War: the lethal custom

While there can never be one definitive volume on a topic as vast and varied as ‘war’, Gwynne Dwyer has done an admirable job of writing a book about the custom of war, placing it within historical and cultural contexts. This is a large book, brimming with information, not all of which will be absorbed on first reading. It is well worth the effort, however, being one of the best books on the subject that is currently available. This book reminds the reader that war is a natural condition of human beings. Dwyer explains why this is so, and goes a long way to explaining how war has evolved.