The Art of War is an ancient
Chinese military treatise dating from the 5th century BC. Attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist
Sun Tzu"Master Sun" (
Sunzi or
Sun-tzu ), the text is composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of
warfare. It is commonly thought of as a definitive work on
military strategy and
tactics. It was placed at the head of China's
Seven Military Classics upon the collection's creation in 1080 by
Emperor Shenzong of Song, and has long been the most influential strategy text in East Asia. It has had an influence on Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy and beyond.