Children At War
by P. W. Singer
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This is the first comprehensive look at the use of children in contemporary warfare. From U.S. soldiers having to fight children in Afghanistan and Iraq to juvenile terrorists in Sri Lanka to Palestine, the new, younger face of battle is a terrible reality of 21st century warfare. Indeed, the very first American soldier killed by hostile fire in the "War on Terrorism" was shot by a fourteen-year-old Afghan boy. Children at War is the first comprehensive examination of a disturbing and show more escalating phenomenon: The use of children as soldiers around the globe. Interweaving explanatory narrative with the voices of child soldiers themselves, P.W. Singer, an internationally recognized expert in modern warfare, introduces the brutal reality of conflict, where children are sent off to fight in war-torn hotspots from Colombia and the Sudan to Kashmir and Sierra Leone. He explores the evolution of this phenomenon, how and why children are recruited, indoctrinated, trained, and converted to soldiers and then lays out the consequences for global security, with a special case study on terrorism. With this established, he lays out the responses that can end this horrible practice. What emerges is not only a compelling and clarifying read on the darker reality of modern warfare, but also a clear and urgent call for action. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Singer's books are just GOOD. ( although War here is a little repetative ) I tried to warn people that this was going to become a huge problem in the 90s , now it's here.
Singer's books are just GOOD. ( although War here is a little repetative ) I tried to warn people that this was going to become a huge problem in the 90s , now it's here.
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Author Information

10+ Works 2,392 Members
Peter Warren Singer graduated with a BA from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and earned his Ph.D. in Government at Harvard University. Previous career experiences include working for the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, the Balkans Task Force in the U.S. show more Department of Defense, and the International Peace Academy. He also served as the Defense Policy Task Force coordinator for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. Singer is the Director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative at the Brookings Institution and was the youngest scholar named a Senior Fellow by the Institution. He has written the following books about contemporary warfare: Corporate Warriors, Children at War, and Wired for War. Corporate Warriors, about private companies providing services to the military, was named best book of the year by the American Political Science Association. Children at War, which examines the role of child soldiers, was recognized as the 2006 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Book of the Year Award. Wired for War became a New York Times bestseller in the first week of its release and focuses on current technologies being used in warfare, including robotics. Singer is a frequent consultant and commentator and has written numerous articles for major publications including the Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, and World Policy Journal, as well as spoken on the radio and appeared on television. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Distinctions
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Children At War
- Original publication date
- 2005
- Disambiguation notice
- 2005 edition: Children at war / P.W. Singer
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction, Politics and Government
- DDC/MDS
- 355.0083 — Social sciences Public administration & military science Military science Culture Studies
- LCC
- UB416 .S56 — Military Science Military administration Military administration Minorities, women, etc. in armed forces
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 131
- Popularity
- 248,199
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.79)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 4
- ASINs
- 1























































