First published 2024
Victor Davis Hanson traces the brutal reality of wars that end in complete annihilation. The New York Times bestselling historian examines pivotal moments when civilizations chose to utterly destroy their enemies rather than simply defeat them. Hanson analyzes the sieges and destruction of Thebes, Carthage, Constantinople, and Tenochtitlan, revealing how societies spiral into barbarism and obliteration. He explores the patterns that emerge across millennia, from ancient Greece through the conquest of the New World to modern warfare. The book exposes the naivety of the defeated and the rage that drives victors to mass slaughter. Hanson argues that human nature has not changed despite technological advances, warning that contemporary societies remain vulnerable to wars of extinction. The work offers readers a stark examination of history's most devastating conflicts and delivers urgent lessons about preventing similar catastrophes in our current era.
Genres: history, military-history, academic, american-history
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-events, societal-collapse
Setting: Thebes, Carthage, Constantinople, Tenochtitlan
Period: Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Conquest of the New World
352 pages · Hardcover · Basic Books
Content warnings: violence, war