What Causes War?: An Introduction to Theories of International Conflict

Dr. Cashman's book provides the most complete analysis of the various theories regarding the causes of war. Considering the magnitude of the topic the book is very concise and truly offers a thorough "review of the literature" as the author phrases it. The reader need not be a student of political science or have a degree in the field to follow the language used in the volume. From the Nature v. Nurture debate to Groupthink the book provides an examination of the theories of various schools of thought on what causes war. I recommend this work to anyone interested in the subject!

With this book, I have the added advantage of knowing the author personally. In his book, Dr. Cashman does exactly what he states in the introduction--gives students of Political Science a 'review of the literature' in the causes of international conflict. It is an altogether servicable text that I found extremely helpful in his class. The book reflects his deep knowledge of his specialty of international relations, and his ability to present the material in an organized and methodical fashion. There are really no deep revelations in this book, becasue thats not really the point. It is a book designed to keep students taking these kinds of courses sane by providing them with one major text, and allowing for new and supplemental information to be added. I highly recommend it.