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History General

Virtual War

by (author) Michael Ignatieff

Publisher
Penguin Group Canada
Initial publish date
Oct 2006
Category
General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780670891405
    Publish Date
    Apr 2000
    List Price
    $32.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780143054672
    Publish Date
    Oct 2006
    List Price
    $18
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780141000343
    Publish Date
    Apr 2001
    List Price
    $21.00

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Description

In "real"wars, whole nations are mobilized, soldiers fight and die, victories are won. In virtual war, hostilities may not even be declared; the combatants are strike pilots and computer programmers; the watching nation is a television audience; and instead of victory there is only an uncertain endgame.

The conflict in Kosovo in 1999 moved armed aggression into this new phase. Combining superb reportage and shrewd political analysis, Michael Ignatieff examines this strange, remote type of warfare through the eyes of its key players. Probing, challenging, and profound, Virtual War raises fundamental questions about warfare and human values in the new millennium.

"A joy to read … It would be harder to find clearer or more elegant examples of contemporary reportage … Polished prose technique, eye for the telling of detail and talent for historical exposition."—The Sunday Times

About the author

Michael Ignatieff is a Canadian writer and historian. His books include Scar Tissue (which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize), The Russian Album, Blood And Belonging, The Warrior's Honour, The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror, and The Rights Revolution. His work has been translated into many languages and awarded numerous prizes and awards. Before being elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament in 2006, he was Professor of Human Rights and Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University. Until May 2011 Ignatieff was leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He lives in Toronto, where he teaches at the University of Toronto.

Michael Ignatieff's profile page