War in Human CivilizationWhy do people go to war? Is it rooted in human nature or is it a late cultural invention? How does war relate to the other fundamental developments in the history of human civilization? And what of war today--is it a declining phenomenon or simply changing its shape? In this sweeping study of war and civilization, Azar Gat sets out to find definitive answers to these questions in an attempt to unravel the riddle of war throughout human history, from the early hunter-gatherers right through to the unconventional terrorism of the twenty-first century. In the process, the book generates an astonishing wealth of original and fascinating insights on all major aspects of humankind's remarkable journey through the ages, engaging a wide range of disciplines, from anthropology and evolutionary psychology to sociology and political science. Written with remarkable verve and clarity and wholly free from jargon, it will be of interest to anyone who has ever pondered the puzzle of war. |
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Africa agricultural Amorite Anatolia ancient archaeological aristocratic armed armies Azar Gat battle behaviour Britain Cambridge University Cambridge University Press cavalry cent central century bc Chapter chariot chiefdoms China city-states civilization communities competition complex conflict countries cultural cultural evolution democratic peace developed dominated earlier early East economic elite emerged Empire especially ethnic Eurasia Europe European evolution evolutionary example expanded factor feudalism fighting force fortifications Furthermore German Greek groups Homo sapiens sapiens hoplite horse human hunter-gatherers imperial increasingly infantry Infrastructural power Japan killing land later less liberal democracies London medieval Mesoamerica Mesopotamia military mobilization modern Mycenaean nature Neolithic nineteenth nomads nuclear Oxford University Press pastoralists petty-states political polygyny population prehistoric Princeton raiding reciprocal altruism regimes regional Roman sapiens social steppe territories tion trade tribal societies tribes troops urban violent warfare warriors wars wealth western whereas women Yanomamo York