This is an excellent book. James Turner Johnson's unique knowledge of the historical and cultural dimensions of just war tradition yields great insight into the debate regarding the campaign of the U.S. and its allies' efforts to depose the government of Saddam Hussein.

Dr. John Kelsay, Florida State University

James Turner Johnson, our foremost historian of the just war tradition, brings his historic acumen and analytic incisiveness to bear on the war against the regime of Saddam Hussein. The no-nonsense clarity and pull-no-punches approach we have come to expect from Johnson are on display in abundance. He cuts through much of the flabbiness attendant upon this debate to get to the heart of the matter.

Jean Bethke Elshtain, The Laura Spelman Rockeller Professor of Social and Political Ethics, University of Chicago; author of Just War Against Terror

Learned, judicious, self-critical, and fair, James Turner Johnson is our wisest guide through the thickets of the just war tradition. By demonstrating how ancient moral wisdom can be developed and applied to dramatically new circumstances, Johnson makes an indispensable contribution to the 21st century quest for peace, security, and freedom.

George Weigel