Human nature and the nature of war Twenty years ago, Canadian
military historian and journalist Gwynne Dyer fascinated the
public in 45 countries with his award-winning television series
on the nature of war. He followed up that success with an
equally remarkable book that grew out of the research that went
into the television series. Now Dr. Dyer has published, in his
words, "a completely rewritten and updated new edition" of War.
People who have never read the book should certainly do so, but
should people who read it back in the 1980s reread it? Yes. It
cannot be said too often that modern warfare threatens the very
existence of human life on this planet. Dr. Dyer argues that,
with the proliferation of nuclear weapons, there is every reason
to suppose that sooner or later a country made desperate by its
fear of defeat in a conventional war will resort to the ultimate
weapon. In so doing, that country has the potential to destroy
or contaminate much of the rest of the world. Every adult needs
to understand