Even the most die-hard hawk would agree with the premise of this book that war is a great evil tragedy; a failing of morality and purpose. As a war correspondent, the author has seen his share of war’s brutality. Given that the purpose of war is to crush the enemy, the line between engagement and war crimes may become blurred. The author argues that there is no reason for war and tells chilling stories about savagery and cruelty inherent in any conflict.
For current wars, the author assigns equal blame to the United States. He backs up his statements by citing the failure of the United States to abide by treaties with Russia to curb the expansion of NATO. This is where I must take issue with his assessments. Russian aggression into Ukraine is no way comparable to disrespected treaties. I agree with the author that no war is ever a just war; however, aggression into otherwise peaceable countries cannot be equated with failures in diplomacy.