In On War: Exploring Why and How We Fight, war correspondent Stephen J. Thorne delves into what has been described as humankind’s greatest failure. Drawing on historical sources, accounts from veterans and his own experiences as a wire service reporter and photographer overseas, he explores conflict and war from multiple perspectives: how war is viewed from afar versus how it is up-close-and-personal; front-line myths and manipulations; backroom censorship and message control; the unique circumstances that cement lifetime bonds between brothers- and sisters-in-arms; the bitterness, sweetness, tragedies and triumphs of this most confounding element of the human condition.
A native of Halifax, Thorne has been producing award-winning words and pictures for 40-plus years. He has reported extensively from war and conflict zones in South Africa, Kosovo and Afghanistan. He is currently senior staff writer for Legion Magazine, Canada’s most-read journal of military history. This is his first book.