The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China
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Narrated by:
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James Chen
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By:
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Ralph D. Sawyer
About this listen
Finally available in paperback, Ralph D. Sawyer's incomparable study of ancient Chinese warfare.
One of the most profound studies of warfare ever written, The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China presents us with an Eastern tradition of strategic thought that emphasizes outwitting one's opponent through speed, stealth, flexibility, and a minimum of force - an approach very different from that stressed in the West, where the advantages of brute strength have overshadowed more subtle methods.
Safeguarded for centuries by the ruling elites of imperial China, even in modern times, these writings have been known to only a handful of Western specialists. In this volume are seven separate essays, written between 500 B.C. and A.D. 700, that preserve the essential tenets of strategy distilled from the experience of the most brilliant warriors of ancient China. This accurate translation remedies a serious gap in Western knowledge of Asian thought. Based on the best available classical Chinese manuscripts, some only recently discovered by archaeologists, The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China is a uniquely important contribution to the world's military literature and is essential reading for anyone interested in China's rich cultural heritage or in the timeless principles of successful warfare strategy.
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At the core of this ancient strategy manual is the understanding that conflict is an inescapable part of human life. Since, as Sun Tzu teaches, aggression and response in kind can lead only to destruction, we must learn to work with conflict in a more profound and effective way. Crucial to this strategic vision is knowledge - especially self-knowledge - and a view of the whole that seeks to bring conflicting views into a larger perspective.
By: Sun Tzu
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Rome and the Mediterranean Vol. 1
- The Histories
- By: Polybius
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Polybius wrote his Histories "to find out by what means and by what political system the entire world was brought under the domination of Rome." Within the short space of about 50 years Rome went from being a provincial leader of an Italian confederacy to become the Mistress of the Mediterranean. Polybius was one of the first historians to attempt to present history as a sequence of causes and effects, based upon a careful examination of tradition and a keen scrutiny of the facts.
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You have to know what your are getting into
- By Dylan on 01-24-10
By: Polybius
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Hannibal Barca: A Captivating Guide to the Carthaginian General Who Fought in the Second Punic War Between Carthage and Ancient Rome
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
- Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the names most synonymous with brilliant military strategy is Hannibal. He was the legendary Carthaginian general who marched elephants over the snowy Alps and took on Rome, the growing power in Europe at the time. He outsmarted the best strategists that Rome had to offer and twice sat in front of the gates of Rome with his army. There was never any doubt that Hannibal would serve his country in the military, but no one could have predicted just how well. Even centuries later, Romans used the phrase “Hannibal’s at the gates!” as a way of indicating misfortune or fear.
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Nice and succinct
- By Tally D Lykins on 04-28-22
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The Greco-Persian Wars
- A Captivating Guide to the Conflicts Between the Achaemenid Empire and the Greek City-States, Including the Battle of Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea, and More
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Richard L. Walton
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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The Greco-Persian Wars are often portrayed as a battle between good and evil. This is simultaneously an exaggeration and an oversimplification, but there is no doubt that this war, or series of wars, fought between some of the most powerful civilizations of the ancient era helped to plot the course of human history that we have been following up until this very day.
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Wonderful book on Ancient Greek history
- By Day-2-Day (Melissa) on 10-12-19
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Alexander the Great
- The Hunt for a New Past
- By: Paul Cartledge
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Paul Cartledge, one of the world's foremost scholars of ancient Greece, illuminates the brief but iconic life of Alexander (356-323 B.C.), king of Macedon, conqueror of the Persian Empire, and founder of a new world order. Alexander's legacy has had a major impact on military tacticians, scholars, statesmen, adventurers, authors, and filmmakers.
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NOT a Chronology of Alexander’s Life
- By Blane Richoux on 12-30-20
By: Paul Cartledge
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Last Stands
- Why Men Fight When All Is Lost
- By: Michael Walsh
- Narrated by: Michael Walsh
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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What is heroism? What are its moral components - altruism, love, self-sacrifice? Why was it once celebrated, and now often dismissed as anachronistic? In this dramatic and readable account of last stands in history - famous or otherwise - Walsh explores the stakes that led men at very different times and places to face overwhelming odds and certain death for the sake of family, home and country.
