Dr Thomas Cleary

• - PAPERBACK - 224 pages - Shambhala Pub - October 2004 $ 14.96 Buy this book
  - PAPERBACK - 474 pages - Shambhala Pub - June 2003 $ 18.21 Buy this book

  Compared with previous Art of War renderings, Thomas Cleary's translation (first published in 1988) is considered by many to be the most accessible. Beginners can easily grasp difficult passages because he used clear, concise words. He neither overwhelms readers lacking an academic background nor does he intimidate readers lacking military experience. In short, he is among the few authors responsible for opening up the text to the masses. The popularity of his book to this day illustrates just how much he has influenced a generation of Sun Tzu students.

  In addition, Dr. Cleary redefined The Art of War by linking it to Taoist thought found in classics like the I Ching and Tao Te Ching. He purposefully highlighted "a profound undercurrent of humanism" to an often misunderstood book about warfare. Most Sun Tzu scholars have followed these viewpoints ever since.

  Thomas Cleary holds a Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard, and has written 80 books translated from eight different languages.

  Go to Sonshi.com's interview with Dr. Thomas Cleary.