The author argues that warfare has been a part of human existence throughout history, and considers whether humans are doomed by genetic heritage to fight each other.

With armed conflict in the Persian Gulf now upon us, Harvard archaeologist Steven LeBlanc takes a long-term view of the nature and roots of war, presenting a controversial thesis: The notion of the "noble savage" living in peace with one another and in harmony with nature is a fantasy. In Constant Battles: The Myth of the Peaceful, Noble Savage, LeBlanc contends that warfare and violent conflict have existed throughout human history, and that humans have never lived in ecological balance with nature. The start of the second major U.S. military action in the Persian Gulf, combined with regular headlines about spiraling environmental destruction, would tempt anyone to conclude that humankind is fast approaching a catastrophic end. But as LeBlanc brilliantly argues, the archaeological record shows that the warfare and ecological destruction we find today fit into patterns of human behavior that have gone on for millions of years. Constant Battles surveys human history in terms of social organization-from hunter gatherers, to tribal agriculturalists, to more complex societies. LeBlanc takes the reader on his own digs around the world -- from New Guinea to the Southwestern U.S. to Turkey -- to show how he has come to discover warfare everywhere at every time. His own fieldwork combined with his archaeological, ethnographic, and historical research, presents a riveting account of how, throughout human history, people always have outgrown the carrying capacity of their environment, which has led to war. Ultimately, though, LeBlanc's point of view is reassuring and optimistic. As he explains the roots of warfare in human history, he also demonstrates that warfare today has far less impact than it did in the past. He also argues that, as awareness of these patterns and the advantages of modern technology increase, so does our ability to avoid war in the future.

Updated for a new generation, a resource for overcoming sexual temptation shares the stories of men who have escaped sexual immorality and offers a practical plan for achieving sexual integrity.

Experience the inspiring journey of Battles and Trials: A Fight for Deliverance, a powerful spiritual book filled with vivid details about one person's struggles, healing, and liberation from various forms of oppression. In this honest and open account, the author shares their experience with alcohol, pornography, same-sex attraction, animosity toward religion, and suicidal thoughts and describes how they overcame these challenges through heavenly encounters, prayers, and the intervention of loving Christians. By delving deep into these difficult-to-discuss topics, the author provides valuable guidance, anecdotes, and insights that can help anyone seeking deliverance. Whether you're struggling with addiction, questioning your faith, or seeking freedom from any other form of oppression, this book offers practical advice and heartfelt support. Join the body of Christ in understanding the depths of despair, repression, and heaviness that often accompany the deliverance process. With its powerful message of hope and healing, Battles and Trials: A Fight for Deliverance is a must-read for anyone seeking spiritual growth and transformation.

Their very names--Gettysburg, Waterloo, Stalingrad--evoke images of great triumph and equally great suffering, moments when history seemed to hang in the balance. Considered in relation to each other, such battles--and others of less immediate renown--offer insight into the changing nature of armed combat, advances in technology, shifts in strategy and thought, as well as altered geopolitical landscapes. The most significant military engagements in history define the very nature of war. In his newest book, Richard Overy plumbs over 3,000 years of history, from the Fall of Troy in 1200 BC to the Fall of Baghdad in 2003, to locate the 100 battles that he believes the most momentous. Arranged by themes such as leadership, innovation, deception, and courage under fire, Overy presents engaging essays on each battle that together provide a rich picture of how combat has changed through the ages, as well as highlighting what has remained consistent despite advances in technology. The battles covered here offer a wide geographic sweep, from ancient Greece to China, Constantinople to Moscow, North to South America, providing a picture of the dominant empires across time and context for comparison between various military cultures. From familiar engagements like Thermopylae (480 BC), Verdun (1916), and the Tet Offensive (1968) to lesser-studied battles such as Zama (202 BC), Arsuf (1191), and Navarino Bay (1827), Overy presents the key actors, choices, and contingencies, focusing on those details--sometimes overlooked--that decided the battle. The American victory at the Battle of Midway, for example, was determined by only ten bombs. It was, as Wellington said of Waterloo, a "near run thing." Rather than focusing on the question of victory or defeat, Overy examines what an engagement can tell us on a larger level about the history of warfare itself. New weapons and tactics can have a sudden impact on the outcome of a battle--but so too can leadership, or the effects of a clever deception, or raw courage. Overy offers a deft and visually captivating look at the engagements that have shaped the course of human history, and changed the face of warfare.

My book is an anthology of various battles fought in Texas from the year 1758 to 1874. The manuscript is directed at readers who have an interest in Texas or military history. I chose those battles I believe had the most dramatic impact on the course of Texas history. As a military historian, I focused on critical decisions by individual commanders. As much as possible, I tried to use the Battle Analysis System developed by the US Army Command and General Staff College to look at all aspects of a military engagement (strategy, leadership, weather and terrain, etc.) and how these influenced the battle.