Lessons in the Art of War: Martial Strategies for the Successful Fighter

(Hardback)

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Description

Lessons in the Art of Warcompares the time-honoured theories of Sun Tzu with those of European military genius Carl von Clausewitz and other Eastern and Western military greats to give the reader a deeper understanding of martial culture, preparedness, and supremacy. The main difference between the writings of these military strategists is that Sun Tzu provided specific steps for every conceivable battlefield situation, while Clausewitz emphasized that various "frictions" such as uncertainty, ignorance, confusion, and fatigue often interfere with one's combat plan and prevent one from exercising full power and control over the enemy. However, their discourse displays far more similarities than differences, which further demonstrates that factors such as time period (Sun Tzu and Clausewitz were separated in time by more than two millennia), geographical location (Asia versus Europe), and cultural differences are less significant in combat than is the understanding of human nature.

Reviews

"A scholarly yet approachable tome, Lessons in the Art of War ought to be on every serious martial artist's bookshelf. Using the principles of Sun Tzu and von Clausewitz, Sprague demonstrates that the underlying philosophies of Eastern and Western combat as reflected by the martial arts truly aren't all that different." --Lawrence Kane, author of The Little Black Book of Violence
"This book is an indispensable resource for any martial artist interested in knowing what factors lead to success in combat, how one can mitigate against the element of chance, and the mindset necessary to overcome." --Jennifer Lawler, author of the Dojo Wisdom series
"Martina Sprague has written a thought provoking book that examines the well-known works of Sun Tzu (The Art of War) and the lesser known but nonetheless powerful 19th century military strategist von Clausewitz that is at once scholarly and highly readable. Every student of the martial arts as well as every student of war needs to read this book." --Loren Christensen, 8th dan, coauthor of On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace

Author Bio

Martina Sprague is the author of numerous books on the martial arts and military strategy, including The Complete Martial Arts Student, Strength and Power Training for Martial Arts and Norse Warfare. She holds a Masters in Military History from Norwich University and has over twenty years of experience in Asian and Western martial arts.