’d love to hear what you think.

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26 thoughts on “The Art of War?”

  1. I may not know much pertaining to military strategy but I think it is a fascinating read.
    On the scale of nerddom, I am not a tech or theatre nerd. I am literature nerd. 😛
    ‘Energy’ I think has to be my favorite section.
    “The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim. ”

  2. An afterthought, I think it maybe quite interesting to have it as an audiobook. ^^
    I’ve never had any audiobooks period, not even on my iPod. (I don’t know why. Just old fashioned?) I haven’t listened to the one at the iTunes stone but I may check it out since I just finished my re-reading “Julius Caesar”.

  3. OMG I can’t believe I’m actually sending a message that Wil Wheaton will read. Sorry new posters are allowed a little fanboying right? So in that spirit Wil I love your books,/insert good segue here/
    another book I love is the James Clavell version of The Art of War. Clavell is a fantastic author and brings this translation to life.

  4. Wil… I bought a version from Audible.com a couple years ago that I really liked. They don’t have the same one now, but they do have one that is similar. What they do is read each passage first as it was written by Sun Tzu, then give a meaning for the passage (pretty much free of any personal opinion). I don’t recall the name of the person who read the version I had, but he was a relatively well-known Asian-American actor who always played “the Asian bad guy” whenever a script called for it.
    You know, it’s funny, but the very first thing that popped into my head when I read your post was the TNG episode where Riker is kept on the planet with the Ferengi by the alien who is studying conflict. At the end they quote from the Art of War.
    Man, I can be a real dork sometimes! A classic text is mentioned, and all I can think of Johnathan Frakes reading it on a Hollywood soundstage made to look like an alien planet.
    Save me from myself, Wil.

  5. I strongly recommend the translation by Samuel B. Griffith II. It’s 40 years old or so but still widely available and worth tracking down. He was a Marine officer and highly accomplished Chinese linguist.

  6. I’d also recommend the James Clavell translation. It has a great introduction by Clavell, as well. I’ve always thought it to be an elegantly designed book — good use of white space / margins, and Clavell’s use of the Chinese style of footnotes, make for an uniquely thoughtful reading experience compared to other translations. Used copies run about $4 – $8 on Amazon.

  8. Sun Tzu is essential reading for anyone remotely involved in the entertainment or publishing industries, without question.
    getting a copy off iTunes is a brilliant ide!

  9. Hmmm… this is one case where I’m not sure what I’d think of an audio version, with someone else sort of “directing” the way I experience it. When I read this book, I like to go back and re-read certain passages, or spend some time meditating on one thing or another.

  10. You know, I’ve never been a fan on the Art of War. Maybe it’s because I’d read a ton of stuff on battles beforehand and could already understand strategies. By the time I got to reading the Art of War, it was pretty much Basic Warcraft Tactics. And if I wanted pretty flowery Chinese writing, I always had the Chuang Tzu.

  11. Same as most comments, I think the audio stuff will probably be a flowery version of a basic warfare tactics handbook. A pretty good strict translation I found is Sun Tzu on the Art of War by Lionel Giles. Has additional comments from other Chinese generals, they had a habit of writing in the borders of their contemporaries. Plain and simple, the way to go.

  13. The tiny pocket version published by Shambala press is quite good, complete & unabridged, and very handy. There’s also a pretty good version by Asiapac comics which is not only well translated by illustrated with these cute little characters in medieval Chinese armour.

  16. Having read most of the translations mentioned above, I can say that you can’t go wrong with any of them. The Griffith holds a special place in my heart (if such a thing can be said about a book called “The Art of War”) because it was my first and you never forget your first… never mind.
    At any rate, while your at it Wil, go ahead and order two copies of whatever translation (or audio book) that you decide upon and have one sent to this address:
    The President
    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
    Washington, DC 20500-0001
    He could have used a copy a few years ago, but better late than never.
    P.S. — On further thought, better make the version you send to The Dauphin the Asiapac one… he’ll like all the pretty pictures…

  18. Oddly enough, I very nearly bought this book yesterday (new music Tuesday!) on iTMS when I was picking up The Da Vinci Code audio book for my wife.
    There are two versions of TAoW on iTMS – recommendations of which one to get?

  19. I have not read the art of war yet. It is however one of those books that has been on the “I need to read at some point in time” list.
    I think I will finally give it a read as many of my friends have read it and reference it quite often.
    P.S.
    FIX your website you lazy git!
    O_o

  20. I must second the recommendation for the Shambala Press edition… The commentaries and annotation help flesh out the original work, and the translator is one of the best for ancient works (or so I’ve been told).

  21. I’d also have to highly recommend the Shambhala Press edition (translated by the Denma group). There’s a thorough annotation to the book as well as English & Chinese readings of each chapter on the Bowdoin College website: academic.bowdoin.edu/suntzu/

  25. Hey Wil,
    I’ve read both the Shambhala translation (which seems to be the most popular) and a commentary by Mark McNeilly. His is interesting in that it provides many in depth examples of ‘modern’ warfare and how it relates to the classic princles of Sun Tzu. He uses the translation of Samuel B. Griffith.
    On a side note, I must admit that the reason I went to a local bookstore a few years ago in search of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” is because in one episode of TNG, Riker (my favorite!) mentioned him in passing. Pathetic — yes. But it got me reading a great classic. You should see my Shakespeare collection :).
    Take care. Happy reading.

  26. The problem with the Shambhala / Cleary version is that unless you’re really interested in actual ancient warfare, the comments by the generals tend to get in the way of simply reading the story as it exists, and seeing it as a metaphor.
    From what we’ve seen, you’re an actor, a comedian, a writer, a stepfather… but I don’t get the impression you’re secretly also a general, fighting wars in ancient China.
    I have 3 copies of The Art of War, but I can’t find my favourite. It’s a tiny book you can carry around with you that contains nothing but the direct translation. If you can find one that matches that description, get it.

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