O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands.

Appraise war in terms of the fundamental factors. The first of these factors is moral influence.

If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.

Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss.

Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will.

In all history, there is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare. Only one who knows the disastrous effects of a long war can realize the supreme importance of rapidity in bringing it to a close.

The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals. Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilize combined energy