The 33 Strategies of War

Last updated

The 33 Strategies of War
33StratagiesWar.jpg
Author Robert Greene
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreBusiness, management, military history, psychology, self-improvement
Publisher Penguin Group (HC); HighBridge Audio (CD)
Publication date
January and April 2006
Media typePrint (hardcover) and CD
Pages496
ISBN 0-670-03457-6 (HC); 978-1-59887-091-6 (CD)
Preceded by The Art of Seduction  
Followed by The 50th Law  

The 33 Strategies of War was written by American author Robert Greene in 2006. It is composed of discussions and examples of offensive and defensive strategies from a wide variety of people and conditions, applying them to social conflicts such as family quarrels and business negotiations. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Reception

The Independent said Greene has set himself up as "a modern-day Machiavelli" but that "it is never clear whether he really believes what he writes or whether it is just his shtick, an instrument of his will to shift £20 hardbacks" and concludes "There is something less than adult about it all." [4] Admiral James G. Stavridis said the book had good breadth, but it lacked depth. [5] Leadership theorist and author John Adair said Greene "shows a poor grasp of the subject" and the book is based on the flawed "assumption that the art of military strategy and the art of living are comparable". [6] Booklist said the book was repetitive, lacked a sense of humor, and had an annoying "quasi-spiritual tone". [7] NBA player Chris Bosh stated that his favorite book is The 33 Strategies of War. [8] [9] [10] The 33 Strategies of War was part of the reading list for youths attending the Indigenous Leadership Forum organised by the University of Victoria, which aimed to redesign radical Indigenous politics and the Indigenist movement. [11] It is also read by students attending a Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary course in Christian apologetics. [12] The book has been banned by several US prisons. [13]

In the book Greene writes that "Afghanistan was rich in natural gas and other minerals and had ports on the Indian Ocean": [14] Afghanistan is land-locked. (Trade to and from Afghanistan uses ports in other countries, such as Chabahar Port in Iran. [15] ) The political tales in the book are said to be "mostly foolish or just plain wrong". [16]

The book was described by one reviewer as having "far too many duff sentences", [4] such: "Your goal is to blend philosophy and war, wisdom and battle, into an unbeatable blend." [4] [17] [ tone ]

It has sold more than 200,000 copies. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Fisk</span> English writer and journalist (1946–2020)

Robert Fisk was an English writer and journalist. He was critical of United States foreign policy in the Middle East, and the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Iran</span> Overview of the transport in Iran

Iran has a long paved road system linking most of its towns and all of its cities. In 2011 the country had 173,000 kilometres (107,000 mi) of roads, of which 73% were paved. In 2008 there were nearly 100 passenger cars for every 1,000 inhabitants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reagan Doctrine</span> Doctrine proposed by the Reagan administration

The Reagan Doctrine was stated by United States President Ronald Reagan in his State of the Union address on February 6, 1985: "We must not break faith with those who are risking their lives—on every continent from Afghanistan to Nicaragua—to defy Soviet-supported aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth." It was a strategy implemented by the Reagan Administration to overwhelm the global influence of the Soviet Union in the late Cold War. The doctrine was a centerpiece of United States foreign policy from the early 1980s until the end of the Cold War in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zabol</span> City in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran

Zabol is a city in, and the capital of, the Central District of Zabol County, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran, and also serves as capital of the county. Zabol is near the border with Afghanistan. Referred to as Sistan until the late 1920s, the city was renamed Zabol by Reza Shah Pahlavi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Bosh</span> American basketball player (born 1984)

Christopher Wesson Bosh is an American former professional basketball player. A Texas Mr. Basketball in high school, he played one season of college basketball for Georgia Tech before declaring for the 2003 NBA draft. Bosh was selected fourth overall by the Toronto Raptors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zahedan</span> City in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran

Zahedan is a city in, and the capital of, the Central District of Zahedan County, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran, and serves as capital of both the county and of the province of Sistan and Baluchestan. It is near the Pakistan Iran border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chabahar</span> City in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran

