Sun Tzu Art of War" of all surviving texts. Sun Tzu's "Art of War" has influenced many notable figures. The Chinese historian Sima Qian recounted that China's first historical emperor, Qin's Shi Huangdi, considered the book invaluable in ending the time of the Warring States. In the 20th century, the Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong partially credited his 1949 victory over Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang to "The Art of War". The work strongly influenced Mao's writings about guerrilla warfare, which further influenced communist insurgencies around the world. "The Art of War" was introduced into Japan and the book quickly became popular
What Is Art? art. In short, new artists imitate the classics, setting their own feelings aside, which, according to Tolstoy, is contrary to the point of art. Art schools teach people how to imitate the method of the masters, but they cannot teach the sincerity of emotion that is the propellant of great works. In Tolstoy's words, "[n]o school can call up feelings in a man, and still less can it teach a man what is the essence of art: the manifestation of feeling in his own particular fashion". Throughout the book Tolstoy demonstrates a willingness to dismiss generally accepted masters, among them