The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise by Sun Tzu, a high-ranking military general, strategist and tactician. Each chapter is devoted to one aspect of warfare. It is commonly thought of as a definitive work on military strategy.

In The Bhagavad Gita, prince Arjuna is filled with despair about the violence and death that war will cause. He seeks Krishna's counsel, who tells him to fulfill his warrior duty through "selfless action."

Marcus Aurelius' private notes are a significant source of the modern understanding of ancient Stoic philosophy, and have been praised by fellow writers, philosophers, monarchs, and politicians centuries after his death.

The Histories of Herodotus serves as a record of ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures in Asia, Africa and Greece. It remains one of the most important sources about the study of history in the Western world.

Leviathan ranks as a classic work on statecraft comparable to Machiavelli's The Prince. It concerns the structure of society and legitimate government, and is one of the most influential examples of social contract theory.