Description
Book SynopsisIn The Merciful Warrior, author Cathal J. Nolan compiles and analyzes acts of mercy and decency in war, drawing upon centuries of military history and dozens of wars to challenge nationalist myths, the usual heroic fabrications, and all claims to exclusive or unilateral moral virtue.
Trade ReviewMercy can help bring leaders to the negotiating table. So, too, can it help win over local populations and freeze out regional enemies in 'unwinnable' wars of occupation, something Nolan slams the West for failing to do sufficiently in Afghanistan. Above all, his book is an argument for violence that is restrained, measured, and proportionate to the cause. 'Make your forces merciful arguments for and not against that cause,' he writes. 'Act indecently and you will surely lose.' * The Past.com *
Cathal J. Nolan's splendid new book reminds us that wars, like the one still raging in Ukraine, reveal humanity both "at its most exposed and inhumane but sometimes also its most remarkably merciful. "From conflicts around the world, Nolan retrieves moving examples of soldiers not just sparing their enemies but sometimes risking their own lives on behalf of those who, moments before, were trying to kill them. Even under military discipline, soldiers sometimes disobey orders, arrange truces, and even desert their armies for the sake of healing the wounded, protecting the unarmed, and limiting bloodshed. * Currentpub.com *
In Mercy: Humanity in War, historian Cathal J. Nolan takes another approach to finding heroes in war who do not fight — or at least those who find themselves in battle and choose to not kill, to save lives, to risk their own lives to help others or to try to simply do less harm. Where the pacifists were driven by absolute moral clarity, there's nothing clear about the stories Nolan tells. Each is situated inside the hell of armed conflict, with acts of mercy shrouded in smoke, blood and horror, a 'dehumanizing cacophony of the calamity that is war.' Still, Nolan convincingly argues, 'mercy is a truer mark of heroic character in war," because "the essence of genuine heroism is to choose and act rightly.' * The Washington Post *
A compelling work of both history and moral thought, told with compassion and rich detail. Mercy will challenge every reader's view of war. * Tom Nichols, Professor Emeritus, Naval War College *
Nolan's beautifully written new book shows the power of mercy and humanity in the midst of the brutalities of modern warfare from WWI to the present. Disturbing and uplifting at the same time, Mercy leaves no reader untouched. * Gerald J. Steinacher, author of Humanitarians at War *
Most histories of war write of—even revel in— its detached cruelty and violence. This brilliant book does just the opposite: focusing on those men and women who treated their adversaries as people. Mercy is a one-of-kind journey out of the heart of darkness and into the realm of the human soul at its most sublime. Be forewarned, though: reading this book is an emotional experience. I cried more than a few times. * Rob Citino, Samuel Zemurray Stone Senior Historian, The National World War II Museum *
Table of ContentsPrologue Part I Culture Decency Heroes Movies Killers Part II Combat Trenches Forests Dissent Truces Part III Protected Medics Prisoners Civilians Part IV Technology Wood and Sail Steel and Stealth War in the Air Conclusion Works Cited
