THE ART OF WAR by Sun Tzu, James Trapp

Featuring the Chinese text on the left and the English translation on the right, this is a beautifully bound book that would make a unique gift or collector's item.

Written in the 6th century BC, Sun Tzu's The Art of War is still used as a book of military strategy today. Napoleon, Mae Zedong, General Vo Nguyen Giap and General Douglas MacArthur all claimed to have drawn inspiration from it. And beyond the world of war, business and management gurus have also applied Sun Tzu's ideas to office politics and corporate strategy. Using a new translation by James Trapp and including editorial notes, this edition of The Art of War is printed on high quality paper and bound by traditional Chinese book-making techniques, and has been nominated for two prizes in the British Book Design & Production Awards 2011. It contains the full 13 chapters on such topics as laying plans, attacking by stratagem, weaponry, terrain and the use of spies. Sun Tzu addresses different campaign situations, marching, energy and how to exploit your enemy's weaknesses.

THE CODE OF THE SAMURAI by Inazo Nitobe

Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding with a cloth cover and string, and with a timeless design, this book includes the classic Inazo text with a new introduction. It will appeal to anyone interested in leadership, the nobility of the Samurai and Japanese culture.

Bushido is the chivalric code of moral principles that the Samurai followed: rectitude, frugality, courage, benevolence, respect, honesty, honour and loyalty. Influenced by Confucianism, Shinto and Zen Buddhism, it tempers the violence of a warrior with wisdom and serenity. Alongside Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and Machiavelli’s The Prince, Inazo’s book has become influential among military and corporate leaders looking for ways to manage their people and overcome their opponents.

The term bushido was originally used in the 17th Century and came into common use around the world after the original publication of this book in 1899. In the tradition of the Kojiki, the Heike Monogatari, and The Book of Five Rings, this collection of principles sheds a great deal of clarity on the evolution of the Japanese Samurai culture.