The Art of War
Score Classic
What it's about
Attributed to Sun Tzu, a Chinese general of roughly the 5th century BC, this short treatise lays out the principles of strategy: know your enemy and yourself, win without fighting where possible, use deception, and understand terrain, timing and morale. Its thirteen chapters cover everything from planning a campaign to the use of spies.
Why it's worth reading
It's one of the most influential books ever written on strategy, studied by soldiers, politicians and business leaders for centuries. It's brief and endlessly quotable.
You'll love it if you liked
Meditations, The Prince or On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century
Good to know
It's very short; read a translation with commentary, such as Samuel Griffith's or Lionel Giles'. Whether Sun Tzu was a single historical person is debated.
Quick answers
Is The Art of War worth reading?
Yes. It's one of the most influential books ever written on strategy, studied by soldiers, politicians and business leaders for centuries. It ranks #2,713 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 55.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Art of War about?
Attributed to Sun Tzu, a Chinese general of roughly the 5th century BC, this short treatise lays out the principles of strategy: know your enemy and yourself, win without fighting where possible, use deception, and understand terrain, timing and morale. Its thirteen chapters cover everything from planning a campaign to the use of spies.
How long does it take to read The Art of War?
About 6 hours (240 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Art of War?
If you liked it, try Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli or On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder.
By the numbers
- Readers12 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller35 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Loved by readers.
Where it ranks
- #197 of the 198 history books we rank
- #750 of the 763 classics we rank
- #2713 of the 2,819 books we rank
Reads as
Thought-provoking, True story
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