War: Ends and Means by Paul Seabury

by Angelo M. Codevilla

In the tradition of Clausewitz and Machiavelli, two distinguished scholars explore every aspect of its causes, methods, endings, and justifications--and along the way demolish many current myths about war and peace.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Military History, Nonfiction, Politics, International Relations

Hardcover

First published December 31, 1989

About the author

Angelo M. Codevilla is professor emeritus of international relations at Boston University. Educated at Rutgers (1965) Notre Dame (1968), and the Claremont graduate university (1973), Codevilla served in the US Navy, the US Foreign Service, and on the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He taught philosophy at Georgetown, classified intelligence matters at the US Naval Post graduate School. During a decade at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, he wrote books on war, intelligence, and the character of nations. At Boston University, he taught international relations from the perspectives of history and character.

Reviews

[Bucefalo · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writers are, of course, rabid-anticommunists that see everything through the glowing optics of "West Good". Their myopic view is exemplified in these two cases:

1. When discussing the question of "When is a war just?", the authors recall the parable of the good Samaritan. What should the traveller do when they see an stranger beaten up by a mob of violent criminals? Of course in posing the question this way, the reader automatically assumes the place of the traveller. They never consider the possibility that the West are actually the robbers, the criminals, the violents, and worldwide communism is a fight to free the oppressed from these violent gang of thugs.

2. On the "Reasons to go to war", the authors claim that while war is hell, "peace is no picnic" either. And proceed to recapitulate some (various, completely unrelated) acts of violence done in communist countries. Peace is no picnic indeed, when billions die of hunger, millions of children lack their basic needs and millions adults die of preventable diseases in capitalist countries that could very well provide for all their needs. When millions of african children are forced to work and die in muddy mines to collect the ores needed to produce cellphones and microchips, or are killed by hunger by a brutal genocide in Gaza, indeed peace is no picnic.

[Michael DiCianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book has some dated evaluations of the Al Qaeda threat, but it's a still incredibly valuable.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

These authors (the version I read included Paul Seabury) are wholly Machiavellian and their arguments reek of real politik, but they make some valid points about the ultimate causes of war (fear of the unknown, lust for power/land, etc.) The book is very ambitious, but only scratches the surface of strategy and the authors are far too concerned about pointing out the mistakes of past administrations than finding positive examples from history.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Codevilla is a realist about war, because as VDH says, once you've had two heart transplants you don't care what the world thinks of you.

[Jayalexn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite having been originally published nearly 25 years ago, much of the content concerning US foreign policy and national security remains equally relevant today. Overall, an enjoyable read.