2002's "An Autumn of War" is a collection of essays by California Professor of Classics Victor Davis Hanson, written in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Hanson, a frequent writer on ancient Greece, has in more recent times expanded his output to include histories of the Western way of war and conservative political commentary.

Hanson brings a longer perspective to the global war on terrorism, the enduring truths dating back to ancient times that wars are inherently messy, produce casualties both military and civilian, often lead in unexpected directions, and sometimes bring out the best in people. He takes a number of commentators to task for their defeatism in the wake of 9/11 and their hypercriticism of every action undertaken by the Bush Administration to combat terrorism.

Hanson very precisely identifies that our radical Islamic opponents are not open to negotiation. Their belief finds democracy to be contrary to the Sharia; they offer us a choice of conversion to their brand of Islam, submission, or death. America can fight back or let them have their way. Hanson has no patience with those in the so-called cultural elites who were quick to blame America for the 9/11 attacks and who obcessed over the harsh language of war or refused to see the possibilities as well as the dangers of carrying the fight to the enemy.

Hanson's essays hold up well almost seven years into the fight against radical Islam. They are worth reviewing for a reminder of how far we have come, or failed to come, in our public discourse over the global war on terrorism. The reader need not agree with Hanson's every opinion to appreciate the strength of his logic and the longer perspective of his point of view.

If you feel wobbly about our war with the terrorists who attacked us, these essays will help stiffen your spine. I subtract a star for the inability of the author to insert direct personal experience as warrior in these uplifting essays.

An Autumn of War provides excellent insight into the reactions of the American people after the attacks of 9/11. When seeing the rubble of the World Trade Center and the desperate innocent civilians jumping to their deaths from the windows in the upper stories of the building, it is difficult imagining any person of the free world opposing a counter-attack on bin Laden. What followed, however, with our continued conflict in Iraq, is a different story. The essays included in this book were written in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, from September to December 2001. Victor Davis Hanson is a fantastic historian, but I question if the book might have had greater value had it been written and published today, five years later. In light of what has happened since the attack, some of his reasoning seems a bit shortsighted and some analogies not quite right, for example, the idea that we were attacked because the Islamic world envies our freedom. Might they have attacked us instead because of more self-serving motives, for example, because they feel that our lifestyle, particularly the ease with which electronic information is transmitted via the Internet, is an intrusion in their world, where they wish to maintain the status quo that allows a few select people in power to control the masses?



I also feel that the analogy made between the ease with which we defeated Nazi Germany and Japan in World War II, and the supposed ease with which we will defeat the terrorists, is not a good analogy, because when we defeated Nazi Germany and Japan, we defeated a country's government, its central establishment. The terrorists and insurgents are not necessarily sanctioned by their country's government, and are difficult to attack with bombs and other weapons because they lack a centralized leadership. Five years have passed, bin Laden is still at large, and the threat of terrorism is still discussed on a daily basis in the news. Whether or not we have been successful in our war on terror depends on how we define success.



This is an excellent book for those seeking a controversial issue on which to practice their critical thinking skills, yet less impressive than Hanson's other works.

An Autumn of War provides excellent insight into the reactions of the American people after the attacks of 9/11. When seeing the rubble of the World Trade Center and the desperate innocent civilians jumping to their deaths from the windows in the upper stories of the building, it is difficult imagining any person of the free world opposing a counter-attack on bin Laden. What followed, however, with our continued conflict in Iraq, is a different story. The essays included in this book were written in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, from September to December 2001. Victor Davis Hanson is a fantastic historian, but I question if the book might have had greater value had it been written and published today, five years later. In light of what has happened since the attack, some of his reasoning seems a bit shortsighted and some analogies not quite right, for example, the idea that we were attacked because the Islamic world envies our freedom. Might they have attacked us instead because of more self-serving motives, for example, because they feel that our lifestyle, particularly the ease with which electronic information is transmitted via the Internet, is an intrusion in their world, where they wish to maintain the status quo that allows a few select people in power to control the masses?

I also feel that the analogy made between the ease with which we defeated Nazi Germany and Japan in World War II, and the supposed ease with which we will defeat the terrorists, is not a good analogy, because when we defeated Nazi Germany and Japan, we defeated a country's government, its central establishment. The terrorists and insurgents are not necessarily sanctioned by their country's government, and are difficult to attack with bombs and other weapons because they lack a centralized leadership. Five years have passed, bin Laden is still at large, and the threat of terrorism is still discussed on a daily basis in the news. Whether or not we have been successful in our war on terror depends on how we define success.

This is an excellent book for those seeking a controversial issue on which to practice their critical thinking skills, yet less impressive than Hanson's other works.

This book is a collection of essays written in the weeks after 9/11. His viewpoints on this new warfront are very well thought out, researched and for the most part based on history, not just of battles and wars, but cultures as well. In short, he seem's to see this war in somewhat simplistic terms of "us or them" and "do or die" where pacifism, denial, and self-blame ("we brought this on ourselves because of our foriegn policy, etc.") could be the terrorists biggest weapon, ultimately giving them the upper hand. Some may feel his views are cold or callous but taking into a military historians account, war itself is cold and callous. In a true war between 2 cultures, there is often no room for taking into account the other sides "feelings", especially when they are so hell-bent on destroying you. His views are hard to argue with because many are based on historical facts that have time and time again proven true. And although these are in fact new times in a more advanced civilization, the motives, beliefs and desires for the most part remain the same (they want to kill us - for various reasons - and we want to live). He does a great job in laying out his case for an offensive and aggressive response to America's "new" enemies.

