Who they were
Tradition in the Shiji makes Sun Wu a general serving King Helü of the southern state of Wu in the late Spring and Autumn period. His historicity and the dating of the text are debated; many scholars place the book’s final form in the Warring States period.
What they did
He is credited with The Art of War (孫子兵法), a treatise on strategy in thirteen chapters. Its core ideas: supreme excellence is winning without fighting; know the enemy and know yourself; and deception, speed, terrain and logistics decide wars — which should be begun only after calculation.
Legacy
The Art of War is the most famous work of Chinese strategic thought, studied for over two millennia by commanders across East Asia and, in translation, around the world. Today it is also quoted in business and sport.