The Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz’s On War has, alongside Sun Tzu’s Art of War, long been recognized as the most definitive classic on the art, theory and principles of warfare. This new, compact adaptation of Clausewitz's vast treatise presents in carefully selected, focused yet accessible sections all the key lessons from the battlefield needed to succeed in the twenty-first-century world of business.

The unpredictability of war is not too different from constantly changing economic conditions. Just as the army general needs to understand and implement the asymmetrical relationship between attack and defence, the business leader, too, needs to plan for all contingencies. Clausewitz’s philosophy, encompassing every aspect of strategic thinking – dealing with defeat, planning a campaign, using the element of surprise, and marshalling resources at hand – speaks simply and clearly to every business practitioner.