Updated 28-Jun-2024
New Modern Editions
The Collection - Seven Classics
Classics Press publishes nonfiction and literature in modern, accessible editions at reasonable prices.
The Seven Classics on War and Politics is a new edition of seven classic works of political and military science. Each of the included classical works are available individually as well as together in the collection.
All of these classics are already available in English editions, but nearly always a format that is difficult to read and understand. Most of these are in English translations that are very old, or miss out on the fundamental insights. Many include a lot of excess commentary which is mostly unnecessary and unhelpful.
Our editing process reduces the repetition and unnecessary commentary and cruft, and clarify what is essential and insightful in the works using modern English prose. This process is an abridgement:
> [C]ondensing or reduction of a book or other creative work into a shorter form while maintaining the unity of the source.
The goal of this project is to produce a collection of works with clear and modern English that showcases the timeless insights which these classics have within them. We also want to provide several different formats for these works, including:
- Ebook
- Paperback
- Audiobook
The Collection - Individual Titles
| Volume | Title | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | The Art of War by Sun Tzu, 3rd Edition | 2019-10-15 |
| Vol. 2 | The Analects by Confucius | 2018-11-28 |
| Vol. 3 | The Arthashastra by Chanakya (Kautilya) | 2019-01-06 |
| Vol. 4 | Meditations of Marcus Aurelius | 2019-01-20 |
| Vol. 5 | The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli | 2019-04-14 |
| Vol. 6 | The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi | 2019-04-14 |
| Vol. 7 | Hagakure (Bushido) The Way of the Samurai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo | 2019-04-14 |
| Vol. 8 | Seven Classics on War and Politics | 2019-10-25 |
This is an international collection, with two books from China, one from India, two from Europe, and two from Japan. The books also span over 2,000 years of history. Some of these books are focused on war and military science (Art of War, Book of Five Rings, Hagakure), others are more self-reflective and develop an ethical philosophy (Analects, Meditations), and others still are focused more on politics and ruling (Arthashastra, The Prince).
Each of these works provides a unique and historical perspective regarding these topics, and they complement each other in tracing deep insight into the nature of leadership, war, and politics.