In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.

All warfare is based on deception. There is no place where espionage is not used. Offer the enemy bait to lure him.

When orders are consistently trustworthy and observed, the relationship of a commander with his troops is satisfactory.

the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people's fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril.

Whoever is the first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy will be fresh for the fight... Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy... By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord; or by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near.

Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.

The control of large numbers is possible, and like unto that of small numbers, if we subdivide them.