Sun Tzu, born in the late Spring and Autumn period of China, was a military strategist, philosopher and writer who was most famous for writing the widely influential the Art of War (5th century bc), the oldest military treatise in the world. While little is known about Sun Tzu’s early life, it is widely believed that he served as a military general under King Helu of Wu and was a venerated military figure in Chinese and East Asian culture. His fame spread to the West from 20th century on, when the Art of War was translated into English and French. The military tactics and manoeuvres prescribed in the book were applicable to various competitive fields, which led to the increasing importance of both, the text and its author.