The Art of War, The Prince, and The Book of Five Rings are three historical pieces that deal with strategy.

The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise, and each chapter within the treatise is devoted to a distinct aspect of warfare and how that applies to military strategy and tactics. The Art of War remains the most influential strategy text in East Asian warfare and has had a profound influence on East Asian and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy, and beyond.

Machiavelli composed The Prince as a practical guide for ruling an empire. Within his treatise, Machiavelli aims to provide strategies on how to govern a nation, conquest of new territories, and dealing with integration of the peoples of new territories. Machiavelli also lays out his strategy for defense, military, and the qualities a prince should have to govern properly.

The Book of Five Rings is a Japanese text that has been regarded as a treatise on the strategy for winning. The five chapters, "rings", refer to the idea that there are different elements of battle, just as there are different physical elements in life. The Book of Five Rings was known as the holy grail for samurai; it lays out strategy on how to defeat an enemy by using tactics such as throwing them off guard and creating confusion, among other techniques.