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Excellent historical facts
- By Mark Twain on 02-18-21
By: Michael Walsh
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The Art of War
- By: Thomas Cleary - translator, Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 1 hr and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Compiled more than 2,000 years ago by a mysterious warrior-philosopher, The Art of War is still perhaps the most prestigious and influential book of strategy in the world. As a study of the anatomy of organizations in conflict, The Art of War applies to competition and conflict in general, on every level from the interpersonal to the international.
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this was a great book .
- By Josue on 01-29-20
By: Thomas Cleary - translator, and others
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Scipio Africanus
- Greater Than Napoleon
- By: B.H. Liddell Hart
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Scipio Africanus (236-183 BC) was one of the most exciting and dynamic leaders in history. As commander, he never lost a battle. Yet it is his adversary, Hannibal, who has lived on in public memory. As B. H. Liddell Hart writes, "Scipio's battles are richer in stratagems and ruses - many still feasible today - than those of any other commander in history." Any military enthusiast or historian will find this to be an absorbing, gripping portrait.
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Excellent performance of a tough script.
- By A. Johnson on 12-23-19
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Sparta's Second Attic War
- The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta, 446-418 BC
- By: Paul A. Rahe
- Narrated by: Paul A. Rahe
- Length: 15 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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In a continuation of his multivolume series on ancient Sparta, Paul Rahe narrates the second stage in the six decades long, epic struggle between Sparta and Athens that first erupted some 17 years after their joint victory in the Persian Wars. Rahe explores how and why open warfare between these two erstwhile allies broke out a second time, after they had negotiated an extended truce.
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Thorough and intriguing.
- By Kindle Customer on 05-23-22
By: Paul A. Rahe
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In the Name of Rome
- The Men Who Won the Roman Empire
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 17 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Adrian Goldsworthy has received wide acclaim for his exceptional writing on the Roman Empire - including high praise from the acclaimed military historian and author John Keegan - and here he offers a new perspective on the empire by focusing on its greatest generals, including Scipio Africanus, Marius, Pompey, Caesar, and Titus.
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This pie was all crust, no filling
- By JLB on 04-11-17
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This is not the Howard/Paret edition.
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The Water Margin is one of the most popular classics of early Chinese literature. It tells the vigorous story of 108 characters who, falling foul of the established state authorities, are forced to become outlaws. They form a bandit community in Liangshan Marsh, becoming such a formidable force in their own right that they threaten the power of government itself.
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Exciting! Each story entwined with one another!
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In Strategy: A History, Sir Lawrence Freedman, one of the world's leading authorities on war and international politics, captures the vast history of strategic thinking, in a consistently engaging and insightful account of how strategy came to pervade every aspect of our lives.
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Comprehensive 'Tour de Force' on Strategy
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The Complete Strategy Collection, a compilation of ancient and historical philosophies, will increase your knowledge of strategy, conflict, and adversity throughout the ages, giving you valuable insight into the past while opening a window to the future. Although each of the works can be considered a manual or diagram for war or engaging in physical combat, the life skills embodied in each can be adapted to everyday life in modern society. Listen and learn how you, too, can take advantage of the strategies of war.
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An excellent compilation
- By Tony L. Schley on 06-12-23
By: Sun Tzu, and others
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33 Strategies of War
- By: Robert Greene
- Narrated by: Donald Coren
- Length: 27 hrs and 30 mins
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33 Strategies of War is a comprehensive guide to the subtle social game of everyday life, informed by the most ingenious and effective military principles in war. It's the I-Ching of conflict, the contemporary companion to Sun Tzu's The Art of War, and is abundantly illustrated with examples from history, including the folly and genius of everyone from Napoleon to Margaret Thatcher, Hannibal to Ulysses S. Grant, movie moguls to samurai swordsmen.
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Great for thinkers
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The Three Kingdoms is one of the Chinese Noble Classics. The great empire of China is in turmoil. As the government becomes increasingly incompetent, warlords and nobles battle for power. In the north is the Kingdom of Wei, headed by cunning and manipulative Cao Cao. In the southeast is the Kingdom of Wu, ruled by masterful and charismatic Sun Quan. In the west is the Kingdom of Shu, commanded by kindhearted and humble Liu Bei.
