The Art of War by Sun Tzu is the best known book on military strategy ever written.

Although its wisdom is ancient, its principles and advice are timeless; it remains as influential as ever in military strategy, leadership roles, business tactics, legal challenges, martial arts philosophy and more. Everyone from New England Patriots' coach Bill Belichick to Tupac Shakur have turned to this time tested treatise.

This translation is by Hanshi Stephen F. Kaufman, one of America's leading martial artists, and is specifically aimed at martial practitioners to demonstrate how Sun Tzu's strategies can be applied to martial combat.

The book's thirteen sections present vital information including:

• Planning ahead — how a solid battle plan can help lead to victory
• Attacking the enemy — considerations when choosing to attack or, perhaps even more importantly, when to not attack
• Flexibility in combat — the importance of changing tactics as the fight evolves
• Exploiting weakness — how understanding your enemy's shortcomings is crucial to success

This edition includes 32 pages of full colour images, capturing the pageantry of ancient combat. A new foreword by martial historian and decorated martial artist Alexander Bennett explains the importance of Sun Tzu's text and the value of Kaufman's interpretation for the martial artist.