O'Connell defines war in rigid terms. It is a mechanism which serves to achieve group rather than individual goals. These goals are either political or economical in nature, with the results intended to be lasting. Finally, there is some direction by a governmental structure. Therefore, the general brutality which can be observed in the animal kingdom simply does not fit these provisions, and the human race has the dubious distinction of being the only intelligent species known to inflict such harm upon itself. Some ants can be observed to actually wage war against other colonies, even going so far as to take prisoners and enslave their enemies, but their actions are based purely on genetics and the primal urge which drives the acquisition of limited resources. It can certainly be argued that this is not the case for humans. We are not limited by the purely instinctive drive of lower animals, but never-the-less we continue to engage in senseless campaigns of destruction, often with questionable aims and justifications.
The author of this book of analysis, a senior intelligence analyst with the National Ground Intelligence Center, traces the development of society throughout recorded history, specifically focusing on particular cultures which advanced the "art" of warfare. Classical civilizations, beginning in the Middle East (Sumeria, Egypt, Assyria) and extending to the East (China) and West (colonization of the New World) serve as examples of the evolution of war. The reasons that various societies waged war are presented being as diverse as the people: simple aggression, retaliation, overpopulation of allocated land, defense, egotistical aims, and others. Through the use of scientific research from the fields of both anthropology and archeology, O'Connell extrapolates the methods used and goals sought by different cultures in warfare, thus bringing a great deal of scientific legitimacy to his arguments. Consequently, his descriptions are at the same time interesting and disturbing.
O'Connell does, however, see hope that we may be moving away from our violent tendencies. As he points out, it cannot be denied that the past decade has seen a great shift away from the escalation towards war and a movement towards what appears to be a lasting peace. Among other things, the establishment of well- defined political states and the increased cost of warfare (both in human lives and in monetary funding) has ensured that war, in the future, will not be generally viewed as the most viable option in the resolution of conflicts.