War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning
by Chris Hedges
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About This Book
ISBN13: 9781586480493 |
Only 1 left in stock at $9.95!
Awards
Nominated for the 2002 National Book Critics Circle Award, General Nonfiction
Synopses & Reviews
Publisher Comments:
General George S. Patton famously said, "Compared to war all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance. God, I do love it so!" Though Patton was a notoriously single-minded general, it is nonetheless a sad fact that war gives meaning to many lives, a fact with which we have become familiar now that America is once again engaged in a military conflict. War is an enticing elixir. It gives us purpose, resolve, a cause. It allows us to be noble.
Chris Hedges of The New York Times has seen war up close — in the Balkans, the Middle East, and Central America — and he has been troubled by what he has seen: friends, enemies, colleagues, and strangers intoxicated and even addicted to war's heady brew. In War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, he tackles the ugly truths about humanity's love affair with war, offering a sophisticated, nuanced, intelligent meditation on the subject that is also gritty, powerful, and unforgettable.
Book News Annotation:
Hedges, a long-time foreign correspondent for The New York Times,
draws on his own experiences in Latin America, Bosnia, and elsewhere;
treatments of war in literature; and historical events to examine the
way human beings experience war and to suggest that war gives rise to
dangerous myths of the nobility of the cause. He argues that there
are very few people who are not susceptible to the allure of war, but
that, in the end, war becomes a contest between eros and
thanatos, in which thanatos comes out on top all too often.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Review:
"If...I thought Bush and Blair would give it time I would happily send them a copy to read." Jonathan Power, Toronto Star
Review:
"I highly recommend Chris Hedges' splendid little book....His understanding is profound and was earned on the ground." Molly Ivins, author of Bushwhacked
Review:
"As the 'war on terror' continues on its...potentially catastrophic course, America would do well to heed Hedges'...warning." Salon.com
Review:
"Hedges' account of the horrors of war follows a confession of rare and frightening honesty." Slate.com
Synopsis:
A veteran New York Times war correspondent presents a thought-provoking reflection on how life is lived during times of war, and tackles the ugly truths about humanity's love affair with war, offering a sophisticated, intelligent meditation on the subject that is also gritty, powerful, and unforgettable.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
1 The Myth of War 19
2 The Plague of Nationalism 43
3 The Destruction of Culture 62
4 The Seduction of Battle and the Perversion of War 83
5 The Hijacking and Recovery of Memory 122
6 The Cause 142
7 Eros and Thanatos 157
Notes 187
Bibliography 192
Acknowledgments 196
Index 200
1 The Myth of War 19
2 The Plague of Nationalism 43
3 The Destruction of Culture 62
4 The Seduction of Battle and the Perversion of War 83
5 The Hijacking and Recovery of Memory 122
6 The Cause 142
7 Eros and Thanatos 157
Notes 187
Bibliography 192
Acknowledgments 196
Index 200
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Product Details
- ISBN:
- 9781586480493
- Author:
- Publisher:
- PublicAffairs
- Location:
- New York
- Subject:
- General
- Subject:
- Military - General
- Subject:
- Military Science
- Subject:
- War
- Subject:
- Public Affairs & Administration
- Subject:
- Military history, Modern
- Subject:
- War (philosophy)
- Subject:
- Political Freedom & Security - International Secur
- Subject:
- World
- Copyright:
- 2002
- Edition Number:
- 1st ed.
- Publication Date:
- 20020904
- Binding:
- HC
- Language:
- English
- Pages:
- 224
- Dimensions:
- 8.60x5.76x.88 in. .90 lbs.










