For those who wonder whether all the effort that goes into political science really yields much benefit, Mason and Mitchell provide some reassurance by bringing together leading experts on civil wars for a substantial stock-taking exercise. Because wars within states are so much more common than wars between states, there is a rich amount of material available on their origins, incidence, duration, and effects. One can always doubt whether scholars can actually generate meaningful theories by comparing disparate cases, but this book shows how a combination of methodologies allows analysts to identify and explore a number of important issues, including the role of ethnicity, the importance of state capacity (or lack thereof), and the problems of bringing civil wars to definitive conclusions.

Foreign Affairs

This outstanding collection of essays enlightens the reader about the onset, duration, and outcome of civil wars that plague the global community, resulting in massive casualties and destruction. Today, it is Syria; tomorrow it will be somewhere else. Mason and Mitchell have assembled contributions from many of the best scholars in the study of civil wars. Every chapter contains a wealth of up-to-date insights about one of the greatest challenges to global peace.

Todd Sandler, Chair Emeritus, University of Texas at Dallas

Students of conflict processes must, of necessity, cross analytical boundaries between inter-state and intra-state conflict, uncovering their interrelationships, commonalities, and differences. In What Do We Know about Civil Wars? T. David Mason and Sara McLaughlin Mitchell admirably address these tasks by bringing together top-notch scholars doing cutting-edge research on the onset, dynamics, and outcomes of civil wars. This is a must-have book for all who are concerned with conflict in the contemporary global system.

Harvey Starr, emeritus, University of South Carolina

With stimulating essays that address why, how, and where civil wars break out, how long they last, why they end, and whether they recur, this book is a valuable resource for students, instructors, and researchers alike. Suitable for both advanced undergraduate and graduate courses, the volume not only covers existing theory and evidence, but highlights directions where further research is needed.

Will H. Moore, Arizona State University