The book explores the development of military science in ancient China and its remarkable contribution to Chinese military culture through an investigation of representative military works, relevant passages from ancient philosophers books and important collections of histories and classical works.
A History of Traditional Chinese Military Science explores the development of military science in ancient China and its remarkable contribution to Chinese military culture through an investigation of representative military works, relevant passages from ancient philosophers books and important collections of histories and classical works. The book attempts to trace the historical trajectory of the emergence and evolvement of traditional Chinese military theory and is committed to a panoramic review of the basic connotations of this theory, its major characters and expressions in the context of different historical backgrounds, as well as its cultural impact.
The main features of the book are the following:
1. The book includes a survey of traditional Chinese military theory and traces its distinct characters in different historical phases. To provide a clear understanding of the development of traditional Chinese military theory, the narrative is organized in chronological order, instead of the more popular topic-oriented format.
2. Special emphasis is placed on the independent value of military science in order to adjust a long-standing tendency to separate military and history studies in Chinese scholarship. However, elements of military system, military technology, military tactics, army formations and military topography are also referred to, which enriches the scope of the study and offers a complementary angle to examine the dynamics in military culture.
3. The authors academic background and training are exclusively Chinese. A history composed in this context offers a different perspective from Western scholars and gives readers some new inspiration.
Preface to the English Translation Introduction The Emergence of
Warfare and Military Thought in the Xia and Shang Dynasties The Military
Theory and Culture in the West Zhou Dynasty The Development of Military
Tactics and Theory in the Spring and Autumn Period The Theoretical System
in The Art of War The Prosperity of Military Theory in the Warring States
Period The Military Theory of Pre-Qin Scholars The Achievements of
Military Science in the Qin and Han Dynasties Military Science in the Wei,
Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties Military Theory in the Sui, Tang and
Five Dynasties Military Science in the Song Dynasty The Communication and
Integration of Military Science Among Multiple Ethnic Groups Military
Science in the Ming Dynasty: From Prosperity to Decline The Coastal Defence
Strategy and Qi Jiguangs Contribution to Military Science The Use of
Firearms and the New Look of Military Theory The End of Traditional Chinese
Military Science Coastal Defence and Naval Construction in the Qing Dynasty
The Transition of Modern Chinese Military Science and Its Significance
Selected Bibliography Index of People Index of Important Terms.
The chief author, Huang Pumin, is a professor from Renmin University of China and one of the leading scholars in classical Chinese military theory, particularly Sunzis Art of War. His books, including A Military History: The Spring and Autumn Period (1998) and A Critical Biography of He Xiu (2002), have received several national book awards and nominations.
Wei Hong once worked as Research Fellow at the Chinese Academy of Military Science. She published A Study of Sunzis Military Theory in the Song Dynasty (2011) and the volume on Song, Liao, Xia, Jin and Yuan military theories in A Comprehensive History of Chinese Military Science (2022).
Xiong Jianping is a professor from National University of Defense Technology in China. His major publications include A New Study of Sunzis Art of War (2021) and The Intelligence Thought in Sunzis Art of War (co-authored with Gao Jinhu, 2019).
The translator, Fan Hao, teaches at Nanjing University, China. Her translations include The Sun between Their Feet (2008), How to Read Literature (2015) and Shakespeares Restless World (2016).
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