A review by madtraveler
War: How Conflict Shaped Us by Margaret MacMillan

4.0

A lot of information here, spread out from ancient history to as recent as 2019/2020. This is not as engaging as say Chris Hedges' War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (must read!) and as I got into the middle of the book, I felt it became just a series of references and examples. That's not a crime, but it did make this feel like a slog at times. The chapters Making the Warrior and Civilians were the most interesting and I liked the inclusion of arts/literature in War in Our Imaginations and Our Memories, but again, plagued by a feeling of listing. That said, it is a worthy read, especially for those who have never studied war too much beyond mentions in high school. In that case, required reading. I've jotted down notes out of this, but parts of the Hedges book remain burned in memory. Maybe 3.5 for me.