The Art of War by Sun-Tzu

This is the granddaddy of all books on war, and just about anyone who wishes to understand war starts with this – at least Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong, American General Douglas MacArthur and Vietnamese General Võ Nguyên Giáp did.

The Art of War presents a philosophy of war for managing conflicts and winning battles and is accepted as a masterpiece on strategy, frequently cited and referred to by generals and theorists. The text is composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare. Do not get hung up on who may have written The Art of War. Here are some of the highlights in italics and a brief description: