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Loading... War (1985)by Gwynne Dyer
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I just posted a review of Dyer's Climate Wars, but I referred to this one as well, as a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED book, so I thought I'd post at least a rating -- I read it decades ago, so have not quotes or notes, but ... still. READ IT. ( ) A book, like "On Killing", to read by professional soldiers, and by those who direct them. One may not like the effect that serving in military forces, but the leaders thereof should know what they have unleashed these hounds to do! There's also a TV series to go with it. But this is a good review of the psychological factors as well as practical difficulties in training. The prose is literate, and moves nicely. This book covers the history and evolution of war as an institution from hunter-gatherer society to the present day. An interesting and thoughtful analysis of why wr has now forced the world to face the choice between denying our past history and looking for other ways to solve international tensions or total annihilation While there can never be one definitive volume on a topic as vast and varied as ‘War’, Dyer has done a magnificent job of writing a book about the custom of war, placing it within the historical and cultural contexts where it resides. An exhaustive look at war, and what it means, this books reminds the reader that war is, unfortunately, the natural condition of human beings most of the time. More than this, however, he explains why war is the natural condition, and also goes a long way to explaining how war has evolved. This is a large book, brimming with information, not all of which will be absorbed on first reading. But it is well worth the effort, being one of the best books on the subject that is currently available. Not only those readers and researchers of military topics should read this book – historians, sociologists, and those who wonder why society is the way it is today, should take the time to read what Dyer has to say. no reviews | add a review
While modern science ponders whether human beings are programmed toward belligerence and warfare, there is no doubt that war has been humanity's constant companion since the dawn of civilization, and that we have become all too proficient in its conduct. In War, noted military historian Gwynne Dyer ranges from the tumbling walls of Jericho to the modern advent of total war in which no one is exempt from the horrors of armed conflict. He shows how the martial instinct has evolved over the human generations and among our close primate relations, such as the chimpanzee. Dyer squarely confronts the reality of war, and the threat of nuclear weapons, but does not despair that war is our eternal legacy. He likes and respects soldiers, even while he knows their job is to kill; he understands the physics and the psychology of battles, but he is no war junkie. Dyer surveys the fiery battlefields of human history, never losing sight of the people caught up in war. He actually believes there is hope that war can be abolished, that human beings are more than just our genes. War is an award-winning book that explores the human past to imagine a different future. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)355.02Social sciences Public Administration, Military Science Military Science WarLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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