The Tao of Deception: Unorthodox Warfare in Historic and Modern China - Hardcover

Sawyer, Ralph

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0465072054 ISBN 13: 9780465072057

Publisher: Basic Books, 2007

Synopsis

The history of China is a history of warfare. Wars have caused dynasties to collapse, fractured the thin façade of national unity, and brought decades of alien occupation. But throughout Chinese history, its warfare has been guided by principles different from those that governed Europe. Chinese strategists followed the concept, first articulated by Sun-tzu in The Art of War , of qi (ch'i) , or unorthodox, warfare. The concept of qi involves creating tactical imbalances in order to achieve victory against even vastly superior forces. Ralph D. Sawyer, translator of The Art of War and one of America's preeminent experts on Chinese military tactics, here offers a comprehensive guide to the ancient practice of unorthodox warfare. He describes, among many other tactics, how Chinese generals have used false rumors to exploit opposing generals' distrust of their subordinates dressed thousands of women as soldiers to create the illusion of an elite attack force and sent word of a false surrender to lure enemy troops away from a vital escape route. The Tao of Deception is the book that military tacticians and military historians will turn to as the definitive guide to a new, yet ancient, way of thinking about strategy.

About this title

Synopsis:

This is the definitive book on ancient military principles that is strikingly relevant to the War on Terror, the war in Iraq and the rise of China as a geopolitical power. The history of China is a history of warfare. Wars have caused dynasties to collapse, fractured the thin facade of national unity, and brought decades of alien occupation. But throughout Chinese history, its warfare has been guided by principles different from those that governed Europe. Chinese strategists followed the concept first articulated by Sun-Tzu in The Art of War, of qi (ch'i), or unorthodox, warfare. The concept of qi involves creating tactical imbalances in order to achieve victory against even vastly superior forces. Ralph D Sawyer, translator of "The Art of War" and one of America's pre-eminent experts on Chinese military tactics, here offers a comprehensive guide to the ancient practice of unorthodox warfare.

He describes, among many other tactics, how Chinese generals have used false rumours to exploit opposing generals' distrust of their subordinates, dressed thousands of women as soldiers to create the illusion of an elite attack force; and sent word of a false surrender to lure enemy troops away from a vital escape route. "The Tao of Deception" is the book that military tacticians and military historians will turn to as the definitive guide to a new, yet ancient way of thinking about strategy.

About the Author:

Ralph D. Sawyer, one of America's leading scholars in Chinese warfare, has worked extensively with major intelligence and defence agencies. After studying at MIT and Harvard and a brief stint of university teaching, Sawyer has spent the past thirty years lecturing and doing international consulting work focused on China.

About this edition

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0465072054
• ISBN 13: 9780465072057
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 512