 The latter is much more than a mere translation.It incorporates numerous ancient Chinese commentaries on "The Art of War," and also culls a variety of ancient sources for the chapters on Sun Tzu's biography, the evolution of the text, the Warring States period, ancient warfare, and a comparison with Mao Zedong's military thought.The word choice is perhaps evocative of both the hard work of translation and of the author's experiences at Guadalcanal and New Georgia.