Chābahār is a city in the Central District of Chabahar County, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran, and serves as capital of the county. It is a free port situated on the coast of the Gulf of Oman, and is Iran's southernmost city. The sister port city of Gwadar in Balochistan, Pakistan, is located about 170 kilometres (110 mi) to the east of Chabahar.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> (comic book) Comic book series

The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic comic book series created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore – who was the artist on the first six issues and cover artist for the first twenty-four – with art on the remainder of the series by Charlie Adlard. Beginning in 2003 and published by Image Comics, the series ran for 193 issues, with Kirkman unexpectedly ending the series in 2019. Apart from a few specials, the comic was published primarily in black and white. It began publishing colorized versions issue by issue, colored by Dave McCaig, starting in October 2020.

<i>The 48 Laws of Power</i> 1998 non-fiction New York Times bestseller book by Robert Greene

The 48 Laws of Power (1998) is a non-fiction book by American author Robert Greene. The book is a New York Times bestseller, selling over 1.2 million copies in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwadar Port</span> Deep-water seaport in Balochistan, Pakistan

The Gwadar Port is situated on the Arabian Sea at Gwadar in Balochistan province of Pakistan and is under the administrative control of the Maritime Secretary of Pakistan and operational control of the China Overseas Port Holding Company. The port features prominently in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan, and is considered to be a link between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Maritime Silk Road projects. It is about 120 kilometres (75 mi) southwest of Turbat, and 170 kilometres (110 mi) to the east of Chabahar Port.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India–Iran relations</span> Bilateral relations

India–Iran relations are the bilateral relationship between the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Independent India and Iran established diplomatic relations on 15 March 1950. However, ties between both ancient Persia and ancient India date back millennia. During much of the Cold War, relations between India and the erstwhile Imperial State of Iran suffered due to their differing political interests: India endorsed a non-aligned position but fostered strong links with the Soviet Union, while Iran was an open member of the Western Bloc and enjoyed close ties with the United States. While India did not welcome the 1979 Islamic Revolution, relations between the two states strengthened momentarily in its aftermath. However, Iran's continued support for Pakistan in the India–Pakistan conflict and India's close relations with Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War greatly strained bilateral ties. In the 1990s, both India and Iran supported the Northern Alliance against the Taliban in Afghanistan, the latter of which received overt Pakistani backing and ruled most of the country until the 2001 United States-led invasion. They continued to collaborate in supporting the broad-based anti-Taliban government, led by Ashraf Ghani and backed by the international community, until the Taliban captured Kabul in 2021 and re-established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. India and Iran signed a defence cooperation agreement in December 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chabahar County</span> County in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran

Chabahar County (formerly Chah Bahar County is in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Chabahar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James G. Stavridis</span> US Navy admiral (born 1955)

James George Stavridis is a retired United States Navy admiral, currently vice chair, global affairs and managing director of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and chair of the board of trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation. Stavridis serves as the chief international diplomacy and national security analyst for NBC News in New York. He is also chair emeritus of the board of directors of the United States Naval Institute and a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chabahar Port</span> Port in Iran

Chabahar Port is a seaport in Chabahar located in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman. It serves as Iran's only oceanic port, and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti, each of which has five berths. It is only about 170 kilometres west of the Pakistani port of Gwadar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghanistan–India relations</span> Bilateral relations

Afghanistan–India relations are the diplomatic relations between India and Afghanistan. They had been historical neighbors and shared cultural ties through Bollywood and cricket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Greene (American author)</span> American author (born 1959)

Robert Greene is an American author of books on strategy, power, and seduction. He has written six international bestsellers, including The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law, Mastery, and The Laws of Human Nature.

