When your weapons are dulled and ardour damped, your strength exhausted and treasure spent, neighboring rulers will take advantage of your distress to act. And even though you have wise counsellors, none will be able to lay good plans for the future. Thus, while we have heard of blundering swiftness in war, we have not yet seen a clever operation that was prolonged.

The skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting.

It is the business of a general to be serene and inscrutable, impartial and self-controlled.

To maintain an army at a distance causes the people to be impoverished.

Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.

A warrior who is prepared to fight must also be prepared to die.

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