War - What is it good for?

War is one of the greatest human evils. It has ruined livelihoods, provoked unspeakable atrocities and left millions dead. It has caused economic chaos and widespread deprivation. But, argues Ian Morris, in the very long term, war has in fact been a good thing. Morris shows that, paradoxically, war is the only human invention that has allowed us to construct peaceful societies. Without war, we would never have built the nation-states which now keep us relatively safe from acts of violence, and which have given us previously unimaginable wealth.