On Art and War and Terror - by Alex Danchev (Paperback)

About the Book

This book, newly available in paperback, offers a sustained demonstration of the way in which works of art can help us to explore the most difficult ethical and political issues of our time: war, terror, extermination, torture and abuse.

Book Synopsis

This book, a collection of Alex Danchev's essays on the theme of art, war and terror, newly available in paperback, offers a sustained demonstration of the way in which works of art can help us to explore the most difficult ethical and political issues of our time: war, terror, extermination, torture and abuse.It takes seriously the idea of the artist as moral witness to this realm, considering war photography, for example, as a form of humanitarian intervention. War poetry, war films and war diaries are also considered in a broad view of art, and of war. Kafka is drawn upon to address torture and abuse in the war on terror; Homer is utilised to analyse current talk of 'barbarisation'. The paintings of Gerhard Richter are used to investigate the terrorists of the Baader-Meinhof group, while the photographs of Don McCullin and the writings of Vassily Grossman and Primo Levi allow the author to propose an ethics of small acts of altruism.This book examines the nature of war over the last century, from the Great War to a particular focus on the current 'Global War on Terror'. It investigates what it means to be human in war, the cost it exacts and the ways of coping. Several of the essays therefore have a biographical focus.

From the Back Cover

AUTHOR APPROVED Front cover: On Art and War and Terror Alex Danchev 'The range of these beautifully crafted essays is often dazzling. At his best, Danchev reveals himself to be a gifted and profound essayist.' Bryan Cheyette, /The Independent/ Back cover: A /Sunday Telegraph/ Book of the Year 'Alex Danchev's series of essays remind us why he is one of the most perceptive and witty scholars writing in Britain today.' Andrew Roberts, /The Sunday Telegraph/ A /Times Higher Education/ Book of the Week 'A powerful, united and beautifully strange book.' Robert Eaglestone, /Times Higher Education/ 'One of the most important books I have had the pleasure to read in a long time... lucid, illuminating, mesmerizing... a profound reading experience.' /Millennium: Journal of International Studies/ 'Beautifully lucid and thoughtful essays on the most difficult issues of our age and, in particular, the nature of humanity in times of conflict.' Karen Shook, /Times Higher Education/ The nobility of poetry, says Wallace Stevens, is a violence from within that protects us from a violence without. This is a book about violence of both kinds. It traffics in war poetry, war photography, war films, war stories, war diaries and the like, but also in war itself: in blood - blood like a carwash, as Christopher Logue's Homer has it - and therefore in political legitimacy, moral authority, civility, depravity, terror, torture, honour and conscience; not to speak of strange things like active passivity and senseless kindness. The violence within is illuminating. The violence without is unrelenting. We need all the protection we can get. Alex Danchev is Professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham. He is the author of a number of widely acclaimed biographies, of Field Marshal Sir John Dill, Oliver Franks, Basil Liddell Hart and Georges Braque, and co-editor of the bestselling War Diaries of Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke. His latest book is /100 Artists' Ma

Review Quotes

The range of these beautifully crafted essays is often dazzling. At his best, Danchev reveals himself to be a gifted and profound essayist.--Bryan Cheyette "The Independent"

A deeply learned, far-reaching and thought-provoking book.-- "International Affairs"

A Times Higher Education Book of the Week (September 2009).This collection of essays looks at first sight like one of those books of mostly previously published work that have been hung on a frame to give the impression of unity. But it is, in fact, a much more powerful, united and beautifully strange book than that.While academics are frequently exhorted to aspire to interdisciplinary work, this often boils down to tacking a discussion of a novel on to a piece of historical writing, or making reference to a few events to contextualise a picture. Real interdisciplinary work goes on when there is something unifying and unique beyond, or perhaps below, the academy's usual disciplinary boundaries. This is the case with Alex Danchev's work, and with this book.--Robert Eaglestone, Royal Holloway, University of London "Times Higher Education"

Alex Danchev's series of essays remind us why he is one of the most perceptive and witty scholars writing in Britain today.--Andrew Roberts "The Sunday Telegraph (Reviews Editor)"

Book of the Week (September 2009). This collection of essays looks at first sight like one of those books of mostly previously published work that have been hung on a frame to give the impression of unity. But it is, in fact, a much more powerful, united and beautifully strange book than that. While academics are frequently exhorted to aspire to interdisciplinary work, this often boils down to tacking a discussion of a novel on to a piece of historical writing, or making reference to a few events to contextualise a picture. Real interdisciplinary work goes on when there is something unifying and unique beyond, or perhaps below, the academy's usual disciplinary boundaries. This is the case with Alex Danchev's work, and with this book.--Robert Eaglestone "Times Higher Education"

On Art and War and Terror collects Alex Danchev's beautifully lucid and thoughtful essays on the most difficult issues of our age and, in particular, the nature of humanity in times of conflict.--Karen Shook "Times Higher Education"

One of the most important books I have had the pleasure to read in a long time... When reading this thoughtful and thought-provoking book terms that come to mind include lucid, illuminating, mesmerizing, all of which are analytically weak but indicative nevertheless of what makes this book such a profound reading experience... The author is not impressed by disciplinary borders: borders are there to be ignored, frontiers are meeting-places. Art thinks. Art makes us think. Art makes us think otherwise. Art helps us make a judgement, a moral judgement.--Frank Möller, University of Tampere "Millennium: Journal of International Studies"

About the Author

Alex Danchev (1955-2016) was Professor of International Relations at the University of St Andrews, and the recipient of a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship for 2014-17. He was the author of a number of internationally acclaimed biographies, most recently Cézanne (2012), and an influential collection of essays, On Art and War and Terror (2009). He was also the editor of the best-selling 100 Artists' Manifestos (2011).