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How civil wars start : and how to stop them / Barbara F. Walter.

Walter, Barbara F., (author.).

Summary:
A leading political scientist examines the dramatic rise in violent extremism around the globe and sounds the alarm on the increasing likelihood of a second civil war in the United States. Political violence rips apart several towns in southwest Texas. A far-right militia plots to kidnap the governor of Michigan and try her for treason. An armed mob of Trump supporters and conspiracy theorists storms the U.S. Capitol. Are these isolated incidents? Or is this the start of something bigger? Barbara F. Walter has spent her career studying civil conflict in places like Iraq and Sri Lanka, but now she has become increasingly worried about her own country. Perhaps surprisingly, both autocracies and healthy democracies are largely immune from civil war; it's the countries in the middle ground that are most vulnerable. And this is where more and more countries, including the United States, are finding themselves today. Over the last two decades, the number of active civil wars around the world has almost doubled. Walter reveals the warning signs--where wars tend to start, who initiates them, what triggers them--and why some countries tip over into conflict while others remain stable. Drawing on the latest international research and lessons from over twenty countries, Walter identifies the crucial risk factors, from democratic backsliding to factionalization and the politics of resentment. A civil war today won't look like America in the 1860s, Russia in the 1920s, or Spain in the 1930s. It will begin with sporadic acts of violence and terror, accelerated by social media. It will sneak up on us and leave us wondering how we could have been so blind. In this urgent and insightful book, Walter redefines civil war for a new age, providing the framework we need to confront the danger we now face--and the knowledge to stop it before it's too late.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780593137789 (hardcover)
  • ISBN: 0593137787 (hardcover)
  • Physical Description: xxi, 294 pages ; 22 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Crown, [2022]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 231-277) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Introduction -- The danger of anocracy -- The rise of factions -- The dark consequences of losing status -- When hope dies -- The accelerant -- How close are we? -- What a war would look like -- Preventing a civil war.
Subject: Civil war.
Democratization.
Domestic terrorism.

Available copies

  • 21 of 24 copies available at SPARK Libraries.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 24 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Albright Memorial Library 303.64 WALTER (Text)
Bookplate: In Memory of Dorothy Reddington
50686016125994 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Altoona Area Public Library 303.64 WAL (Text) 33240004943026 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Cambria County Library 303.64 W231h (Text) 85131001813261 CACM Non-Fiction Checked Out 04/05/2024
Carbondale Public Library 303.64 WALTER (Text) 50688010811744 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Cresson Public Library 303.64 WAL (Text) 31814610092923 CRSM Non-Fiction In Process -
Dalton Community Library 303.6 WALTER (Text) 50689090006635 Browsing Available -
Dillsburg Area Public Library Adults 303.6 WAL Nonfiction (Text) 34001001407780 Adult Area Available -
Emmaus Public Library 303.64 WALT (Text) 36446002075516 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Indian Valley Public Library 303.6 Walter Politics (Text) 39427103639118 Nonfiction Room: Adult Nonfiction Available -
Montrose 303.6 WALT (Text) 37000009439016 SSQM Main Floor Available -


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