"A presentation of the topic of peace with such a vast scope is
deeply fascinating."
European History Quarterly
"An insightful narrative history of peace and peacemaking, which
is a useful resource for anyone attempting to understand how
current peace principles and infrastructure developed, and how they
can be strengthened to further the goal of world peace."
Global Change, Peace and Security
"In Peace: A World History, Antony Adolf seeks to provide
an extensive history of peace ... An ambitious project covering
much historical and geographical ground, the volume includes
discussion of conceptions of peace within Judaism, Christianity and
Islam and within the Indian and Chinese traditions; the pacifist
movements of the twentieth century; and the contemporary quest for
peace in a post-Cold War world. Adolf's stimulating and informative
analysis elegantly situates efforts to promote peaceful relations
among states within the larger context of the intellectual history
of peace as a concept, and his efforts to synthesize the various
forms of peace into a comprehensive construct provide an original
and clear conclusion to the volume."
Survival, Journal of the International Institute for Strategic
Studies
"Historians and political scientists seem to gravitate
perpetually toward the study of war, but the study of peace could
be much more valuable to the future of humanity. Peace is a notable
effort to correct this problem."
The Mantle
"A useful book filled with insights and citations from a wide
range of peace philosophers and advocates. The author has managed
to survey practically the entire world historical experience of
peace theory and practice in a single volume ... Among the valuable
contributions are: a review of findings from primatology and
evolutionary science on the instinctual and behavioral foundations
of human cooperation, and surveys of historical settings that have
received less attention from previous peace scholars."
Journal of Peace Research
"The diverse ways in which humans have sought to create peaceful
societies are beautifully encapsulated by Adolf ... This
perspective gives cause for optimism, and Adolf?s book is
indeed an optimistic one. The detailed exploration of expressions
of peace will be useful to all of us who strive toward making our
world more peaceful."
Medicine, Conflict and Survival
"Peace: A World History is broad and comprehensive in its
scope, not only temporally but also substantively, examining both
historical efforts to make and sustain peace, and the relevant
literature analyzing and envisaging peace ... a valuable reference
point for students, scholars and general readers of peace."
African Journal of Conflict Resolution
"A work of considerable ability in its exploration of peace,
peace mechanisms and peacemaking across the millennia ... a very
valuable source of information and understanding for those who seek
to know more about peace and peace making through the ages."
Journal of Human Security
"Adolf has made a considerable contribution by focusing on
peacemaking strategies, showing that these are basic human
instincts and activities, and that they must be continually
exercised to ensure our suvival."
Peace Review
"I, for one, feel greatly enriched for having taken this
particular 'history course' ... the journey through Peace
becomes more enlightening with each new chapter."
Roses and Thorns
"Essential reading for anyone concerned with the promotion of
peace, the study of peace, and the making of peace. Antony Adolf's
writing is articulate and accomplished. The very reading of the
book is satisfying in itself."
Journal for the Renewal of Religion and Theology
"A unique study that looks at a vast amount of history from the
point of view of peacemaking."
H-Soz-u-Kult
"In an unbiased historical context and accessible discourse,
Adolf's analysis steadily makes a case not only for peace being an
imperative for mankind's survival, but one achievable through
dedication and a now well-lit precedent."
Prick of the Spindle
"Adolf contributes to peacemaking in the tradition he attributes
to Jean Baptiste Say: the scientific method ... he facilitates
'evaluations and continual improvements of policies and their
implementations' that can assist the attainment of world
peace."
Eras
"What is striking in his approach is a far more subtle
understanding of peace than many other authors have. Peace is not
simply the absence of war (or strict pacifism) but the
establishment of conditions for peaceful coexistence. The result,
though not overlooking classical peace movements, is an attempt to
show how conditions for peace can be generated through domestic and
international law, through mediation and conflict resolution, as
well as through processes that try to promote alternatives to
war."
Mail and Guardian
"Recommended. Adolf explores possibilities of rational and
realistic peace throughout a five-millennium history using examples
from crucial time periods, places, people, and writings. Balancing
a broad scope with succinct details, the author presents
peacemaking in cultural contexts of religions, social structures,
economics, politics, and philosophies while challenging the idea
that peace is exclusively the absence of war."
Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries
"The reader of this book will be impressed by the abundance of
information but also by the capacity of the author to realise an
objective analysis of the historical events and figures."
Cultura
"Adolf is to be commended for writing a unique study that looks
at a vast amount of history from the point of view of peacemaking.
There is a need for such ethically centered studies that address
the big picture. Others of like mind will surely build on this
study."
HSK for Arbeitskreis Historische
Friedensforschung
"An ambitious book which spans a wide range of time and place,
from prehistory to the present."
History
"In Peace: A World History, Antony Adolf admirably
demonstrates that peacemaking has not been a peripheral pursuit in
human history. Adolf's work ably synthesizes the growing literature
in peace history while offering its own interpretive contribution.
It offers a viable alternative reading of history that locates
peacemaking as a concept at the heart of the ideas and events that
have shaped the world."
Michael Clinton, Gwynedd-Mercy College
"A naive peace is inevitably the peace of the grave. A rational
peace begins when we learn collectively how to live well within the
limits of our circumstances; it is the peace of preservation and
renewal. Adolf's Peace: A World History shifts the focus of
history from the necessities of war to the imperatives of peace
and, in doing so, provides invaluable insights for comprehending
the dynamic principles of future peaces."
Monty G. Marshall, Center for Systemic Peace
