Meanings of War and Peace. By Francis A. Beer. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2001. 256p. $39.95 cloth, $19.95 paper

Extract

This book left me a bit frustrated. It was as if I had gone to a nice restaurant, reviewed an extensive menu that left my mouth watering, but only got to taste a couple of items. As its title declares, this is a book about the different meanings the words “war” and “peace” can have. We take for granted that the meanings are important for those of us studying international politics. It is also self-evident that words have various connotations and meanings. This was always true for the term “terrorist” for example—one person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter. Since September 11, many of us have been asking questions about the meaning of various terms and concepts, such as a “war on terrorism.”