Richard Overy – Why War?

Repeatedly humans have foresworn war, have understood its appalling risks, and have wished to create more pacific, productive societies. And yet almost inevitably circumstances emerge under which war once more seems inevitable or even desirable.

One of the UK’s foremost military historians, Richard Overy, has drawn on a lifetime’s study of conflict to write a challenging, invaluable and timely book. Studying every facet of war from biology to belief, psychology to security, Overy allows readers to understand the many contradictory or self-reinforcing ways in which warfare can suddenly appear a legitimate option.

Of Blood and Ruins: ‘This is a magnificent book that reflects the deep scholarship and humane judgment of a magisterial historian.’  The Economist

In conversation with John Holmes