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The Methods of the Sima
The oldest of the Seven Military Classics reaches back to the rules of war of the Zhou kings, when battles were fought for righteousness and an army did not pursue a fleeing enemy more than a hundred paces. The Methods of the Sima, compiled in the state of Qi under the name of the general Sima Rangju, combines this ancient code with practical teaching on the virtues of a commander, discipline, rewards and punishments, formations and the spirit of troops. It is short, dignified and distinctive among Chinese military texts for its insistence that war must be governed by humanity and ritual. This complete new English translation gives all five surviving chapters. Names are given in modern pinyin and technical terms are rendered plainly, so the text reads straight through in natural English, for students of strategy, history and leadership alike.
