From there, translated copies of “Sun Tzu’s” work found their way to Korea and Japan. What they do know is that copies of the book, typically written on sets of sewn-together bamboo slats, ended up in the hands of politicians, military leaders and scholars across China. Scholars do not know how The Art of War came to be-and whether or not “Sun Tzu,” if he existed, had anything to do with its creation. After that, the courtesan armies followed orders perfectly, and the king was so impressed that he put Sun Tzu in charge of his whole military. At first, the courtesans failed to perform their duties in response, Sun Tzu beheaded two of the king’s favorites in front of everyone. After that, the book was in such demand that Oxford University Press had to print 25,000 extra copies.Īs the story goes, the king of one of the feuding vassal states challenged Sun Tzu to prove his military expertise by turning a harem of royal courtesans into an organized, well-trained fighting force. Under these circumstances, Sun Tzu’s skills as a warrior were much in demand.ĭid you know? The Art of War became a best-seller in 2001, when television mobster Tony Soprano told his therapist that he’d been reading the book. This was a time of great turmoil in China, as many vassal states vied for power and control of the country’s unpopulated territories. Legend has it that he was a Chinese military leader in an era known as the Spring and Autumn Period. For generations, scholars have been trying to figure out who Sun Tzu was–if he existed at all.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu