He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.

Those who are victorious plan effectively and change decisively. They are like a great river that maintains its course but adjusts its flow.

When campaigning, be swift as the wind; in leisurely march, majestic as the forest; in raiding and plundering, like fire; in standing, firm as the mountains. As unfathomable as the clouds, move like a thunderbolt.

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.

The peak efficiency of knowledge and strategy is to make conflict unnecessary.

All wars are won or lost before they are ever fought.

He must be able to mystify his officers and men by false reports and appearances, and thus keep them in total ignorance.