Why We Fight

Reading this during the Russia-Ukraine war, I become more and more convinced that Mike Martin is right. We do not go to war for religious reasons, for instance — but for the broader human needs lying under religion. And these are: a need to belong, and seeking status. Starting out sceptical, I came to agree with this veteran of Afghanistan that these two drives are behind most of what we humans do, not just going to war. He manages to explain culture wars as well as physical war. So, it would seem, that Trump pretended to be anti-abortion and religious so that he could belong to and lead a wide group of people who shared deep-seated fears and goals, and who dressed them up with moral justifications. Bizarrely, I read this book by a mistake — confusing the author with someone else. What a worthwhile mistake to make. This is easy to read, illuminating, fascinating and changes how I approach the world.

I've been waiting for someone to write a book like this. For years I've worked in conflict-affected countries, as a contractor, as a soldier and for government, and for years I've been frustrated by the disconnect between the academic theory and the reality on the ground; the stove piping of fields of study, a lack of willingness to critically examine our assumptions about why people participate in conflict and the lack of robustness of the theories on violent extremism. Mike Martin has brought together academic rigour and his own personal experience in a highly convincing and fascinating book.There are real policy and operational implications from the findings and I hope that others pick up this thread and attempt to answer the pertinent questions they raise. This should be the start of an essential conversation.

Lucid and impeccably argued analysis of the scientific reasons why the human (male) animal fights other human (male) animals, whether in a bar over a spilled pint or in a war zone. The only reason I haven't given it five stars is that it's so rigorously and dispassionately scientific that I occasionally found myself longing for a bit more colour, a relaxing of the stringently academic tone. But an excellent and revelatory read, notwithstanding. There's an excellent short film of the author discussing the real reasons for the Afghan conflict (in which he soldiered for Britain) on Youtube, by the way.

Whether you are an ex service person like me searching for answers to why he signed up for HM Armed Forces or a person trying to make sense of the conflicts and wars that are so prevalent in today's news media this book will stop and make you think. A thoroughly thought provocing read and actually, having read it I now see conflict in a totaly different persective.A fascinating read cover to cover and, surprisingly a read that at first challenges and then changes my view of conflict.

This was a fascinating examination of the biological drivers of conflict. The analysis of what drives people in war is so refreshing in that it is entirely lacking in the stale and intellectually lazy approaches found in books seeking to explain motivation in war.A clear sighted explanation of how thousands of people continue to fight in futile conflict whilst each party justifies their actions via mutually exclusive narratives. Essential reading for professional military education and those interested in a more fundamental analysis.

Impressive analysis, bringing biology into war studies and actually making sense of why we fight... Needed to be done, evolutionary perspectives have a lot to add to the subject and to our future as a human race, which Mike deals with brilliantly at the end of the book

Why do humans fight wars? Through answering this question the book also gives answers to so many of humanity's characteristics - Why nation states? Why Monogamy? Why religion? And, most importantly, why peace? All this in a wholely readable book! Great!

When I searched for this book, I found that the titled had already been used a godzillion times. And that about sums the book up: not a lot new. Not that he is wrong; just that he is not as original as he thinks he is. Although he rubbishes Slam Marshall he is following in his footsteps more than he would care to admit. See Ian Morris, War: What is it Good For? for a fresher approach with more original insights.

Some writers pretend to be scholars and regurgitate the deep thinking of others without adding anything to it. Some scholars take the deep thinking of others and layer on their own thoughts unencumbered by any actual experience. Mike Martin is the rare scholar who has thought deeply about what he has actually experienced. Leavened by impressive scholarship, he presents a compelling analysis of why Homo sapiens behave the way we do. While conflict is his touchstone, the questions he raises about free will are far broader in their implications for our future as a species. If anything, he may understate how truly appalling our proven capacity is to--over and over again--kill others who are outside of our family/tribe/group. It challenges what you think you know for certain about yourself as well as the leaders you trust. The book is well documented, well written, and an easy read.

I was very happy when this book arrived from Ireland. It was not overly late either.

This is a highly relevant book that comes at a time where the globe seems to favour breaking up groups (the European Union) rather than forming still larger groups (Trans Pacific Partnership). Our bodies are evolving to favour participation in groups. To enable that to happen this book does an excellent job explaining the solutions to five social problems. It also provides some insight into how to address extremism. Any attempts to separate them from the group (them and us) will be counter-productive in the long-term.

Mike Martin's book is deeply researched and well written. His argument is thoughtful, well encapsulated, and difficult to disagree with. An excellent contribution to previous studies by Captain Basil Liddell Hart and T. E. Lawrence, whose insights are similar to his. The author has made an important contribution to the literature on war. It should be read by everyone who takes an interest in the subject.

Why We Fight offers a compelling argument for some of the deep-seated reasons why humans do violence and war with one another. Martin argues that long evolutionary history has predisposed humans to pursue certain deep needs through a variety of subconscious mechanisms, mediated through socially constructed frameworks such as ideology and religion. While many of us tend to see these frameworks as the cause of conflicts, Martin argues that, while certainly important, these social and intellectual constructs rather provide justification for the deep-seated impulses that are actually driving our behaviors.Written in a refreshingly clear and easy-to-follow structure, Why We Fight should earn a place on the shelf of analysts and thinkers working on the problems and conflict and security.