Guerra, ¿para qué sirve?

In this fascinating book, historian and archaeologist Ian Morris investigates the role of war throughout history. Starting from that premise, Guerra, what is it for? offers us a sensational account of violence through the centuries, and comes to the surprising conclusion that war has made the world a safer and more prosperous place. Morris explains that, in the Stone Age, there was a one in ten or even a one in five chance of dying violently, whereas in the 20th century, despite two world wars, the atomic bomb and the Nazi holocaust, less than one of every hundred people died at the hands of another. Is it possible that something as dreadful as war has been a positive force in the advancement of civilization? Morris exposes how, over fifteen thousand years, war has been instrumental in creating larger and more complex societies, which, in turn, have made the lives of its citizens safer. Finally, by understanding exactly how war works and what it is useful for, we will be in the best possible position to know whether, once and for all, it can be ended.