Author

Publication

2008-05-24 - Oxford University Press, USA, Oxford

Language

English

Word Count

212,000 words, Guess

Page Count

848 pages

Physical Format

Paperback

Identifiers

and 3 more
  • Library of Congress Control Number2008274283
  • Goodreads3295123
  • LibraryThing1735423

Classifications

  • LCCHM554.G37 2008
  • LCCHM554 .G37 2008
  • DDC303.6/609

Description

Why do people go to war? Is it rooted in human nature or is it a late cultural invention? How does war relate to the other fundamental developments in the history of human civilization? And what of war today--is it a declining phenomenon or simply changing its shape? In this sweeping study of war and civilization, Azar Gat sets out to find definitive answers to these questions in an attempt to unravel the riddle of war throughout human history, from the early hunter-gatherers right through to the unconventional terrorism of the twenty-first century. In the process, the book generates an astonishing wealth of original and fascinating insights on all major aspects of humankind's remarkable journey through the ages, engaging a wide range of disciplines, from anthropology and evolutionary psychology to sociology and political science. Written with remarkable verve and clarity and wholly free from jargon, it will be of interest to anyone who has ever pondered the puzzle of war.

First Sentence

Is war grounded, perhaps inescapably, in human nature?

Subjects

Other Editions

  • War in Human CivilizationPaperbackOxford University Press, USA2008-05-24

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