The Art Of War

The Art of War is a manual of how to fight an asymmetric war against a far superior army. It was written by Sun Tzu about 2500 years ago and has tremendous relevance to war now.
Although this programme was made 12 years ago it has great relevance to the current conflict in Ukraine.
When you are fighting a far superior force you have to use your brains. Sun Tzu's book has plenty of advice for the guerrilla or terrorist fighter - the IRA, for instance, read it with interest.
The former National director of publicity for Sinn Fein, Danny Morrison came across the book when interned as a member of the IRA in Long Kesh in Northern Ireland in the 1970s. He talks about the lessons he learned about both military strategy, spycraft and boosting morale amongst their activists and the public at large - what is now known as 'winning hearts and minds'.
General Sir Rupert Smith commanded the British 1st Armoured Division during the 1st Gulf War and was GOC Northern Ireland (1996-98). In his book The Utility of Force, he argued army-vs-army warfare is obsolete and is replaced by foreign "wars amongst the people" where the enemy is an irregular, rather than a standard army and where public opinion, both at home and in the country of operation, becomes paramount.
Sir Rob Fry was appointed COS, HQ 3 Commando Brigade and subsequently took part in Op Haven in Northern Iraq. He was appointed Commandant General Royal Marines. He was Deputy Commanding General of coalition forces in the 2nd Iraq war.
Both men talk of the influence of Sun Tzu on direct military operations and the intelligence cycle during extended wars.
Dr Geoffrey Sloan of the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Reading uses the historical example of the entrapment of Roger Casement to illustrate The Art of War.
But ultimately the moral of the book is that the greatest leaders avoid war:
'A government should not mobilize an army out of anger, military leaders should not provoke war out of wrath. Act when it is beneficial, desist if it is not. Anger can revert to joy, wrath can revert to delight, but a nation destroyed cannot be restored to existence, and the dead cannot be restored to life.'