Virtual War

In "real"wars, whole nations are mobilized, soldiers fight and die, victories are won. In virtual war, hostilities may not even be declared; the combatants are strike pilots and computer programmers; the watching nation is a television audience; and instead of victory there is only an uncertain endgame. The conflict in Kosovo in 1999 moved armed aggression into this new phase. Combining superb reportage and shrewd political analysis, Michael Ignatieff examines this strange, remote type of warfare through the eyes of its key players. Probing, challenging, and profound, Virtual War raises fundamental questions about warfare and human values in the new millennium. "A joy to read … It would be harder to find clearer or more elegant examples of contemporary reportage … Polished prose technique, eye for the telling of detail and talent for historical exposition."—The Sunday Times