I don’t remember when I bought my copy of The Art of War, but whenever it happened, that copy must have been the last one in the store because the front cover was scuffed. I bought it anyway.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu (translated by James Trapp) is a beautiful book, with dark hardcovers sewn together using red, glossy thread. The words—both in Literary Chinese and English—are printed on cream-colored sheets of paper folded in half, with the writing on the outside. A note on the second page explains that the book is bound in traditional Chinese style. To turn a page, you slip a finger underneath the thick edge where the sheet is folded. This is the kind of detail that matters if I ever write a story featuring pre-20th-century Chinese books.
I started reading The Art of War because, at the time, I was working on the battle scenes in The Exiled Queen: A Roman Era Historical Fantasy. What I found between those beautiful covers was not only military knowledge for my story but also psychological insights for the development of my characters and rhetorical techniques for my writing. But that’s putting it in a fancy way. What I found inside this book was a rollercoaster of aha and wow moments, which translated into dozens of notes on the side of my manuscript.
And there was something else: excitement, each time I found validation for my story decisions in Sun Tzu’s book (an ancient text written either in the 6th century BCE or during the later Warring States period (475–221 BCE) yet present today on the reading list of the United States Marine Corps).
Let me share a few quotes that stood out to me and shaped how The Exiled Queen came together in subtle, sometimes unexpected ways.
Page 13: where I found validation for how I wrote King Scorilus’s early failure
Thus, although I have heard of reckless haste in war, I have never seen wise delay. Nor has any state benefitted from prolonging war. Only someone who understands the perils of waging war can also understand the best way of conducting it.
Pages 17–19: where I discovered a strategy that fits Queen Andrada’s way of thinking
Winning a hundred victories out of a hundred battles is not the ultimate achievement; the ultimate achievement is to defeat the enemy without even coming to battle.
Thus it follows that the highest form of warfare is to out-think the enemy; next is to break his alliances; then to defeat his armies in battle; the lowest form is to besiege his cities. Siege warfare should only be undertaken if it is unavoidable.
Page 33: where I realized who must arrive first on the field at the Battle of Zalmodava
It is a general principle that the army which arrives first at the site of battle and waits for the enemy will be fresh, and the army that arrives second to the field and has to rush into battle will be laboured and exhausted.
Page 39: where the dead water/living water theme in my novel intersected with the logic of military strategy
Military strategy is like water, which flows away from high ground towards low ground; so, in your tactics, avoid the enemy’s strengths and attack his weaknesses. Water adapts its course according to the terrain; in the same way you should shape your victory around the enemy’s dispositions. There are no constants in warfare, any more than water maintains a constant shape.
Page 43: where I found strategic insight for the war councils of King Cothelas
A ruler must understand the priorities of the local nobles before he can make profitable alliances; a general must acquaint himself thoroughly with the terrain—its mountains and forests, its halts and impasses, swamps and marshes—before he can march his army through it. He must use local knowledge to take best advantage of the natural features.
Page 45–47: practical insight into the sensory and strategic demands of warfare
In battle, the human voice is not strong enough to be heard which is why we use gongs and drums; our eyesight is not acute enough, which is why we use banners and flags. (…) In night warfare, make more use of signal fires and drums, and in daytime rely on banners and flags, thus adapting to the eyes and ears of your troops. (…)
In the morning a soldier is full of fight, in the afternoon he is slowing down, and in the evening he thinks only of returning to camp. (…)
Here are some of the basic principles of war: never attack uphill, nor defend downhill; do not be lured into attack by feigned flight, and do not attack an enemy who is rested and full of fight. Do not swallow the bait put out for you, and do not get in the way of an army that is homeward bound. When you surround an enemy, always leave them a way out, and do not press a cornered foe too hard.
(Translator’s note: These last three pieces of advice seem uncharacteristically soft on the enemy, but they should be understood not as letting the enemy get away, rather as denying them the savage courage that comes from desperation.)
Page 55: guidance for moving troops through different types of terrain
All armies love the high ground and hate the low, and prefer sunny places to dark and shade. If you look after the health of your men and camp on firm dry ground, your army will avoid all the usual diseases. (…)
When you come to hills or man-made banks, take up position on the sunny side with the high ground to your right and rear. (…)
If the army is passing through hilly ground where there may be ponds with reed beds or woods with thickets, these must be thoroughly searched for they are ideal cover for spies and traitors.
Page 57: hidden signs shaping both worldbuilding and warfare
If trees and bushes seem to be moving, the enemy is advancing. If you see unusual clumps among the reeds and grasses, the enemy is laying some kind of trap. If birds suddenly rise in their flight, there is an ambush and startled animals mark a surprise attack.
(Translator’s note: This does not mean birds rising from cover when disturbed by the enemy taking up position for an ambush. More subtly it means that birds in flight will deviate upwards from their course when flying over concealed men.)
Page 57: the source of Prince Scorilus’s eye for dust patterns and troop movement
If dust rises high and distinct in the air, it is a sign of chariots; if the dust stays low but spreads out, it has been caused by infantry. When the dust separates along several different paths, the enemy are out collecting firewood. Small clouds of dust moving to and fro mean the enemy is pitching camp.
Page 67: the explanation for King Nicetas’s leadership failures on the battlefield
If you treat your soldiers like your children, you can lead them into the deepest darkest places; if you see them as your beloved sons, they will stand by you to the death. If, however you are too soft and do not establish firm leadership, too kindly and do not enforce your orders, if you are lax in your organization and cannot keep control—then your troops will be as useless to you as spoilt children.
Page 75: the reason for Prince Dapyx’s psychology of no retreat
Soldiers of whatever rank lose their fear in dangerous circumstances; they stand firm when there is no retreat; deep in hostile territory, they show a unified front; when there is no alternative, they will fight to the last. (…)
Ban all omen-taking and superstitious practices so that death is all they have to worry about.
Page 81–83: the idea for Prince Rescuporis’s deception on the battlefield
It serves no purpose to tell them if they are in danger.
You can lead them into the most desperate of situations confident that they will survive, for victory is to be plucked from defeat when they are in the greatest danger.
Page 89: the justification for Queen Andrada’s leadership restraint
A ruler should not call his general to arms simply out of anger; a general should not attack because he has been insulted. Only advance if it is to your clear advantage, otherwise stay put. Anger may change to contentment and insult to pleasure, but a kingdom once destroyed cannot be recovered, and the dead cannot be brought back to life. Thus a wise ruler is cautious, and a good general alert. This is the way to keep a country at peace and its armies intact.
Page 91: where I found validation for Queen Andrada’s fatal flaw
For what enables a wise ruler and an able general to attack decisively and to succeed where ordinary men fail, is foreknowledge. And foreknowledge cannot be found by consulting the spirits, or by comparing similar situations. It is not to be found by measuring the movements of heaven and the earth; it is to be obtained from men who have accurate knowledge of the enemy’s situation.
Page 95: where I learned how to handle spies (insight saved for the sequel)
When you find the enemy’s agents spying on you, offer them bribes, lavish care on them and lodge them handsomely. Thus they may become converted spies and be of use to you. It is through these converted spies that you will be able to recruit local spies and internal spies. It is through them that your expandable spies will feed false reports to the enemy. And it is also through them that your permanent spies will be able to act as occasion demands. A ruler must know how to employ all five kinds of spy, and this understanding comes necessarily from the converted spies.
And that was just from a first reading. Then, turning back to the first page…
