Sun Tzu's Art of War: The Manga Edition: The Full Story Behind Sun Tzu's Masterpiece!

by Sun Tzu, Yoshihiro Watanabe (adapter), Takashi Momonari (illustrator)

Learn the full back story behind the world's greatest book on military strategy!

The Art of War is one of the world's great masterpieces—presenting timeless strategies that are as important in the boardroom as on the battlefield. Now, experience Sun Tzu's classic as never before in this riveting graphic novel brimming with battles, betrayals and political intrigues.

The book recounts the conflict between the kingdom of Wu as they plot to attack the far more powerful state of Chu, with both leaders navigating internal plots and power struggles that will forever alter the fate of China. The fascinating accounts in this book

The story of Sun Tzu, who became a trusted advisor to the powerful Wu clan and then a master military strategist, capturing the attention of Wu Zixu, the clan's most formidable generalThe creation of the military strategies in The Art of War, as Sun Tzu develops his revolutionary philosophy of asymmetrical warfareThe high-stakes Battle of Boju where Sun Tzu's teachings take center stage, shaping a battle that will become legendary in the chronicles of military historyAnd many other fascinating stories!
Sun Tzu's Art of War brings to life not only the tactical brilliance of Sun Tzu's teachings but also the human drama behind them—the ambition, sacrifice and the relentless pursuit of victory.

Genres: Manga

496 pages, Paperback

Published September 16, 2025

About the author

Sun Tzu (traditional Chinese: 孫子; simplified Chinese: 孙子; pinyin: Sūnzǐ) was a Chinese military general, strategist, philosopher, and writer who lived during the Eastern Zhou period (771–256 BC). Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thought. Sun Tzu is revered in Chinese and East Asian culture as a legendary historical and military figure. His birth name was Sun Wu (traditional Chinese: 孫武; simplified Chinese: 孙武) and he was known outside of his family by his courtesy name Changqing (Chinese: 長卿). The name Sun Tzu—by which he is more popularly known—is an honorific which means "Master Sun".
Sun Tzu mastered the military science of ancient China and created the military doctrine of asymmetrical warfare. According to it, an attack on the enemy should begin only after the enemy has no opportunity to either defend or counterattack. It was used in the wars in the era of the Warring States in ancient China (about 475–221 BC). It differs from the modern interpretation of asymmetric military strategy. The ancient warriors used to call it the Victorious Methods of Warfare (sheng er zhan zhi), but it has the same meaning as the modern asymmetrical military strategy. The ancient professional warriors used it in individual combats against the enemies in the wars. As a result, a variety of armed and unarmed combat combinations have been created for various combat situations as the individual battle plans. Those combat combinations had specific names, descriptions and classifications.
Sun Tzu's historicity is uncertain. The Han dynasty historian Sima Qian and other traditional Chinese historians placed him as a minister to King Helü of Wu and dated his lifetime to 544–496 BC. Modern scholars accepting his historicity place the extant text of The Art of War in the later Warring States period of 475 to 221 BC, based on its style of composition and its descriptions of warfare. Traditional accounts state that the general's descendant Sun Bin wrote a treatise on military tactics, also titled The Art of War. Since both Sun Wu and Sun Bin were referred to as "Sun Tzu" in classical Chinese texts, some historians believed them identical, prior to the rediscovery of Sun Bin's treatise in 1972.
Sun Tzu's work has been praised and employed throughout the arc of East Asian military history since its composition, and eventually earned global attention. During the twentieth century, The Art of War grew in popularity and saw practical use in the Western world as well. It remains influential in many contemporary competitive endeavors across the modern world beyond military strategy and warfare, including espionage, culture, governance, business, and sports.

Reviews

[Polis Stavrou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its a great book that tells the events of Spring and Autumn and Warring States period in China, the rise of Sun Tzu as a brilliant tactician and strategist and how he used his manuscript Art of War from theory to action. The illustrations are quite describing and it has many information about that period. Although, you might get confused with the clans and the names and who belongs to who, it is quite frustrating. But is a good book for people who like war history and war tactics.

[Paul Ransom · Rating 2 out of 5]

For context, I came to this volume in a spirit of experiment. Try something different, etc. Having not read a ‘comic’ since my ‘Asterix’ phase in the late 1970s, I thought this might be an interesting way to dive into ‘The Art of War’. Yes, it was interesting, but not especially rewarding. Some of this is down to me – my reading style, my way of taking in information – but much of it stems from the clunky nature of the book. While the artwork is great, detailed and expressive, the story arc stutters and jumps. Moreover, the text feels simplified, almost condescending. (Perhaps 60yo readers are not the target for Manga.) Worse, the text is riddled with typos and translation glitches; by far the most of any published work I have come across. That said, there is enough here to excite curiosity, both for the possibilities of the graphic novel, and for the intriguing history of China’s Spring & Autumn period. Overall, this is an ambitious attempt to render complex ideas and politics in a comic strip form, although perhaps it was a bridge too far. PS: To be clear, this is not a Manga version of Sun Tzu’s text, but a commentary and back story.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

All of the horses and elephants look like they'd rather be in any other manga.

[Azella P · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated book of the art of war. I found myself really appreciating and valuing the effort made through this book, the interpretation that allowed it to be visually represented.

[Miriam · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
not super accurate to the original art of war, but I suppose it was entertaining, considering that I read it in 1 sitting