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The Art of War
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Traditional illustration of Sunzi (Sun Tzu) in yellow robe and headpiece, with a mustache and goatee, facing slightly to the right against a pale background. Hardcover copy of The Art of War by Sun Tzu with a red dragon illustration on the cover, displayed upright on a wooden surface in a library with bookshelves in the background. Song dynasty manuscript page of The Art of War with eleven commentaries, featuring vertical Chinese calligraphy and several red seal stamps along the right margin. Title page of the 1772 French translation of The Art of War by Sun Tzu, with black printed text in French and a decorative emblem near the bottom.
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Traditional illustration of Sunzi (Sun Tzu) in yellow robe and headpiece, with a mustache and goatee, facing slightly to the right against a pale background.
Sun Tzu The Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu was the reputed author of The Art of War, one of the most influential treatises on warfare ever written.

The Art of War

work by Sun Tzu
Also known as: “Bingfa”, “Ping-fa”, “Sunzi Bingfa”
Written by
Ethan Teekah
Ethan Teekah is an Associate Editor at Encyclopædia Britannica, where he leads coverage of Asia.
Ethan Teekah
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

The Art of War is the common English title of the Chinese classic Bingfa (“Military Methods”). It is widely regarded as one of the most influential treatises on warfare ever written. It is traditionally attributed to Sun Tzu, a military strategist said to have lived during the late Spring and Autumn period (770–476 bce), although some scholars date the work to the subsequent Warring States period (475–221 bce). Both were eras of political fragmentation, and the...

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