The Art of War

By: Andrew R. Wilson, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Andrew R. Wilson

Length: 2 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Sun Tzu's The Art of War is a landmark achievement in the evolution of strategic thought. So universal and timeless are its tactics for pursuing a competitive advantage that some of the most notable people in government, sports, and the entertainment world have all quoted from its nearly 2500-year-old pages. These six expertly crafted lectures explore this classic's wisdom for staying nimble in an ever-changing environment and for maximizing reward while minimizing risk remains eternally fresh. As war and business become more mental and less physical, human intellect plays an ever greater role in competition-making Sun Tzu's strategies highly relevant to the information age.

Through a precise explanation of the original text and case studies, Professor Wilson examines how the seminal work's model of leadership has been applied-and misapplied-throughout the realms of war, politics, business, and beyond. You'll study the text's historical framework and then delve into the critical calculations that must be made prior to war-what Sun Tzu refers to as knowing the enemy, knowing ourselves.

By studying real-world examples, you'll come away understanding the qualities effective commanders must possess and the work's practical implications for outmaneuvering competitors in daily life. By taking this course, you will appreciate Sun Tzu's content on a far deeper level.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this course are those of the professor and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

Disclaimer: Please note that this recording may include references to supplemental texts or print references that are not essential to the program and not supplied with your purchase.

©2012 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2012 The Great Courses

great over view

Enjoyable over view of the book and theories there in. I'm ready now to read The Art of War.

Great Listen

Loved it, great Listen! Will definitely listen to again. Thank you for the experience!

a nice overview

I didnt know what to expect with this....
Was it going to be someone nearly reading AOW to me?
Was it going to be a re-done layover of AoW with something else?
Was it going to be too military focused since he is at the Naval Academy?
Too business-y?

It was none of those things. Surprisingly easy to listen to. I will re-listen. However listen to one that is more tightly aligned with the text...the analysis was good but I felt a bit "wavetop".

great class!

Loved the class structure and breakdown to help simplify and translate into the real world, whether militarily or business.

enjoyed the lecture series

this is really amusing/fun/ a great learning experience. I'm looking forward to rereading the book 'The Art of War" based on having listened to this lecture series.

Well done

The author seems well informed. The information was put together in a fun and logical way. I wish it was longer.

A good introduction

This is a good introduction to The Art Of War, but take notes and read a good translation before addressing each chapter.

The lecturer does a great job of providing modern co texts and applications of Szun Szu’s theories.

The gist of The Art of War, accurate explanation and vivid cases.

As a native Chinese, I have always been sorry for seeing so many misinterpretations when《孙子兵法》is translated into English and the other languages. After listening to the whole lecture, I'm happy to tell that the translation and the explanation are all accurate and loyal to the original edition.

The lecture is not conducted by the original order of The Art of War, professor Andrew R. Wilson picked up the main opinions of the book, explained them by combining several related chapters of the original book together, and added some vivid examples to help comprehend and apply. Really learned a lot!

Only one suggestion: It may be better if there are less political cases of China in the last class.
And also, if you want to learn more about The Art of War, read the original book and seek for more detailed explanation may help a bit.

Good intro

This book is a good intro to reading the text. It offers insight on what you will be reading which I appreciate. I would have liked him to "the book more often but overall I think it was a great read

Great look the principles and application

This was a great quick look at the prinicples and modern day application of The Art of War. Easy to listen to and follow.