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The Art of War (Chinese: 孫子兵法 sūn zi bīng fǎ) was a Chinese military text written during 6th century BC by Sun Tzu. Composed of 13 chapters, it has long been praised as the definitive work on military strategies and tactics prior to the collapse of Imperial China. In many East Asian countries including China, Korea and Vietnam, it was part of the syllabus for potential candidates of military service examination. Various translations are available and used by some European military institutions, for instance, in Germany before World War I.
Verses from the book have well molded with modern daily Chinese idioms and phrases, such as last verse of Chapter 3:
故曰：知彼知己，百戰不殆；不知彼而知己，一勝一負；不知彼，不知己，每戰必敗
"So it is said that if you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle."
It has been condensed into the modern proverb:
知己知彼, 百戰百勝
"If you know yourself and know others you will win a hundred times in a hundred battles."
The book is now touted as an allegory for navigating cutthroat competition in the business world, and has gained widespread popularity again as a text for business managers. It has also crept its way into sport, with Australian cricket coach John Buchanan handing out excerpts from the book to his players before a match against England in 2001.
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