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The Art of War is book that has been read and studied by many people for over two millenia. It is one of the books included in the Seven Military Classics of China, a compilation of military treatises complied in the 11th century. It has been widely read and studied in China ever since its initial publication.

The book eventually spread to other countries and is now a worldwide classic. To note one example, The Art of War is one of the books included on the Marine Corps' Recommended Reading List. The first western translation of The Art of War was published by a Jesuit named Joseph Amiot, who translated it to French in 1782. In 1905, British Captain E.F. Calthrop translated the book into English. Sinologist Lionel Giles published a new English translation in 1910 after criticizing the accuracy of Calthrop's translation. Another English translation was published by Marine Corps Brigadier General Samuel B. Griffith.

Starting around the late 20th century, people began studying The Art of War in contexts other than pure military strategy. The most notable example of this is the application of the book's principles to business. Some have even published special editions of the book intended specifically for business people including The Art of War for Executives, Sun Tzu and the Art of Business and Sun Tzu Strategies for Winning the Marketing War.

Quicklet on The Art of War by Sun Tzu