The Art of War

Reading a book about Montaigne, and there's a chapter about the changes in war during his lifetime.  

In the early 1500's primitive inaccurate firearms became commonplace, leading to wars being won or lost by chance more than by skill and bravery.  Men were able to kill other men even if horribly mismatched.  Valor and bravery and skill became much less a part of fighting, and honorable cease-fires and hours-of-battle became things of the past.  Generals could be felled by a lucky shot from a common soldier. Men were killed from a distance, instead of up close and personal, making war a less personal endeavor, to some extent less horrible, easier to contemplate.  

At the same time, Martin Luther's revolt against the church (1517) brought civil war between neighbors, even within families.  Enemies no longer looked different from you or were from distant places.  Wars began to be fought over ideas, instead of land or property.  

Between Machiavelli's The Art of War (1521) and the dawn of the 17th Century, war became a political tool instead of the highly personal, highly costly and carefully-contemplated campaigns previous.

The Art of War was written by Sun Tzu, wasn't it?
Did you mean The Prince?

Sun Tzu's version was 2nd Century BC, first translated (into French) in 1722. Machiavelli wrote his own in 1521.

The Little Prince was by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943).

You're right. I don't know if I'd forgotten about Machiavelli's Art of War or if I somehow missed it altogether.

You're forgiven. It was a long time ago and you were very young.