Big Book of War: Difference between revisions

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In [[Real Life]], there's no easy answer. In fictionland, however, you can just ask the Big Book Of War.

A specific type of [[Fictional Document]] (and occasionally [[Encyclopedia Exposita]]), the [[Big Book of War]] is an oft-quoted, but rarely seen in its entirety, book or code which some military ([[Mildly Military|mildly]] or otherwise) or other group follows. In addition to providing strategies for battle (and occasionally diplomacy), it frequently alludes to some kind of moral, chivalric code which its adherents are supposed to follow. Characters will frequently recite passages or rules from it when faced with some dangerous situation or conundrum. A [[Rules Lawyer]] may insist on "[[Bothering by the Book|sticking to the code]]" no matter what happens, while a [[Military Maverick]] is more likely to shout "screw the code!" and do things his/her own way. The book in question might be Sun Tzu's ''Art of War'' but is at least as likely to be entirely fictional and specific to that organization.

A specific type of [[Fictional Document]] (and occasionally [[Encyclopedia Exposita]]), the '''Big Book of War''' is an oft-quoted, but rarely seen in its entirety, book or code which some military ([[Mildly Military|mildly]] or otherwise) or other group follows. In addition to providing strategies for battle (and occasionally diplomacy), it frequently alludes to some kind of moral, chivalric code which its adherents are supposed to follow. Characters will frequently recite passages or rules from it when faced with some dangerous situation or conundrum. A [[Rules Lawyer]] may insist on "[[Bothering by the Book|sticking to the code]]" no matter what happens, while a [[Military Maverick]] is more likely to shout "screw the code!" and do things his/her own way. The book in question might be Sun Tzu's ''Art of War'' but is at least as likely to be entirely fictional and specific to that organization.

Other organized groups, from [[~~Ninja|ninjas~~]] to [[~~Pirate|pirates~~]] to Girl/Boy Scouts to bands of space traders, frequently have their own codes that work the same way. Regardless of what it serves, it frequently has [[Great Big Book of Everything|all the answers you need, right when you need them]]. It also makes an excellent citation source for your [[Badass Creed]].

Other organized groups, from [[ninja]]s to [[pirate]]s to Girl/Boy Scouts to bands of space traders, frequently have their own codes that work the same way. Regardless of what it serves, it frequently has [[Great Big Book of Everything|all the answers you need, right when you need them]]. It also makes an excellent citation source for your [[Badass Creed]].

It can be [[Played for Laughs]] if a character tries to appear knowledgeable by quoting a rule, only to be corrected by someone else that he picked a completely wrong section of said document.

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* ''[[Icewind Dale]] 2'' includes an item, the book ''How to Be an Adventurer'', with such helpful chapters as "101 Uses for a 10' Pole", "Getting the Most out of Your Party's Thief", and "Face It, You're Actually Neutral Evil". Reading it grants a character 10,000 [[Experience Points]] and consumes the book.

* ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'''s [[Department of Redundancy Department|Assassins have their own Creed]]. ([[Captain Obvious|Well, duh...]])

* ''[[Star Wars]] [[Republic Commando]]'' ~~-- Rule~~ number one: kill them before they kill you. Rule seventeen: never say no to bacta. Rule twenty-three: always make sure they're dead. Several other rules are also quoted, but no actual strategies or tactics are mentioned and it's unclear if Scorch is quoting an actual list they were taught, or just paraphrasing his training and throwing a number on as a joke.

* ''[[Star Wars]] [[Republic Commando]]''—Rule number one: kill them before they kill you. Rule seventeen: never say no to bacta. Rule twenty-three: always make sure they're dead. Several other rules are also quoted, but no actual strategies or tactics are mentioned and it's unclear if Scorch is quoting an actual list they were taught, or just paraphrasing his training and throwing a number on as a joke.

* In ''[[A Tale of Two Kingdoms]]'', the Way of the Warrior by [[Incredibly Lame Pun|Moon Tzu]]. It explains how honorable it is to cast sand at the enemy's eyes during a swordfight.

== Webcomics ==

* ''The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pirates''--[[Retcon|er, that is,]] ''The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries''~~--is~~ frequently quoted in ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]''. This includes such gems as:

* ''The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pirates''--[[Retcon|er, that is,]] ''The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries''—is frequently quoted in ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]''. This includes such gems as:

** 1. [[Rape, Pillage and Burn|Pillage]], ''[[In That Order|THEN]]'' [[Rape, Pillage and Burn|burn]]. ([http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20030308.html 1], [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20040404.html 2], [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20040722.html 3])

** 2. [[Don't Ask, Just Run|A Sergeant in motion outranks a Lieutenant who doesn't know what's going on.]] ([http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20090731.html 1])

** 3. [[Oh Crap|An ordnance technician]] [[Don't Ask, Just Run|at a dead run outranks ]]''[[Don't Ask, Just Run|everybody]]''. ([http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20091101.html 1])

** 3. [[Oh Crap|An ordnance technician]] [[Don't Ask, Just Run|at a dead run outranks]]''[[Don't Ask, Just Run|everybody]]''. ([http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20091101.html 1])

** 4. [[Gunship Rescue|Close air support covereth a multitude of sins.]] ([http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20080415.html 1])

** 5. [[Friend or Foe|Close air support and friendly fire should be easier to tell apart.]] ([http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20100421.html 1])

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== Real Life ==

* [[Warrior Poet|Sun Tzu's]] ''[[The Art of War]]'', the [[Older Than Feudalism|classic Chinese text]] and possible [[Trope Maker]] in the public consciousness, beloved by military strategists and pretended to be read by [[Nietzsche Wannabe~~|Nietzsche Wannabes~~]] everywhere. Despite its reputation, ''The Art of War'' is quite small, particularly in the original archaic Chinese. Publications usually include explanatory commentaries that are several times longer than the original work.

* [[Warrior Poet|Sun Tzu's]] ''[[The Art of War]]'', the [[Older Than Feudalism|classic Chinese text]] and possible [[Trope Maker]] in the public consciousness, beloved by military strategists and pretended to be read by [[Nietzsche Wannabe]]s everywhere. Despite its reputation, ''The Art of War'' is quite small, particularly in the original archaic Chinese. Publications usually include explanatory commentaries that are several times longer than the original work.

* [[Four-Star Badass|Carl von Clausewitz]]'s ''On War'' is the West's premier work on military theory. Clausewitz notably argues for the inherent superiority of defense over offense and stresses the moral and political aspects of war. Even though the work is [[Author Existence Failure|unfinished]], it was highly influential at the time of the First World War and remains relevant today. The book coined the concept of the "fog of war" and memorably defined war as "the continuation of politics by other means."

* Machiavelli's ''[[The Prince]]'', which covers military strategy as it pertains to ruling monarchs, and his [[Discourses on Livy]], which devotes the second of its three sections chiefly to conducting war as a republic. Part of Machiavelli's intention is to convince his readers that the Italian city-states should not be reliant on mercenaries, and should instead build up militias. His tactics were gradually amended over the years and became the basis for linear tactics.