Rating: 
Summary: Informative and Digestable
Review: A very-well written book. Very easy to read and comprehend, and was hard for me as a student to put down. Stoessinger demonstrates how seemingly minor details like the egos of world leaders can bring about huge disasters, and closes the book with a riveting account of his escape from the Holocaust. Strongly recommended for any student of International Politics
Rating:
Summary: Informative and Digestable
Review: A very-well written book. Very easy to read and comprehend, and was hard for me as a student to put down. Stoessinger demonstrates how seemingly minor details like the egos of world leaders can bring about huge disasters, and closes the book with a riveting account of his escape from the Holocaust. Strongly recommended for any student of International Politics
Rating: 
Summary: Readable and informative
Review: As a student of political science, and as a some-what left-leaning individual, I usually assumed that economic factors precipitate most wars. This book does much to challenge my preconception, even though I still think the economic factors in the decision to go to war are over-downplayed. If you don't agree with the conclusions that leaders' personalities and perceptions are the cause of most wars, this book can at least serve as a concise history of the major wars of the 20th century.
Rating:
Summary: Readable and informative
Review: As a student of political science, and as a some-what left-leaning individual, I usually assumed that economic factors precipitate most wars. This book does much to challenge my preconception, even though I still think the economic factors in the decision to go to war are over-downplayed. If you don't agree with the conclusions that leaders' personalities and perceptions are the cause of most wars, this book can at least serve as a concise history of the major wars of the 20th century.
Rating:
Summary: Insight for Intelligence Analysts
Review: Dr. Stossinger's book is a valuable contribution for intelligence analysts wrestling with the strategic intelligence considerations when preparing for war. Stossinger's review of 8 case studies (WWI, Hitler's attack on Russia, Korea, Vietnam, India and Pakistan, Israel and the Arabs, Saddam Hussein, and the Balkans) distills the following determinants as to why nations go to war: the crucial importance of the personalities of leaders, the four sources of misperception (leader's image of himself, his adversary, his adversary's intentions, and his adversary's capabilities and power), and an underestimation of the means and time necessary to win the war. Here, Stossinger contributes to the literature by reinforcing the need to look at war from the enemy's perspective. Strategic intelligence analysts supporting decision makers who are preparing for war should, at a minimum, be addressing seven issues: a clear understanding of the most basic, underlying, issues forming the basis for the problem under consideration; a clear appreciation of how the problem affects one's survival, vital, major and peripheral national interests; a clearly stated political objective that resolves the underlying problem which is complimented with a sound exit strategy and identifiable conditions for knowing when to exit; a strategic self appraisal that assesses one's internal military, diplomatic, and economic condition to determine whether or not the means exist to attain the political objective; a national power assessment comparing the conditions of the other belligerents and interested non belligerents with your previously assessed strategic self appraisal; an integrated political, military and economic strategy to best apply your strategic strengths in pursuit of the political objective; and, the identification and elimination of gaps between the desired political objective and the means to achieve those objectives. Stossinger gives analysts additional perspectives for assessing these seven issues. Each issue should be assessed through the lens of the personalities of each leader of each belligerent nation; assessed for how each of the four sources of misperception shapes each leader's view of the situation; and, assessed for how each leader estimates the means and time necessary to achieve their political and military objectives. This insight reduces the miscalculations characterizing war. Stossinger's book belongs on library shelf of the students and practitioners of strategic intelligence.
Rating: 
Summary: The author has an ax to grind.
Review: I do not recommend this book for anybody who wants an unbiased account of history (especially of the Vietnam War). In the chapter on the Vietnam War the author displays incredible bias. His assessment relies on ad hominem attacks on the principles (only on the U.S. side though). He conveniently omits facts about Ho Chi Minh and the North Vietnamese. For all practical purposes, the author tells bald faced lies. I do not recommend this book to anybody who is interested in an historical account of war. All you will get is a plateful of this man's blatant bias, which is useless to the student.
Rating:
Summary: ENLIGHTENING!
Review: If anyone reading this review is able to contact Dr. Stoessinger, it would be in his interest to suggest him to read Trevor Ravenscroft's "The Spear Of Destiny," for further understanding of Hitler's mind. Many thanks to the messenger!
Rating: 
Summary: Reductio ad Absurdum
Review: This book is certainly interesting and is good for all students in a "How to be incredibly well read.." type way. However, Historians no longer follow the cult of personality as while they are undoubtedly influential they are certainly not the whole story. Hitler's hubris is also Germany's. He did not work alone and there is no consideration of the socio-economic background which brought him to power in the first place though he does, admittedly say that such things are addressed elsewhere. However, my main concern with this book is the lack of objectivity. This is a book written by an American Jew and is seen almost exclusively through those eyes. Too little is made of allied efforts and too much of the US. It also shows a distinctly pro-Isreali slant, despite criticisms, that describes Arabs as terrorists yet tends to glorify Isreali military victories and sees no contradiction in this.
It is, as I have said, certainly interesting and I would recommend it as a read but, as has been previously stated, it would be an error to read it in a vacuum due to it's rather simplistic look at the issues involved. WWI, and as a result WWII were wars waiting to happen and it certainly provides an insight in more recent events and the lack of "intelligence" which leads to executive decisions. There tends to be little or no criticism of US errors, especially in respect of Korea and Vietnam, which is seen not in the light of McCarthyist Hysteria and the subsequent Militarism but more as some sort of Paternalistic error.
Still worth a read but at arms length.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but could have been better.
Review: This book was really quite interesting. Stoessinger writes in a lucid manner, which makes the book a very easy read. However, I have two problems with this book, and after seeing all the positive reviews, I'm sure there are people who will want to hit me on the head for my criticism. Nevertheless, my first problem with this book is its emphasis on the individual as the level of the analysis as well. Stoessinger blames key leaders and individuals as responsible for the various wars addressed throughout this book (ie. WWI, WWII, etc). This seems pretty reductionist to me when there are other levels of analysis to consider as well. To make matters worse, Stoessinger reduces his personal biases against, say, Hitler into a characterization of HItler as "mad." Well, Hitler might have been mad, but there is more to HItler than simple "madness." Second, my problem with this book is that although there are footnotes, Stoessinger purports to see into the mind of leaders such as the Kaiser, Hitler etc. without proving his authority or where he received such personal insights. Oh, I guess I have a third criticism as well. The title of this book is "Why Nations Go to War;" if understanding why nations to go war is the purpose of writing this book, I don't think that devoting one chapter on one conflict (about 20-25 pages) is going to explain why nations to go to war. On the other hand, this book like I initially wrote, was very interesting. However, to read this book in a vacuum might lead to some pretty big misperceptions about wars in the twentieth century.
Rating:
Summary: A different side
Review: This is a wonderful book for those looking for another side to the origins of war. The author tells fascinating accounts of the personalities behind decisions. He transcends the traditional explanations and portrays wars as the results of very human dynamics. Excellent stories and insights.
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