Sun Tzu Sun Tzu Sun Tzu (; ; also rendered as Sunzi) was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of "The Art of War", a widely influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking. His works focus much more on alternatives to battle- such as stratagem, delay, the use of spies, and alternatives to war itself- the making and keeping of alliances, the uses of deceit, and a willingness to submit, at least
Sun Tzu stories about Sun Tzu, taken from Sima Qian, illustrates Sun Tzu's temperament as follows: Before hiring Sun Tzu, the King of Wu tested Sun Tzu's skills by commanding him to train a harem of 360 concubines into soldiers. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, appointing the two concubines most favored by the king as the company commanders. When Sun Tzu first ordered the concubines to face right, they giggled. In response, Sun Tzu said that the general, in this case himself, was responsible for ensuring that soldiers understood the commands given to them. Then, he reiterated the command, and