A thought-provoking revelation of the ways ordinary people-conquerors and conquered, imperialists and the colonized, Christians, Jews, and Muslims-think about war and peace.

Filled with personal reflections from every corner of the globe, State Violence and the Right to Peace: An International Survey of the Views of Ordinary People is a masterful portrayal of how people from diverse cultures, religions, and experiences think about war and peace.

Spanning four volumes, State Violence and the Right to Peace brings together the views of shopkeepers, day laborers, clerical workers, students, teachers, social workers, veterans, and others talking about governmental aggression, torture, and protesting acts of war. These views-from Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-are seen in the context of major historical battles, including the empire-building of Western European countries, the emergence and contraction of the Soviet Union, and the wars in the Middle East. As this remarkable resource shows, there are some surprising similarities in thinking about war and peace across nations and cultures-and some equally surprising cases where opinions diverge.