Monday, November 27, 2006

Kennedy, Of Law and War

"Modern war is law pursued by other means," is the argument of an important new book by David Kennedy, Harvard Law School. From the press description:

In Of War and Law, David Kennedy examines this important development, retelling the history of modern war and statecraft as a tale of the changing role of law and the dramatic growth of law's power. Not only a restraint and an ethical yardstick, law can also be a weapon--a strategic partner, a force multiplier, and an excuse for terrifying violence....He argues that law has beaten ploughshares into swords while encouraging the bureaucratization of strategy and leadership. A culture of rules has eroded the experience of personal decision-making and responsibility among soldiers and statesmen alike.

For more, go to Princeton University Press.

To see a Kennedy book talk, go here.