Decoding the Art of War

"The Art of War" probably isn't the most accurate title to represent Sun Tzu's military thinking.

Sun Tzu’s war theories are built on information and espionage. He believed a spy-master had to be very smart indeed, to sniff out the truth from mission reports. He also had to be highly thorough: when a military operation is mapped out, efforts must be made to gain knowledge about the opposing commander, his staff members, his aides-de-camp, his gatekeepers and his guards.

Sun Tzu clearly preferred fire to water in military tactics, and he developed quite a comprehensive theory on the use of fire. But if read between the lines, the arsonist's manual reveals much more on opportunities.

Sun Tzu studied the state of mind of soldiers. He noticed that they tend to grow stronger in solidarity as they venture deeper into enemy territory. When they're surrounded, they offer an obstinate resistance; when they're given no choice, they put up the toughest of fights; and in moments of desperation, they take to orders like thunder follows lightening.

Sun Tzu in his science of war also relied on observation to read the enemy’s movement, the meticulous and exhaustive approach with which he tried to gain information about the enemy can still be inspiring.