Why We Fight

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.

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.

The theory is interesting and well presented. More importantly, Mike Martin has the humility to point out where more evidence for an assertion is required and why. What is of most interest is the insight that we have certain inherent tendencies that were selected (though not in any voluntary or deterministic sense) over time that provided advantages. The open question remains to what extent the rational mind can override these behaviorally wired decision-making tendencies as they may no longer be as beneficial for survival in the 21st century. The work builds in a sense on the work of Kahneman and Tversky but in an original direction. As more research is done, I suspect that the foundations of Martin’s theories will be validated, but he remains refreshingly open minded about it all. I look forward to the next publication.

I found Why We Fight to be not only informative and insightful, but a thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable read, too. Drawing on his own expertise and first-hand experience, the author takes us on a fascinating journey through a diverse range of fields, including (to name but three) biology, history and morality. As I read this book, I experienced countless 'a-ha' moments, learned a huge amount, and thought about the subject from various new perspectives. Conflict is something that affects us all and, after reading Why We Fight, I realize now just how much we can all gain from learning more about it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has even a passing curiosity about this most important of topics!

I bought this because of a podcast that I heard with the author. Martin came across as a deep thinker and he had a super interesting take on the relationship between societies, conflict, and psychology - an area that I work in.I was not disappointed in Why We Fight - although complex, he brings together psychology, neuroscience, evolutionary theory, conflict studies, as well as his own experiences fighting in Afghanistan - it really got me thinking and challenged a lot of my thinking about conflict and terrorism and even mass shootings.Definitely recommending this to people.

Recommended! I know Mike his first book 'An Intimate War', and as a writer about Afghanistan I always recommend it, also to my class at Sciences Po. I would do exactly the same with his new book 'Why We Fight'. It's insightful and really gives you a new perspectives on this question: What is the real reason we fight. What is the real reason for the ongoing fighting in for example Afghanistan. People die, every day. Is it ideology? That's often what Western governments want us to believe. But is it? Read "Why We Fight".

As I read the first two chapters I got increasingly annoyed. I skip-read more pages and returned the book. It's a word salad built by tossing together a number of ill-digested concepts regarding human behavior. These are stated axiomatically without convincing support. The causes for war have been key questions since classical Greece and Rome. The quest has spawned countless books, articles, research studies, and films. Some, like "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "Slaughterhouse Five" have been important contributions. This book isn't one of them. The author is fighting way out of his weight class.

Save your money! What a load of BS! Justified why we need NWO globalism. 👎

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 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.

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.