Original title: Wubizhi (武備志). Compiled by Mao Yuanyi in 1621, this is the most comprehensive military encyclopedia in Chinese history. It consists of 240 volumes and covers a vast array of topics including strategy, weapons, fortifications, and even star charts for navigation.

The physical format described is a "thread-bound" binding, where holes are punched near the spine and silk thread is used to stitch the paper covers and pages together.