Blood Rites: Origins and History of the Passions of War

Ehrenreich, Barbara

ISBN 10 : 1847083536 ISBN 13 : 9781847083531

Editeur : Granta Books, 2011

Synopsis

What lies behind the human attraction to violence? Why do we glorify war, seeing it as an almost sacred undertaking? Barbara Ehrenreich is known for the originality and clarity of her thinking, and in Blood Rites she proposes a radical new theory about our attitudes to bloodshed. From the trenches of Verdun to today's front lines, Ehrenreich traces the history of warfare back to our prehistoric ancestors' terrifying experiences of being hunted by other carnivores. Written with wit, tenacity and intellectual flair, this is vintage Ehrenreich, and an account that will transform our understanding of human conflict.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

New York Times bestselling Barbara Ehrenreich confronts the mystery of the human attraction to violence.

A New York Times Notable Book
An ALA Notable Book

n BLOOD RITES, Barbara Ehrenreich confronts the mystery of the human attraction to violence: What draws our species to war and even makes us see it as a kind of sacred undertaking? BLOOD RITES takes us on an original journey from the elaborate human sacrifices of the ancient world to the carnage and holocaust of twentieth-century "total war." Sifting through the fragile records of prehistory, Ehrenreich discovers the wellspring of war in an unexpected place--not in a "killer instinct" unique to the males of our species but in the blood rites early humans performed to reenact their terrifying experience of predation by stronger carnivores. Brilliant in conception, rich in scope, Blood Rites is a monumental work that will transform our understanding of the greatest single threat to human life.

Revue de presse :

"Keen and arresting...One of today's most original writers has tackled one of humankind's most intractable subjects."―New York Times Book Review

"Original and illuminating. It is a large step from the all-male hunting band to the U.S. Marine Corps. Barbara Ehrenreich plots the path, nevertheless, both passionately and persuasively."―Washington Post

"Splendid...A fascinating perspective on our staunch devotion to mass, mutual slaughter. BLOOD RITES is that rare animal, a non-fiction page-turner."―Newsweek

"Exceptionally wide-ranging, BLOOD RITES is brilliant, persuasive, and thoroughly accessible."―The Philadelphia Inquirer

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Granta Books
• Date d'édition: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1847083536
• ISBN 13: 9781847083531
• Reliure: Livre broché
• Nombre de pages: 304