One who speaks deferentially but increases his preparations will advance. One who speaks belligerently and advances hastily will retreat.

Use humility to make the enemy haughty. Tire them by flight. Cause division among them. When they are unprepared, attack and make your move when they do not expect it.

Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting.

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

Factors in the art of warfare are: First, calculations; second, quantities; third, logistics; fourth, the balance of power; and fifth, the possibility of victory is based on the balance of power.

To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.

There are five kinds of incendiary attack: The first is called setting fire to personnel; the second, to stores; the third, to transport vehicles and equipment; the fourth, to munitions; the fifth, to supply installations...In all cases an army must understand the changes induced by the five kinds of incendiary attack, and make use of logistical calculations to address them.