How Civil Wars Start
And How to Stop Them
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How Civil Wars Start
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Narrated by:
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Beth Hicks
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Written by:
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Barbara F. Walter
About this listen
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • 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
“Required reading for anyone invested in preserving our 246-year experiment in self-government.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)
WINNER OF THE GLOBAL POLICY INSTITUTE AWARD • THE SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Financial Times, The Times (UK), Esquire, Prospect (UK)
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, Ukraine, 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.
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What the critics say
“[A] bracing manual . . . Walter’s book lays out America’s possible roads to dystopia with impressive concision. Her synthesis of the various barometers of a country heading to civil war is hard to refute when applied to the U.S. . . . Indispensable.”—Financial Times
“I wish all the [January 6] committee members would read [How Civil Wars Start] if only to expand their imaginations. [Barbara F. Walter] demonstrates that the conditions for political violence are already all around us.”—David Brooks, The New York Times
“I’ve been skeptical of the notion that the United States is on the verge of another civil war. Walter has made me reconsider. . . . This is a book that everyone in power should read immediately.”—The Washington Post
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What listeners say about How Civil Wars Start
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- j. campion
- 2022-12-04
fascinating
I loved this 'review' of the history of countries such as Ireland, the former Yugoslavia, the U.S., I learned so much.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- A. Morrison
- 2022-02-11
Brilliant, Unnerving, and Hopeful
A science-based understanding of threats to democracy and how to avoid them. If you thought you understood civil war, insurrection, ethnic cleansing, and the failure of democracies, you will appreciate how much more nuanced the science really is. This is very well written. This is no dry textbook. Walter weaves the personal stories of heartbreak, hope, and success with the latest research. The production and narration are excellent.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jordan Johnstone
- 2022-04-25
loved it
the facts the author laid out was so well written. great read amazing jobs would recommened to anyone who love polsci
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-02-19
Extremely insightful
This book is extremely insightful for anyone who seeks to learn more about civil wars and the state of American democracy.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Cody Renz
- 2024-09-21
Disappointed
Came in with an open mind but the book turned into anything left of center is Hitler Nazi’s. Disappointed. Had high hopes.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-01-21
Another biased polemic by a globalist shill
The author begins by giving the reader the impression that the following work is backed by academic research throughout the course the book, however the authors bias becomes more and more prevalent. She downplays, minimizes, and practically ignores all left-wing violence and provocations, and focuses solely on the boogeyman of the so-called "radical right. The author takes the dramatic social and demographic changes happening in Western societies as a given and dismisses any opposition as being rooted in hate or "white supremacy".
The author also conflates Civic Nationalist groups such as the Proud Boys and Three Percenters with ethonationalist groups such as Attom Waffen, which they are not. For someone who claims to be an expert in this field she makes many mistakes when describing the ideologies that drive these groups on the ground.
By the end of the book it's full-fledged polemics, transforming what could have been an interesting and informative work into just another ritual of groupthink by a member of the progressive elite. The book also has other inaccuracies and makes broad sweeping claims about the supposed veracity of right-wing sources without providing any arguments to back said assertions. None of this is surprising considering that the author is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
At times it almost feels as if she wanted to be more honest but couldn't but just couldn't bring herself to look beyond her shallow ideological biases.
All in all it was another boring and rather predictable take on the current state of polarization within the United States. It would be interesting for someone to do the study who could actually bring themselves to studying both sides in a much more unbiased and balanced way. However given the state of America's intellectual class, such a thing is highly unlikely.
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