Unless you know the mountains and the forests, the defiles and impasses, the lay of the marshes and swamps, you cannot maneuver with an armed force. Unless you use local guides, you cannot get the advantages of the land.

The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.

The skilful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man.

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.

Until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared

It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results.

What is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations.