War and Society

Miguel Angel Centeno is Musgrave Professor of Sociology and Professor of International AffairsElaine Enriquez is a Research Fellow at Princeton University

"In this short, yet erudite and comprehensive book, Centeno and Enriquez show how warfare has shaped almost every aspect of social life. Written in clear and crisp prose, full of perceptive insights and backed up by robust evidence, this study makes a powerful case that sociological analysis is indispensable for the study of war."Siniša Maleševiæ, University College Dublin"In short, 'War and Society' is a very well written book that students with a higher level of ability could be steered towards in order to broaden their overall sociological understanding." BSA Sociology Teacher"Engagingly written with exceptional scholarship, this book also excels in coverage, accessibility, and significance. It may well be the best introduction to the sociology of war available."Choice "An interesting book based on a great deal of work but written in an enjoyable and student-friendly style, which offers a first diagnosis [...] leaving the door open to the development of new lines of investigation. But, above all, a book which avoids generalizations which sugar coat or manipulate the phenomenon of war." International and Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Sciences“The book brings the social nature of war to the foreground, discussing the negative and positive aftermath and effects of war on culture and society. […] This essential reading is recommended for social scientists interested in war as a primary object of study.”Maximiliano E Korstanje, Univerisity of Palermo, Argentina.

• AcknowledgementsIntroductionChapter 1: The Nature of WarViolence and AggressionWar as Organized ViolenceA Paradox of War: Organization and AnarchyWar as a Human ConstructThe Causes of WarExplaining WarChapter 2: War of the WarriorThe Horror of BattleBrutalityMaking WarriorsMilitary ValuesDuty and DisciplineChapter 3: War of ArmiesOrigins of BattleThe Phalanx, the Fleet, and the LegionThe Return of the HorseMilitary Revolution: GunpowderThe Birth of Total War: Napoleon’s Revolution and the American Civil WarA Century of WarExplaining the Progress of WarChapter 4: War of SocietiesConquestGenocideStrategic BombingNuclear ArmageddonChapter 5: How Wars BuildWars and Big OutcomesMilitaries and the IndividualChapter 6: War and Society in the Twenty-First centuryThe End of EmpiresThe Limits of Firepower: Vietnam, Afghanistan, and IraqWho Will Serve? The Changing Demographics of the MilitaryConclusionReferences