The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China

The Seven Military Classics is one of the most profound studies of warfare ever written, a stanchion in sinological and military history. It presents an Eastern tradition of strategic thought that emphasizes outwitting one’s opponent through speed, stealth, flexibility, and a minimum of force — an approach very different from that stressed in the West. Safeguarded for centuries by the ruling elite of imperial China, even in modern times these writings have been known only to a handful of Western specialists.

This volume contains seven separate essays, written between 500 BCE and 700 CE, that preserve the essential tenets of strategy distilled from the experience of the most brilliant warriors of ancient China.

Author: Ralph D. Sawyer
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Basic Books
Published: 11/06/2007
Pages: 592
Weight: 1.35lbs
Size: 9.20h x 6.00w x 1.70d
ISBN: 9780465003044
Language: English