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<![CDATA[Malquiviades added 'Gentlemen of the Road: A Tale of Adventure']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78943953
Gentlemen of the Road: A Tale of Adventure (Hardcover)
byMichael Chabon bookshelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[Malquiviades added 'Slightly Out of Focus']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78943901
Slightly Out of Focus (Modern Library War)
byRobert Capa bookshelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[Malquiviades added 'The Black Company']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78943618
The Black Company ( The Chronicle of the Black Company, Books of the North, Book One)
byGlen Cook bookshelves: fantasy,
to-be-borrowed,
to-re-read
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<![CDATA[Malquiviades added 'RuneQuest - Dara Happa Stirs']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78847527
RuneQuest - Dara Happa Stirs (Hardcover)
byLawrence Whitaker bookshelves: currently-reading,
rpg
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<![CDATA[Malquiviades added 'Use of Weapons']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76449040
to: Use of Weapons (Paperback)byIain M. Banks bookshelves: sci-fi
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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<![CDATA[Malquiviades added 'The Art of War']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74702776
to: The Art of War (UNESCO Collection of Representative Works: European)bySun Tzu bookshelves: history,
non-fiction,
war
I have to admit that I have not read any other translation/edition from this classic. In any case, both this translated work and introductory essay from Mr Griffith are both superb. This is important, as a set of "quotes" it might be really hard to read without proper introduction, poor translation or poor foreknowledge on the subject. It is a 2500 years book, in Chinese, so pay attention to the translator.
Also, the Annexes are quite interesting, too.
My feeling is that this translation is quite closer to the original objectives and intention. It seems to me that Mr Griffith's military background is clearly put on the translation so to bring a new point of view beyond the usual translation from other renown sinologist. This is quite a nice feature, because it brings light to Sun Tzu verses that might be kept obscure otherwise. Also, it makes it more amiable.
Probably this fact makes the difference between this and other editions/translations.
Therefore, this 5 star goes for both the disputed Chinese author and the translator.
As for the content itself, surely one can wonder how such simple compilation of common-sense can be regarded as a master work.
To answer this, one should ask another question: how is that along 2500 years we have been and are suffering from misery, pain and distress due to ill-lead governments and wars of carnage. And how many more we should expect from the future...
I think that many people miss the point that for Sun Tzu the war is a really bad thing to happen. It causes pain and misery to the people and may bring ruin to the state. It is a serious thing to consider, so the superb general is that who wins without actually fighting.
It is not a 'militaristic' book. It is just common-sense applied to something nasty, but unavoidable: war.
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<![CDATA[Malquiviades added 'Broadsword and Singlestick: with Chapters on Quarter-Staff, Bayonet, Cudgel, Shillalah, Walking-Stick, Umbrella, and Other Weapons of Self-Defense']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73077205
to: Broadsword and Singlestick: with Chapters on Quarter-Staff, Bayonet, Cudgel, Shillalah, Walking-Stick, Umbrella, and Other Weapons of Self-Defense (Paperback)byR.C. Allanson-Winn bookshelves: non-fiction
Concise, to the point and, most of all, amusing.
This short review on how to use in the most effective way some of the classical (and unusual) hand-to-hand weapons is easy to read and you will really enjoy it most if familiar with fencing. However, it is not now a mere school book of fencing but a really precise, truthful and colorful description of how a British gentleman should behave. Then, keeping in mind that this is not fiction, but real gentleman giving advice and telling their experiences, you have in your hands a historical support of those British characters you read of in fiction.
A sample: "The umbrella. As a weapon of modern warfare this implement has not been given a fair place". Does not this wish you to read this book?