0
Your cart

Your cart is empty

Books > History > Asian / Middle Eastern history

Buy Now

The Dao of the Military - Liu An's Art of War (Paperback) Loot Price: R512
Discovery Miles 5 120
You Save: R127 (20%)
The Dao of the Military - Liu An's Art of War (Paperback): Andrew Seth Meyer

The Dao of the Military - Liu An's Art of War (Paperback)

Andrew Seth Meyer; Foreword by John Major

Series: Translations from the Asian Classics

 (sign in to rate)
List price R639 Loot Price R512 Discovery Miles 5 120 You Save R127 (20%)

Bookmark and Share

Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days

Master Sun's "The Art of War" is by no means the only ancient Chinese treatise on military affairs. One chapter in the "Huainanzi," an important compendium of philosophy and political theory written in the second century B.C.E., synthesizes the entire corpus of military literature inherited from the Chinese classical era. Drawing on all major, existing military writings, as well as other lost sources, it assesses tactics and strategy, logistics, organization, and political economy, as well as cosmology and the fundamental morality of warfare.

This powerful work set out to become the last word on military matters, subsuming and replacing all preceding literature. Written under the sponsorship of Liu An, king of Huainan, the "Huainanzi"'s "military methods" emphasize the preservation of peace as the ultimate value to be served by the military, insisting that the army can be effectively and rightly used only when defending the sacred hereditary position of the emperor and his vassals. This position stands in stark contrast to that of "The Art of War," which prioritizes the enrichment and empowerment of the state. Liu An's philosophy also argues that military success depends on the personal cultivation of the commander and that deception is not enough to secure victory. Only a commander with the exceptional qualities of insight and cognition, developed through a program of meditative practice and yogic refinement, can effectively control and interpret the strategic situation. Andrew Seth Meyer offers both a full translation of this text and an extensive analysis of its historical context. His thorough treatment relates Liu An's teachings to issues in Chinese philosophy, culture, religion, and history, helping to interpret their uncommon message.

General

Imprint: Columbia University Press
Country of origin: United States
Series: Translations from the Asian Classics
Release date: July 2012
First published: July 2012
Translators: Andrew Seth Meyer
Foreword by: John Major
Dimensions: 210 x 140 x 12mm (L x W x T)
Format: Paperback - Trade
Pages: 176
ISBN-13: 978-0-231-15333-1
Languages: English
Subtitles: Chinese
Categories: Books > Language & Literature > Literature: history & criticism > Literary studies > Classical, early & medieval
Books > Humanities > History > World history > BCE to 500 CE
Books > Humanities > History > Asian / Middle Eastern history > General
Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > War & defence operations > General
Books > History > Asian / Middle Eastern history > General
Books > History > World history > BCE to 500 CE
Promotions
LSN: 0-231-15333-3
Barcode: 9780231153331

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!

Partners