First published in 1521, &ldquo;The Art of War&rdquo; is a treatise by the Italian Renaissance political philosopher Niccol&ograve; Machiavelli that echoes the Treaty of the Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu.<br /><br />In this, the least known of his works, Machiavelli gives straightforward advice on organising and conducting military operations. &quot;The Art of War&quot;&rsquo;s clear, and concise style is diametrically opposed to that of &quot;The Prince.&quot; The book is wholly practical and considers contrasting arguments. Its format is that of a conversation between a military expert and interested citizens. Although the expert, Fabrizio, is obviously Machiavelli himself, the format provides at least an arguable degree of separation between Machiavelli and his advice.