Law and War: An American Story - Hardcover

[An] intriguing historical analysis. Harvard Law Review A 'must read' book for all those interested in international criminal law, war crimes, and war crime trials. Choice Outstanding... impressive... this is a terrific book. -- Michael R. Belknap, University of California, San Diego American Historical Review Perceptive. -- Peter Black, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Journal of American History

When does the waging of war become a criminal act? And who is in a position to judge? Ranging from the American Indian wars to the Civil War to World War I, and culminating with the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials following the Second World War, Peter Maguire provides much-needed historical perspective on the crucial and ever more urgent issues of war and justice. His examples illustrate the gradations of political justice and the perpetual redefinition of war crimes across three continents and more than a century of American foreign policy.