Major General Andrew Douglas Mackay, CBE is a former British Army officer who commanded British forces in Helmand, Afghanistan. This was the principal opium-growing region and Britain was responsible in the NATO International Security Assistance Force for the suppression of opium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China–Pakistan Economic Corridor</span> Infrastructure and geostrategic project

China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a 3000 km Chinese infrastructure network project undertaken in Pakistan. This sea-and-land based corridor is aimed to secure and reduce the passage for China's energy imports from the Middle East by avoiding existing route from the Straits of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia, which in case of a war could be blocked and thus hampering the Chinese energy dependent economic avenues. Developing a deep water port at Gwadar in Arabian Sea and a well built road and rail line from this port to Xinjiang Province in western China would be a shortcut for boosting the trade between Europe and China. In Pakistan, its aim is to overcome an electricity shortfall, infrastructural development and modernize transportation networks. Along with shifting it from an agricultural based economic structure to industrial based.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elliot Ackerman</span> American author

Elliot Ackerman is an American author and former Marine Corps special operations team leader. He is the New York Times–bestselling author of the novels 2034: A Novel of the Next World War, Red Dress In Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing, and Green on Blue, and the upcoming Halcyon: A Novel, as well as the memoirs The Fifth Act: America’s End in Afghanistan and Placesand Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning. His books have received significant critical acclaim, including nominations for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medals in both fiction and non-fiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He served as a White House fellow in the Obama administration and is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a contributing writer to The Atlantic and The New York Times. He was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with Valor, and a Purple Heart during his five deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.

<i>The Accidental Admiral</i>

The Accidental Admiral: A Sailor Takes Command at NATO is a 2014 memoir by James G. Stavridis, a retired four-star admiral in the United States Navy. In this work he recounts his experiences as NATO's 16th Supreme Allied Commander Europe from June 2009 to May 2013 as well as his insights regarding leadership and the future of global security.

References

  1. Fearn, Nicholas (March 5, 2006), "The 33 Strategies of War, by Robert Greene", The Independent, retrieved August 15, 2018
  2. Lee, Eloise (May 4, 2012). "33 War Strategies That Will Help You Win Everything In Life". Business Insider. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  3. Youssef Aboul-Enein (March 30, 2006). "The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene". The Waterline. Comprint Military Publications. Archived from the original on May 29, 2006. Retrieved July 25, 2006.
  4. 1 2 3 Fearn, Nicholas (March 5, 2006). "The 33 Strategies of War, by Robert Greene". The Independent.
  5. Stavridis, Jim (2006), The 33 Strategies of War, U.S. Naval Institute, retrieved January 12, 2014
  6. Adair, John (2006), All is fair in work and war?, Management Today, retrieved January 12, 2014 alternative URL
  7. Driscoll, Brendan (2006), The 33 Strategies of War, Booklist, retrieved January 12, 2014
  8. Tice, Carol. All’s Fair?. Entrepreneur. November 1, 2006.
  9. Green, Mark (January 12, 2012). "Not a Third Wheel: A GQ&A with Chris Bosh". GQ.
  10. Mirchandini, Raakhee (January 5, 2007). "The Merchant of Menace". The New York Post.
  11. "Indigenous Leadership Forum IGOV 595/384 A01" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 18, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2006.
  12. William A. Dembski. "PHREL 4373 Christian Apologetics" (PDF). Retrieved July 25, 2006.
  13. Books Banned in U.S. Prisons Featured at Minneapolis Art Festival (video), Unicorn Riot Media, June 25, 2018
  14. Greene, The 33 Strategies of War, p284.
  15. Sawhney, Asha (April 8, 2019), "Chabahar Port: Unlocking Afghanistan's Potential", New Perspectives in Foreign Policy, Center for Strategic and International Studies, no. 17
  16. St Louis Post-Dispatch, If war's a given, then strategy is the wild card, by Joseph Losos, 29 January 2006.
  17. Greene, The 33 Strategies of War, preface, pXX.
  18. Robert Greene Interview, Part 1. Power Seduction and War. July 7, 2006.