The author combines knowledge of history, shewd and smart judgements, and extreme readability. Everything I am read by him is Excellent. This book is a series of essays written in the year after September 11th which lay out the road ahead for America. It is emotionally gripping, saddening, yet hopeful. (I read it in 2005 and it isn't dated at all.)

A good collection of essays writen after 9/11, worth reading. What prompts this review is the one and two star reviews running here. The usual hysteria from the usual gang of academics and naifs. Such reviewers love the insult even more than I. Bigoted, they write. Rightwing. Racist. Even Neo Con is strutted out, used as a pejorative, as if the reviewer knows what a Neo Con is, or was, which the reviewer clearly does not. Ignore the one or two star reviewers who are each and every one 'blame America' types, malcontents and Democrats all. Buy this book for your 'by the pool' or 'in the park' reading on current affairs.

The chapter on General Sherman was great - but then he was one of my ancestors and I could be biased. The chapters are acollection of essays and do vary considerably.

The other chapters were almost all were flawed because Hanson's polemic is based on much better understanding of the Classics and, to some degree, the West than the contemporary world or Islam. Sometimes this is clear because either the reasoning or overly broad conclusions are visible to a careful reader. Other times the neo Con bias informs the selection and presentation more subtly.

Overall more pompous than profound.

Victor Davis Hanson combines the historical perspective of the scholar with the practical, down to earth experiences of the common man. [He's a classical historian and a farmer.] The result is a narrative that "rings true." His book helped me come to terms with what is happening in our world because I understand better the thinking and motivations of the players. He answers the questions - why is terrorism happening?, and why are we doing what we're doing to defeat it? He gave me a clearer understanding of the beliefs of the Islamic Fundamentalist Fascists, what is at stake for our society and why we need to protect and defend our way of life. He also reminded me of the goodness in our country - of the values including: integrity, moral courage, fairness, respect, responsibility, compassion which we hold dear. While our country isn't perfect, he again reminded me that there's no place else I would want to live. I shared his book with members of a book club I belong to, and one person said, "If the administration had made the case for defending ourselves like Mr. Hanson did, I would have had a greater understanding and appreciation for the actions our country has taken since 9/11." I purchased a second copy of this book so I could pass it around to book club members, church members and friends. It is truly an OUTSTANDING book!!!!!

Wow, this book was something else. Powerful and full of insight, Hanson offers a unique perspective on American situation after 9-11. What he eloquently expresses in this narrative is what many Americans feel inside but rarely hear from the media or academia. I strongly recommend this book to anyone, although those inhabiting liberal politically correct sensibilities might themselves appalled (a fact that makes this read ever-so more enjoyable). What if America reacted the same way the did in 1941 as they did in 2001? This book offers a couple of parodies that show today's reaction absurd. Hanson documents some people's responses to 9-11 that will make most sick. This account speaks with clarity and resolve in addressing what the US much now do. A great read, one that is hard to put down!

Today, with all the arguments for and aghinst the war in Iraq, on the eve of the Iowa caucus where all the canidates can agree on is their lothing of the president we tend to lose sight of the horrible, and evil attack that claimed over 3,000 of our country men.

Hanson's book is critical to see that the current self-hating attiude of America liberals is far deeper rooted than the current occupition of Iarq. Hanson wrote his work in real time, as we prepared to go into Afganistan and bring to justice those that are enemies not only to America and the west but to their own people as well; the greatest killer of muslims is muslims.

Hanson hits this fact while also asking why we left Hussian in power to begin with, why we give the PLO-a terrioist organization-over $100 million a year to nation build and only see it spent aghinst Israel. While reading this, I also picked up Richard Nixon's No More Vietnams, an intreging look at how we lost a war we should have won. Although, as another reviewer pointed out, Hanson tends to simplify the middle east (a much more complete view can be found in Benerad Lewis)and is a neocon, his book shows the seperation that is forming in America between the classes in how they view America and the world.

As a senior in high school preparing to enlist, I found that Mr Hanson's view of the world is simplistic; however, it is not wrong. Who is wrong are the self proclaimed humanists like Gore Vidal who apolgize for Bin Lidan, who make excueses for murders and who condemm those that seek to bring them to justice. So, for the readers who see it now, understand that the book is a look at a segment of the American psych in 2002 and, thus, is useful to learn about our national character and the willingness of America to use force.

I'm a graduate student at Stanford University and was required to purchase and read this book in conjunction with a sociology class I'm taking. I have to say that I am PROFOUNDLY upset that I was forced to purchase this book and add to this author's royalties. It was incredibly hard to read through his essays, much of which kept repeating the same Greek tragedies of war which the author so loves to cite. I found his language pompous, bombastic, and downright racist when it came to discussing and lumping the entire "Islamic world" into a tidy ball of hatred and anti-Westernism. His privileging of Western forms of war was baffling to me--a sort of strange thing to keep pounding on in light that wars in general can be tragic. As an American I am embarrassed that books like these can circulate and find a wide audience. I wasted my time reading this book and found myself enraged at the author's lack of reflection on more global issues regarding cultures and civilizations. His premise is that the West is superior in all ways, and there is no question that everyone else is just jealous. Again, I can't state how angry I am that I have contributed to this man's coffers, be it ever in so small a way! This book is not well-balanced enough to offer a view of 9-11 and the U.S. reactions to it. If you are of the view that the U.S. should just bomb the hell out of anyone who crosses its path--total anihilation and humiliation--then by all means, read this book. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and do some thinking of your own.

Always controversial, Hanson is always worth reading, whether you go with his conservative politics or not (and one should always try to read both sides of a debate - even Tom Friedmann of the NY Times supported the war on Iraq). If you want to read a neo-conservative angle on these crucial recent events in the history of the USA, Hanson is by far the best and most historically in depth to read. Christopher Catherwood, author of CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC RAGE...