A veteran "New York Times" war correspondent presents a thought-provoking reflection on how life is lived during times of war, and tackles the ugly truths about humanity's love affair with war, offering a sophisticated, intelligent meditation on the subject that is also gritty, powerful, and unforgettable. Hedges, a long-time foreign correspondent for The New York Times, draws on his own experiences in Latin America, Bosnia, and elsewhere; treatments of war in literature; and historical events to examine the way human beings experience war and to suggest that war gives rise to dangerous myths of the nobility of the cause. He argues that there are very few people who are not susceptible to the allure of war, but that, in the end, war becomes a contest between eros and thanatos, in which thanatos comes out on top all too often.

Originally published in hardcover in 2002.

The myth of war -- The plague of nationalism -- The destruction of culture -- The seduction of battle and the perversion of war -- The hijacking and recovery of memory -- The cause -- The Eros and Thanatos.