We in America are cursed, as have been civilizations all through history, with those unrealistic idealists who think war can be eliminated if only reasonable men would talk, and those equally unrealistic idealists who think war is an ideal way to solve disagreements between nations. Neither group understands history very well, according to Hanson. He argues that war is an inextricable part of human experience, and (to quote George Santayana) "those who will not study history are condemned to repeat it". This book is a collection of various essays he has written, most of them expanded for the book. They are very good, and his views are worth thinking about.
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