List Price: $190.00 Details

Save: $25.75 (14%)

FREE delivery March 17 - 23. Details

Usually ships within 2 to 3 weeks

As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app.

[{"displayPrice":"$164.25","priceAmount":164.25,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"164","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"25","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"vV8laObngBbcGeC3bRl6yIZlrZKpzrQ2090zHHGtLljbOXjIXi0%2BqrcYqm6Vb0Z3qMen9DnmbAVtH0iea47yQ3Wi0OHbqG1vgfCu%2Bdvl2AIpjQpdnN6IQRUk5MXesf3TJ%2FNjU2jhTgqZNn3e7Cp0I%2BYNhUIXOmum4aqjpXNOcOUUx3PgQYHOIA%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW"},{"displayPrice":"$34.00","priceAmount":34.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"34","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"QXOuFgpwcXmECYMcRaHPhUsiR%2FlHQdVicFmecF%2BZyOkiHWSN6lwTnLKtQqrCJ8PS%2FPJW%2FwfzYf4CMEUtGuQsOFxc%2F0gNO%2BTZo6wwT0Q9pM1Pr%2Bfp3bFUuzqqPlTVqMumNC5za%2FdsQNtmbBqfEOFNo7aLlLavETQtH%2FoKSMs3uGkwL%2FChxGIPlSL06mIOrjDc","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED"}]

$$164.25 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from

Book Depository US

Sold by

Book Depository US

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Details

Ships from

Book Depository US

Sold by

Book Depository US

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.

Read full return policy

$5.48 delivery February 24 - 27. Details

Select delivery location

Used: Good | Details

Sold by RoxyRuff

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See this image

The Costs of War: America's Pyrrhic Victories 2nd Edition

by John Denson (Editor)

17 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$50.36

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$164.25

$34.00

Paperback

"Please retry"

$56.95

$20.00

$13.36

Kindle
$50.36 Read with Our Free App
Hardcover
$34.00 - $164.25

2 Used from $34.00 5 New from $164.25
Paperback
$30.01 - $56.95

11 Used from $13.36 12 New from $20.00

Enhance your purchase

The greatest accomplishment of Western civilization is arguably the achievement of individual liberty through limits on the power of the state. In the war-torn twentieth century, we rarely hear that one of the main costs of armed conflict is long-term loss of liberty to winners and losers alike. Beyond the obvious and direct costs of dead and wounded soldiers, there is the lifetime struggle of veterans to live with their nightmares and their injuries; the hidden economic costs of inflation, debts, and taxes; and more generally the damages caused to our culture, our morality, and to civilization at large. The new edition is now available in paperback, with a number of new essays. It represents a large-scale collective effort to pierce the veils of myth and propaganda to reveal the true costs of war, above all, the cost to liberty.

Central to this volume are the views of Ludwig von Mises on war and foreign policy. Mises argued that war, along with colonialism and imperialism, is the greatest enemy of freedom and prosperity, and that peace throughout the world cannot be achieved until the central governments of the major nations become limited in scope and power. In the spirit of these theorems by Mises, the contributors to this volume consider the costs of war generally and assess specific corrosive effects of major American wars since the Revolution. The first section includes chapters on the theoretical and institutional dimensions of the relationship between war and society, including conscription, infringements on freedom, the military as an engine of social change, war and literature, and the right of citizens to bear arms. The second group includes reconsiderations of Lincoln and Churchill, an analysis of the anti-interventionist idea in American politics, a discussion of the meaning of the "just war," an assessment of how World War I changed the course of Western civilization, and finally two eyewitness accounts of the true horrors of actual combat by veterans of World War II. The Costs of War is unique in its combination of historical scope and timeliness for current debates about foreign policy and military intervention. It will be of interest to historians, political scientists, economists, and sociologists.

