Why Leaders Fight

by Michael C. Horowitz, Allan C. Stam, Cali M. Ellis

The history of political events is made by people. From wars to elections to political protests, the choices we make, our actions, how we behave, dictate events. Not all individuals have the same impact on our world and our lives. Some peoples' choices alter the pathways that history takes. In particular, national chief executives play a large role in forging the destinies of the countries they lead. Why Leaders Fight is about those world leaders and how their beliefs, world views, and tolerance for risk and military conflict are shaped by their life experiences before they enter office - military, family, occupation, and more. Using in-depth research on important leaders and the largest set of data on leader backgrounds ever gathered, the authors of Why Leaders Fight show that - within the constraints of domestic political institutions and the international system - who ends up in office plays a critical role in determining when and why countries go to war.

Genres: Politics, Political Science, Nonfiction, History, International Relations

227 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2015

Reviews

[Ashley Lanese · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book for my Political Leadership class in college, I have a BA in Political Science with a specialization in international studies. This book taught a lot about why regimes go to war and the effect that personality has on political leaders. The section on how trauma influences leaders was also really captivating. This is a good book when it comes to learning, would recommend to anyone who is interested in why war happens and if personality is or isn't a factor in that aspect.

[Cos · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful book that breaks ground for a new field of research: the biographical and psychological background of state leaders in international relations. It’s extremely rich and uses a comprehensive data set (LEAD) to analyze a variety of personal traits and their effects on conflict initiation.

[John DeRosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly has me on edge considering the attributes of both our presidential nominees...