Heroes and Cowards: The Social Face of War (Hardcover)

by Dora L. Costa (Author), Matthew E. Kahn (Author)
Key Phrases: desertion probabilities, birthplace diversity, details about the statistical model, Civil War, World War, New York City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Heroes and Cowards is interesting to read. . . . It is a work of military sociology written with one eye on the debate about the social costs of diversity. . . . Ms. Costa and Mr. Kahn emphasize the advantages of trust and mutual sacrifice that come from social similarity. They understand full well the contemporary implications of their historical study. When we contemplate helping others, whether through volunteer organizations or welfare--state transfers, we are less likely to provide for--and more likely to abandon--those who are unlike ourselves.
(David Courtwright Wall Street Journal )

In their new book Heroes and Cowards, economists Dora Costa and Matthew Kahn use the Civil War as their laboratory to study what men will do in the name of friendship. They find that men serving in companies with tight social connections--like shared birthplace and occupation--were more likely to stand and fight than those in less tight-knit companies, where desertion rates were up to four times higher.
(Ray Fisman Slate.com )

Heroes and Cowards highlights the inherent tensions between the costs and benefits of community diversity, shedding light on how groups and societies behave and providing valuable lessons for the present day.
(Spartacus Educational )

Review
This impressive study, based on a random sample of forty thousand Civil War soldiers both black and white, reaches important conclusions about their motivation and behavior. Its most significant findings emphasize the role of close social networks within companies and regiments in promoting combat performance, preventing desertion, and increasing survival rates in POW camps. Readable and accessible to nonspecialists, this book should find a wide audience among those interested in the Civil War as well as group behavior more generally.
(James McPherson, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Battle Cry of Freedom" )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; illustrated edition edition (December 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691137048
• ISBN-13: 978-0691137049
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #361,763 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Attempted too much, February 4, 2009

By	T. Jaworski (Orange, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I very much enjoyed the straight economic history aspects of the book (the middle chapters). However, the attempt to set these findings in the broad context of social science research on group behavior was misguided and poorly executed. In particular, the characterizations of the seemingly relevant research in experimental economics were exactly wrong.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Authors Did Their Homework, January 22, 2009

By	Bookmeister - See all my reviews

Scholarly work on the social impacts at home and within national disunity of family members and fellow citizens going off to war. Costa and Kahn summarized their large research into a very readable book that retains the respectability of a fine academic work.