War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning

General George S. Patton famously said, "Compared to war all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance. God, I do love it so!" Though Patton was a notoriously single-minded general, it is nonetheless a sad fact that war gives meaning to many lives, a fact with which we have become familiar now that America is once again engaged in a military conflict. War is an enticing elixir. It gives us purpose, resolve, a cause. It allows us to be noble. Chris Hedges of The New York Times has seen war up close -- in the Balkans, the Middle East, and Central America -- and he has been troubled by what he has seen: friends, enemies, colleagues, and strangers intoxicated and even addicted to war's heady brew. In War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, he tackles the ugly truths about humanity's love affair with war, offering a sophisticated, nuanced, intelligent meditation on the subject that is also gritty, powerful, and unforgettable.

Chris Hedges-is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. He-was a foreign correspondent for fifteen years for-The-New York Times,-where he was-Middle East-bureau-chief and Balkan-bureau-chief.-He is-äNew York Times-bestselling-author of-sixteen books, including-Empire of Illusion and-American Fascists.-He holds ämaster of-divinity-from Harvard University-and-lives in Princeton, New Jersey.