Sun Wu (535 BC—?), styled Changqing, was a military strategist and a native of the State of Qi in the Spring and Autumn period. Upon Wu Zixu’s recommendation, he presented himself before King He Lv with thirteen chapters of Bing Fa (meaning “the art of war”) and was appointed as a general. Sun Wu advocated reforms for the sake of prosperity. In cooperation with Wu Zixu, he led Wu troops to attack Chu, in which they had five victories in succession and seized Yingdu, the capital city of Chu. The military forces of the Wu State then overwhelmed such northern states as Qi and Jin and the Yue State in the south. Sun Wu’s achievements made his name known among the feudal lords. His Sun Zi Bing Fa (meaning “the art of war”), the earliest masterpiece on military strategies in China, was viewed as “the canon of strategics” and ranked top among Wu Jing Qi Shu (meaning “the seven military classics”). The book has been translated into a wide variety of foreign languages including English, French, German and Japanese, which allows it to be the most renowned military classics in the world.
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