Synopses & Reviews
War is a timeless force in the human imagination—and, indeed, in daily life. Engaged in the activity of destruction, its soldiers and its victims discover a paradoxical yet profound sense of existing, of being human. In A Terrible Love of War, James Hillman, one of today’s most respected psychologists, undertakes a groundbreaking examination of the essence of war, its psychological origins and inhuman behaviors. Utilizing reports from many fronts and times, letters from combatants, analyses by military authorities, classic myths, and writings from great thinkers, including Twain, Tolstoy, Kant, Arendt, Foucault, and Levinas, Hillman’s broad sweep and detailed research bring a fundamentally new understanding to humanity’s simultaneous attraction and aversion to war. This is a compelling, necessary book in a violent world.
Review
"Important reading for our time, as we try to make sense of our terrors." —
San Francisco Chronicle
"[Hillman’s] portrayal of war as an implacable force, a primary element of the human condition, is unsettling." —Publishers Weekly
About the Author
James Hillman has written more than twenty books, including The Force of Character and Re-Visioning Psychology, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: War Is Normal
Chapter Two: War Is Inhuman
Chapter Three: War Is Sublime
Chapter Four: Religion Is War
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author