The Art of War

(New York): Viking, 2002. First edition and first printing of this new translation. Small quarto in predominanlty orange and black color illus jacket; 320 pages; 215 x 145 mm. Near fine in near fine jacket with very sparse, minor edge-wear to both. Tiny, faint oolong tea stain to front free endpaper (see photos). Small neat patch of discoloration to spine foot. Jacket now in archival mylar. Hardcover. ISBN: 0670031569This edition, translated and introduced by the distinguished sinologist John Minford, enriches the classical text with clarity, scholarly insight, and an ear attuned to both historical nuance and modern relevance. Minford’s contextual framing and commentary illuminate not only the strategic core of Sun Tzu’s thinking but also its subtle philosophical undertones.The volume opens with acknowledgments, an introduction, a note on the text, suggestions for further reading, a list of Chinese commentators, and chronologies that outline relevant dynasties and historical events. The main text, The Art of War, is presented in thirteen chapters: “Making of Plans,” “Waging of War,” “Strategic Offensive,” “Forms and Dispositions,” “Potential Energy,” “Empty and Full,” “The Fray,” “The Nine Changes,” “On the March,” “Forms of Terrain,” “The Nine Kinds of Ground,” “Attack by Fire,” and “Espionage.”A second section follows, The Art of War with Commentary, which mirrors the same thirteen chapters, each expanded with insights from classical Chinese commentators. This dual structure, curated and annotated by Minford, offers both the original treatise and interpretive context, reinforcing the enduring relevance of Sun Tzu’s strategies across both martial and managerial domains.