The Art of War

By: Andrew R. Wilson, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Andrew R. Wilson

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.

great breakdown of The Art of War

I really appreciated this lecture series. It was great knowing some background that this lecture was able to provide in addition to some information on translation. however the real awesome sauce of this lecture was the author's knowledge and breakdown of the material in The Art of War. Definitely worth the price.

Art of war

This is more than a book much more. Let you ears do their job. And relax yourself before venturing. Set your mind at ease try to clear your thoughts. I am a a young old guy get it. I have been in the military and seen life being brought to this earth and I have seen death on the battle field. But never truly understood. Until now. Many have said (if) if only I Knew. Well now is your chance. If you are anything like myself it will answer so many of your questions? Right from the beginning you are taken by the hand and given the time to not just learn but understand the answers to the questions my questions. Yes it’s more than a book I can only think of certain authors writers play-writes. And their work that made history and are still up today this is one of them

Pretty good.

I would have liked to hear more about business applications but I think I have a bit more to get out of it if I listen to it again in a few months.