 | |
| Author | Chris Hedges |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | War |
| Publisher | PublicAffairs |
Publication date | September 3, 2002 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 192 |
| ISBN | 1-58648-049-9 |
War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning is a 2002 non-fiction book by journalist Chris Hedges. In the book, Hedges draws on classical literature and his experiences as a war correspondent to argue that war seduces entire societies, creating fictions that the public believes and relies on to continue to support conflicts. He also describes how those who experience war may find it exhilarating and addictive. The book was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction and a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year, as well as a national bestseller.
Hedges writes in the Introduction that he wrote the book "not to dissuade us from war but to understand it... - so that we, who wield such massive force across the globe, see within ourselves the seeds of our own obliteration." [1] Reviewer Abraham Verghese concludes that "war's seduction and inevitability and sometimes even necessity are a recurring theme in this book."[2]
- ^ Hedges (2002), p. 17.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Verghesewas invoked but never defined (see the help page).