Description

The conventional history of nations, even continents, is a history of warfare. According to this view, all the important ideas and significant changes of humankind occured as part of an effort to win one violent, bloody conflict or another.

But there have always been a few who refused to fight. Following the grand sweep of history from Confucius to Tolstoy, Erasmus to Gandhi, bestselling author Mark Kurlansky traces pacifism and its proponents to show how many modern ideas, a united Europe, the United Nations, and the abolition of slavery – originated in non-violence movements.

Publisher Review

This book is crammed with historical fact... thought provoking * Financial Times * Short and punchy and has a good heart... fascinating, vibrant and thought-provoking * Scotland on Sunday * Kurlansky writes history with his heart firmly on his sleeve, unashamedly hopeful that people are becoming more tired of war, quicker to condemn it -- Adam Forrest * Sunday Herald * Erudite and eloquent * Economist * This is a magnificent achievement * Daily Telegraph *