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Too short
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A classic work of military strategy, On War sets forth the theories and tactics of Carl von Clausewitz, a distinguished Prussian general who was notable for his roles in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The book covers a broad range of topics, including weapons, terrain, troops, and leadership, as well as the importance of defense over offence, the balance of power, and the subordination of war to politics. Praised for its timeless insights, Clausewitz’s treatise is often compared to the work of Machiavelli and Sun Tzu, and remains relevant to military leaders.
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This is not the Howard/Paret edition.
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In Strategy: A History, Sir Lawrence Freedman, one of the world's leading authorities on war and international politics, captures the vast history of strategic thinking, in a consistently engaging and insightful account of how strategy came to pervade every aspect of our lives.
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The Complete Strategy Collection, a compilation of ancient and historical philosophies, will increase your knowledge of strategy, conflict, and adversity throughout the ages, giving you valuable insight into the past while opening a window to the future. Although each of the works can be considered a manual or diagram for war or engaging in physical combat, the life skills embodied in each can be adapted to everyday life in modern society. Listen and learn how you, too, can take advantage of the strategies of war.
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An excellent compilation
- By Tony L. Schley on 06-12-23
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What listeners say about The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- aaronssse
- 01-19-19
psychology and statecraft
while war is no longer conducted with horses Spears and chariots the six volumes are an excellent source of understanding the statecraft of ancient China in the psychology that allow them to become totalitarian States
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- Henry
- 03-31-13
A good introduction to military strategy.
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
Yes. If you are interested in the history of politics, military strategy, wars, and Chinese history, this audiobook is a good introduction to these topics.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
Nothing.
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
Nothing. The narration seemed fine.
Do you think The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
Not sure. There are other ancient military strategy books out there, including a few from Japanese writers. It would be easy to choose some of these as a follow-up book I guess.
Any additional comments?
None.
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- Troy
- 05-01-15
Historical Treasures
The books contained in this set are: T’ai Kung Liu-t’ao (Six Secret Teachings), The Methods of Ssu-ma Fa, Sun-tzu Ping-fa (Art of War), Wu-tzu, Wei Liao-tzu, Huang Shih-kung San-lueh (Three Strategies), and Questions and Replies between T'ang T'ai-tsung and Li Wei-kung. The more you understand Confucian thought and its impact on Chinese statecraft, the more incredible and terrifying these works become when you consider what might have been without Confucius.
For those approaching this book without knowing what to expect, let it be said this tome is not for the faint of heart. It is a heavy-duty slog for scholars and those with heavier levels of enthusiasm for the subject matter. Each book in this set is worthy of deep thought and consideration, and for that reason I would suggest digesting it in bite-size offerings. If you tear through it, it'll run together, and you won't benefit from it. For general audiences, my recommendation is to seek out a copy of The Art of War and see if it holds your interest. If it does, this book is probably for you. Chances are, you likely already know up front, which is why you're looking at this book in the first place.
The Art of War is the only one of the texts in this collection that has been readily available for English speaking audiences. I'm glad this oversight has been corrected because the other books in this set are every bit as valuable. To compare and contrast these works is to better understand history, people, and yourself on levels you might not expect. It really depends on where your focus lies and how you apply the knowledge. Warriors, philosophers, and businesspeople will use the same ideas in different ways, and some will see no separation at all. Regardless of how you apply it, you will not walk away from this unchanged on some level.
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18 people found this helpful
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- Eliberto Villarreal III
- 12-03-12
Seven Great Books In One
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I would recommend this book to any serious student of strategy.
What did you like best about this story?
The book is littered with stories some real some fiction, but clarify the points mentioned.
What does James Chen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He reads with a tone that is easy to listen to, and fall asleep if you don't mind yourself.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
You can not listen to this book at one time. It is some 18 hours long. You should be stopping to take notes, and look up names, places and battles.
Any additional comments?
I bought this audiobook and a companion to the hardcover book. I read and listen to them together. I made it easy for me to underline in pencil important lines in the book and take notes on thoughts.
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7 people found this helpful
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- bebahe
- 06-22-16
Ancient war strategies
If you have a curiosity about ancient Chinese war strategies, then this is a must read. I find the strategies applicable for modern day corporate conflicts. Not as good as The Art of War, but a Worth While Read nonetheless.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Ray
- 09-06-22
Very good read, highly recommend! Good narration p
Very good read, highly recommend! Good narration performance. Good information, easily understandable. Will listen again!
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