The approximately 2500-year-old treatise "The Art of War" is the most influential manual on warfare in the world. Napoleon studied it just as Mao Tse-tung did, and even in times of global political and economic competition, many refer to the strategies described here. Sunzi was a contemporary of Confucius. In "The Art of War," he outlines the fundamental patterns of conflicts, for which war is always considered a last resort. He addresses the essential aspects of warfare, from planning and types of weapons to the strategic use of space, time, and terrain, as well as the tactical rules in combat, with particular emphasis on reconnaissance and deception. This edition is a small sensation. It has been translated from the original Chinese text and is the first largely complete translation of the work.