SOURCE: Sawyer, Ralph D. and Mei-Chün Lee Sawyer. Introduction to The Complete Art of War, by Sun Tzu and Sun Pin, translated by Ralph D. Sawyer and Mei-Chün Lee Sawyer, pp. 1-36. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1996.

In the following essay, Sawyer and Sawyer offer historical background to Sun-Tzu's era and discuss the fundamentals of his writings.

Sun Tzu and His Era

The Spring and Autumn Period

The state of Chou, which had righteously overthrown the debauched Shang to found its own dynasty in 1045 b.c. upon an avowed foundation of moral virtue and benevolence, established its authority by dispatching royal clan groups to both enemy and unsettled domains. Within a few generations, however, the Chou began experiencing nomadic pressure in the north and west; therefore, the quest for allies, resources, and political strength had to be redirected toward the south and southeast. Several early Chou kings...