The Deaths of Others

Americans are greatly concerned about the number of our troops killed in battle. But why are Americans so indifferent, often oblivious, to the far greater number of casualties suffered by those we fight and those we fight for? This is the compelling, largely unasked question John Tirman answers in The Deaths of Others. Between six and seven million people died in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq alone, the majority of them civilians. And yet Americans devote little attention to these deaths. Other countries, however, do pay attention, and Tirman argues that if we want to understand why there is so much anti-Americanism around the world, the first place to look is how we conduct war. Trenchant and passionate, this book forces readers to consider the tragic consequences of American military action not just for Americans, but especially for those we fight.