"Two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East, and countless other conflicts raging in every corner of the globe: even though the 20th century saw technological innovation and social progress, above all it has been a period of almost constant battle. From poison gas in Verdun to genocide in Germany, the Baltics, and beyond to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, man has dedicated his science and resources to the art of destruction. These pages bear witness to the infinite errors committed during one hundred years of warfare--and, at the same time, they issue both an invitation to mutual understanding and a warning about what could happen if we continue on this dangerous path. The strong message comes in the form of pictures taken at the front lines by four generations of photographers and combatants, and terrible documents of courage and horror ... Accompanying the unforgettable images is a powerful commentary by a historian and specialist journalist who has covered the fighting in Beirut and the Gulf War, and saw the aftermath of slaughter in Rwanda and Burundi, where more than half a million people died--a lucid and gripping reconstruction of the conflicts that inflamed the world"--Publisher description.