From Wikipedia: "Sun Tzu's Art of War has been deeply influential. It is said the first emperor of a unified China, Qin Shihuang, thought the book invaluable in ending the Age of Warring States. Japan was introduced to Sun Tzu's work c. AD 760, quickly becoming popular among her generals. It is considered an important influence on the unification of Japan. Mastery of its teachings was considered a mark of respect among the samurai and several influential samurai both exhorted and exemplified its teachings, such as Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Mao Zedong partially credited his defeat of Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalists in 1949 to the Art of War. It strongly influenced Mao's writings about guerrilla warfare, which further influenced communist insurgencies throughout the world. A further example of its explicit modern influence is its use by General Norman Schwartzkopf during Desert Storm, where the general put to practice Sun Tzu's principles of deception, speed, and attacking the enemy's weakness.

"A modern interpretation of Sun Tzu and his importance throughout Chinese history is critical in understanding China's push to become a superpower in the 21st century. Hundreds of modern Chinese scholars explicitly rely on historical strategic lessons and the Art of War in developing their theories. They perceive a direct relationship between their modern struggles and those of China in Sun Tzu's time. There is a great perceived value in the teachings of Sun Tzu, and other traditional Chinese writers, and they are used regularly in developing the strategies of the Chinese state and its leaders."

I was very intrigued by some of your comments. I would recommend you taking a look at another great chinese/history read (http://www.yuantsungchen.com/) called, "Return to Middle Kingdom" - by Yuan-tsung Chen. For anyone interested in the intricacies of politics in the Chinese way, Ms. Chen's book is indispensable. Simply wonderful.

The principles Sun Tzu expounded have been said to have been utilized brilliantly by such great Asian leaders as Mao Zedong, Giap and Yamamoto. Sun Tzu's Art of War has been credited with influencing Napoleon, and even the planning for Desert Storm.

What then was the MOTIVE of those who first published Sun Tzu's The Art of War, hailed as one of the greatest book on military strategy in the world? Whoever published Sun Tzu's The Art of War must have contemplated that the book would also be read by his enemies. Why then would he put his army and his kingdom at risk?

I have written two blog articles:
Sun Tzu’s Art of War Exposed! (http://dummipedia.org/wordpress/?p=26)
Lifting the Veil of Conspiracy on Sun Tzu’s Art of War (http://dummipedia.org/wordpress/?p=28)

You may want to read it to understand where I am coming from so as to have a more fruitful discussion.