This special edition of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" (available in both [[ASIN:0976072696 Paperback]] and [[ASIN:1934255122 Hardcover]]) is absolutely the best edition on the market. Not only is Lionel Giles' translation widely considered to be the most readable and scholarly, this particular book gives you two copies of the famous classic: one simple direct translation from the Chinese characters (which are also included in the book) and another copy which is interspersed with extensive notes and commentary by both Lionel Giles and a several native Chinese scholars.
Having two copies of the translation in one volume makes this edition a real treasure. The explanations and details, like the story of training the concubines and several other tales, are not available in the plain translations and they add immeasurably to the richness of the book. By the same token, having a plain, unadorned version in hand so you can just follow Sun Tzu's logical progression is a great plus. Having it all together in one volume is what makes this particular edition remarkable.
If you are looking for the best version of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War", then look no further. This is it.
Of the several available editions of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, the Giles translation is clearly the best. This edition, which contains two separate versions of the Giles translation, one with and one without commentary, resolves the main sticking point with other editions. They either just give the stripped down version or the fully annotated version.
When I first discovered "The Art of War", it was the full Giles translation. As most students of philosophy do, I found it fascinating. After reading it several times, and appreciating the explanations in the running commentary, I began to think that I really understood what Sun Tzu was saying and began to feel that the commentary had become cumbersome. Consequently, I obtained a different translation, with no notes or commentary - a booklet really - which simply didn't have the flavor of the Giles Translation. Finally I found a copy of the Giles translation, without the notes and commentary, which I could read and enjoy without being put off by the interspersed commentary that I had begun to find distracting.
Needless to say, I ultimately found it difficult to read the uncommented version without feeling a need to refer to Giles' notes in the full version, which I had given away. When I discovered this edition, I immediately understood that I wasn't the only one who appreciated not only Giles' scholarly translation but also his insight.
This version: [[ASIN:1934255122 The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Special Edition (Hardcover)]] is the one you want. Otherwise, you will be missing out on the impact of the unadorned translation or the insight of one of the world's great oriental scholars. For those who want a less expensive copy of this book, this exact edition is also available in Paperback: [[ASIN:0976072696 The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Special Edition (Paperback)]].