ISBN-10

1138534870
ISBN-13

978-1138534872
Edition

2nd
Publisher

Routledge
Publication date

July 14, 2017
Language

English
Dimensions

6 x 9 inches
Print length

450 pages
See all details

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Routledge; 2nd edition (July 14, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 450 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1138534870
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1138534872
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 16 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #9,198,788 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5,108 in War & Peace (Books)
- #6,898 in Military History (Books)
- #9,939 in Military Strategy History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
17 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5

17 global ratings

5 star		95%
4 star		5%
3 star 0% (0%)		0%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Jasons Creations

Outstanding history. Must read if you have a love of truth and accurate history.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 25, 2015

Verified Purchase

Get ready to have your misconceptions knocked over by this wrecking ball of a book. Why do they suppress so much history in public school? This book blows the lid off. Warning, if you are a conservative who is pro war patriot this book will challenge you. I know it changed my mind as the son of a fighter pilot and a navy veteran myself. I am sickened by the actions of governments, the treachery of men, and their cunning at starting wars.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Bud Wood

Description of the warfare costs carried by USA society

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 29, 2012

Verified Purchase

This is a fascinating book. Setup as a number of essays which can be read separately, each is meaningful. The facts do make one question of how the USA culture became so warlike and why. Seems as if the USA has progressed from a somewhat free society to a society in which we each contribute to "our" warfare state. Not a good situation.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Sher Smiles

What You Need to Know About War

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 19, 2015

Verified Purchase

Masterfully written. It's a real game changer in what you thought you knew about war. I highly recommend this book. Came in excellent condition. Speedy delivery.

Helpful

Henry Moore

Haven't read yet, but looking forward to it.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 20, 2013

Verified Purchase

Mainly interested in the Churchill Essay by Mr. Raico, even though they are available for free on Lew Rockwell's and the Ludwig von Mises Institute's websites.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Thomas J. Bittner

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 15, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great service. The book was in perfect shape, and the price was very reasonable. Thanks again.

Helpful

James E. Egolf

A Good Anthology of Honest History Written by Thoughtful Men

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 20, 2006

John V. Denson edited a useful anthology that undermines the "popular history" (popular nonsense)of recent U.S. History and the rise of empire which is a term the Establishemnt does not like because empire is an honest definition. Denson chose excerpts which deal with the rapid growth of centralized government, the disintegration of constitutional rights, and an ever increasing national debt all of which is related to unnecessary war since the Civl War or the War of Southern Succession.

Denson's introductory essay is worth reading. This essay gives the reader a glimpse of the book's theme, and his essay is a good introduction to the rise of militarism in the United States since 1860. Denson's introduction presents the reader with a cause-and effect relationship between war and the erosion of rights.

The essays that examine the Civil War, especially Murray Rothbard's essay, gives a view of the Civil War that reveals that actual origins of this tragedy as opposed to the childish convention that somehow the Civil War began over the issue of slavery. Readers should note that Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson was opposed to slavery. Gen. Robert E. Lee emancipated his slaves. On the other hand, Gen. Grant had to free his slaves to take command of the Army of the Potomac. Gen. Sherman of the Union also owned slaves. As some of the essays clearly state, Pres. Lincoln antagonized the Southerners with manacing military actions especially on Virginia's border which resulted in the Virginians joining the Confederacy.

The essays dealing with World War I and World War II should be of particular interest to those not familiar with actual the origins of these wars. Textbook writers give the false impression that Pres. Wilson and U.S. authorities were neutral prior to April 6, 1917 when members of the U.S. Congress voted to declare on the Germans and their allies. The facts were that American bankers and powerful political fugures had given money and resources to the British and French espcially after 1915. Pres. Wilson had U.S. supply vessels sail into war zones to assist the British and French and to deliberately antagonize the Germans into provocation.

Murray Rothbard's essay regarding World War I is instructive. He chides Walter Lippmann for being a ferocious advocate of U.S. entry into World War I as well as a proponent of military conscription (slavery). Yet, when Mr. Lippmann realized that he was of draft age and in good health, he used his connections with Felix Frankfurter to avoid having to face angry gunfire. Lippmann's excuse was that he wanted to help shape the post World War I United States in line what the "intellectuals" thought was necessary for everyone else. Mr. Lippmann annointed himself as one of Plato's philosopher kings. This anecdote is indeed instructive. This is line with the adage that, "War hath no fury as that of the non-combatent." One should note that the current group of armchair patriots have never seen combat. Vice President Cheney had five (5) draft deferments and never saw one he did not like. Yet, he is similiar to Walter Lippmann in that Cheney wants war but never wants to face war's dangers. Lippmann and Cheney fit Andy Jacobs' descriptions of War Wimps and Chicken Hawks.

