The instinct to fight may be innate in human nature, but war—organized violence—comes with organized society. Our very language, our public spaces, our private memories, and some of our greatest cultural treasures reflect the glory and the misery of war. Looking at the ways in which war has influenced human society, the author of Paris 1919 shows how international conflict causes changes in political organization, technology, and our very conception of ourselves. Margaret MacMillan also explores such questions as: When did war first start? Why are warriors almost always men? And is war ever within our control?

"[A] richly eclectic discussion…. The greatest pleasures of this book are the historical anecdotes, moments and quotations that MacMillan marshals on nearly every page."—NYTBR