Sun Tzu's Art of War and the value of guerrilla warfare

I believe The Art of War is a great book of philosophy of war. True its not directly about modern day "battlefield tactics" but if you don't have a good sound philosophy of war then it doesn't matter how many battles you win you will loose the war, i.e Hannibal vs the Romans.

Lets look at the Viet Cong vs the USA. Its pretty much as simple as this. The USA played all the cards in their hand wrong while the Viet Cong played all its cards right. Viet Cong followed the key philosophy of war, made popular by George Washington, "You do not have to win the war, you just don't have to loose the war". Because the Viet Cong was fighting against a foreign power all it had to do was not loose. At the end of the war we Americans had countless battlefield victories against the Viet Cong but it was for nothing. In the end Ho Chi Minh, dead at the time, and his fellow North Viet leaders won and USA wasted alot of time, money, and lives. Ho Chi Minh and his cronnies had a true grasp on the Philosophy of War while American politicians and generals did not.

Remember nothing in war is ever fair. A true Warrior is one who over comes this unfair ratio he has been given.

I cant say that "Art of War" predetermined on any wars. Its not a book about strategy or tactics. Its a book about philosophy. Philosophy of war. You cant apply it to a military action.
There are 3 major books about strategy of war:
1) Carl von Clausewitz "Vom Kriege" (1832)
2) Alfred Thayer Mahan "The Influence of Sea Power upon History" (1890)
3) Giulio Douhet "The Command of the Air" (1921)

If you want to know something about strategy, read those.
If you want to know something about tactics, read biography of great commanders of past as was suggested by Napoleon.

I think that if you think about all major events in terms of battles, you can find a pattern.
Like, compare Napoleon to Hitler, they went to Russia, and lost, same strategy. So I think, you are right common sense is imho the most important thing in battle

Part 1 of 9

Sun Tzu's military theory applied to 3 major engagements, the 2nd World War and the downfall of Germany, the American Civil War and the War on Vietname. Found it interesting how it plays a big impact in the outcome of these battles although from what i've read it seems that the teachings of the Art of War are nothing else than common sense applied to war, but that might just be me. Discuss.