Civil war has been a recurring feature of human societies throughout history - and an essential catalyst for major international conflict. And since 1945 the number of civil wars in the world has grown steadily, bringing devastation on a scale more traditionally associated with international wars. In spite of this, there is no classic treatise on civil war to compare with the classic works we have on war, revolution, or peace. On the one hand, historians have tended to treat the 'big' civil wars such as the American and the Spanish in isolation. On the other, social scientists have concentrated on identifying common patterns, without looking in too much detail at the specifics of any given conflict. Focusing on the numerous civil conflicts that have occurred throughout the world since the Second World War, Bill Kissane bridges this gap, asking what the recent social science literature adds to what we already know about civil war, but also how insights from the historical literature, from the ancient Greeks onwards, can help explain the violent experience of so many parts of the world since 1945. At its heart is the question of what makes the contemporary challenge posed by civil war so different to that of past periods - and what, if anything, is new about the contemporary experience of civil war at the dawn of the twenty-first century.

Focusing on the explosion of civil wars since 1945, Bill Kissane asks what makes the contemporary challenge posed by civil wars different to that of past periods - and looks at what the insights from the historical literature, going back to the ancient Greeks, can add to our understanding of this tragic phenomenon.

Following the devastation of the Great War, the Earth lies in ruins. Many of the nations of the world no longer exist. Some have been torn apart, other joined into one new nation. Born out of fears and paranoia, most of the remaining nations as well as the new emerging ones start to pass new rigid laws to ensure the survival of their people. Fifteen year old Alexander Reed falls victim to the now decades old harsh laws of the Northern States of America and is forced into military service. He and others like him become an unwilling part of the established system. But is there more going on than first appears? As Alex and his new teammates struggle to make sense of everything going on around them and survive in the cold and uncaring world they are now part of, decisions will be made that could mean life or death to them all. Can Alex overcome the odds and escape the horrors that await him in the military or will he ultimately be broken and remain a soldier for the rest of his life?