Sun Tzu (554 BCE - 496 BCE) was a Chinese general, strategist and philosopher who figures significantly in Chinese culture and history both as the author of The Art of War and as a legendary leader.  Born Sun Wu in 544 BC, he became a military leader and minister to King Helü of Wu in 512 BC whose activities are recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian.  His masterpiece on the philosophy of war and winning is thought to be based on the theories used in his battlefield successes, and he became known by the honorific Sun Tzu thereafter.  Scholars have questioned both the identity of the author of The Art of War and when it was written, based on stylistic and historical inconsistencies. The issue is compounded by references to the general’s descendant Sun Bin, also author of a military treatise, as Sun Tzu.  Some think it is likely that the work originated with Sun Tzu and was emended with commentary and clarifications by other theorists over time.