Renowned historian and archaeologist Ian Morris tells a grim yet fascinating story of fifteen thousand years of war in this book and arrives at a surprising conclusion: wars have provided humanity with more security and wealth. Based on research from cultural history, archaeology, and biology, he shows that in the Stone Age, people lived in small, constantly warring societies and had a ten to twenty percent chance of dying a violent death. In contrast, in the 20th century, fewer than one in a hundred died a violent death (despite both world wars, including Verdun, the Holocaust, and Hiroshima). The explanation lies in the fact that only war is capable of creating larger and more complex societies with governments that eradicate internal violence. The author charts the history of wars, the greatest paradox of history, from prehistory to the robotic conflicts of the near future. The next few decades could become the most dangerous period of human existence, but if we survive this time, perhaps the old dream of a world of eternal peace will finally be fulfilled.