The essays dealing with the costs of war reveal that the plutocratic rich benefit from military expendatures, but the public never gets to see the bills until later when they come due. Those who prefer to remain ignorant and comfortable about the costs of war only protest when taxes and inflation damage their economic status. Yet, these folks may hold a key to stopping the war machine as suggested in one of the essays if they alerted their U.S. Senators and Representatives.

The appeal to "Demokracy" to initiate wars is ludicrous which Messers Gottfired and Hoppe make very clear. The fact is wars in the name of democracy or wars in the name of the people are the most destructive. A point well made is "Vox populi Vox Dei" applies to war. Modern political views state the voice of the public, no matter how stupid or wrong, is a substitute for reason and knowledge.

Mr. Denson's book is useful for those who are puzzled by the rise of the military state. Readers should also consult the bibliogrphy in this book. Harry Elmer Barnes' anthology titled PERPETUAL WAR FOR PERPETUAL PEACE and James J. Martin's REVISIONIST VIEW POINTS are especially useful. Mr. Denson's THE COSTS OF WAR is timely and well worth reading.

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

Andrew S. Rogers

Now more than ever...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 24, 2003

The long-term impact of war on government and society is a topic that should be top-of-mind for all Americans right now. And I can think of few better places to begin contemplating that impact, and related questions, than the outstanding collection of essays assembled under the title "The Costs of War."
Like two other books that grew out of conferences hosted by the Mises Institute -- "Secession, State, and Liberty" (1998) and "Reassessing the Presidency" (2001) -- these essays are uniformly challenging, thought-provoking, and unashamedly "revisionist" ... which is to say, they question the accepted thinking of both liberal and conservative received wisdom. While all twenty contributions are worthwhile, I personally found three of them particularly rewarding: Joseph Stromberg's piece on the Spanish-American War and two essays by Ralph Raico, "World War I: The Turning Point" and "Rethinking Churchill." As a long-time student of Winston Churchill, I particularly recommend the latter. Far more than other so-called revisionists like Irving or Charmley, Raico's piece in "The Costs of War" raises questions that any intellectually-honest student or fan of WSC absolutely must confront.
Though I found those three essays particularly good, it's hard not to single out others as well. Murray Rothbard's two essays -- his important "America's Two Just Wars" and a reprint of his classic "World War I as Fulfillment" -- are, of course, up to the author's always-high standards. Justin Raimondo's chapter on the history of the anti-war Right highlights a theme he's been emphasizing again in recent months. As a former navy dependent, I was fascinated by Allan Carlson's survey of "The Military as an Engine of Social Change." And this weekend, it was more than a little surreal to look up from Eugene Sledge's memoirs of his World War II combat service, or Paul Fussell's meditation on "The Culture of War," to see the new Iraq war unfolding in real-time on my television.
Each of these essays gives the reader much to think about. But there's another thing I should warn about. As with the two other books I mentioned before, this title points the reader to many, many other books worth hunting down and reading. Mises Institute authors tend (to their credit) to love their footnotes, and I would bet reading "The Costs of War" has revealed at least three dozen more books on related topics I'll need to add to my must-find-time-to-read list.
Unabashedly pro-freedom, this book will open the reader's eyes to elements of history and political science she may well never have confronted before. And even if you already are a confirmed member of the Mises-Rothbard school of thought, the ideas, arguments, and points of scholarship contained here will stretch your intellectual muscles and arm you for future study and debate. In our time of war, as well as in what passes for "peace" these days, I recommend this title very, very highly.

16 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Henning Gloege

Enlightening

Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on February 26, 2003

Verified Purchase

A truly fabulous and enlightening compilation of essays from a variety of authors about the causes and effects of America's wars. The tenor is clearly anti-war, but not out of an inert pacifism. Instead it is almost entirely utilitarian. The consequences of America's wars are examined, and they are judged - convincingly so - as complete failures in almost every instance. The causes for these wars are also examined, and for the most part are found remarkably lacking from a constitutional perspective, but also from a 'national interest' one as well. More than worth the price. Get it.

One person found this helpful

See all reviews

Buy new: $164.25$164.25 FREE delivery: March 17 - 23 Ships from: Book Depository US Sold by: Book Depository US

Buy used: $34.00

The Costs of War: America's Pyrrhic Victories 2nd Edition

Enhance your purchase

Product details

Videos

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries

Buy new:

$164.25

FREE delivery: March 17 - 23

Ships from: Book Depository US

Sold by: Book Depository US

Buy used:

$34.00