Book Club--How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them

How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them, by Barbara F. Walter, 2022, 320 pages

Political violence rips apart several towns in southwest Texas. A far-right militia plots to kidnap the governor of Michigan and try her for treason. An armed mob of Trump supporters and conspiracy theorists storms the U.S. Capitol. Are these isolated incidents? Or is this the start of something bigger? Barbara F. Walter has spent her career studying civil conflict in places like Iraq and Sri Lanka, but now she has become increasingly worried about her own country.

Drawing on the latest international research and lessons from over twenty countries, Walter identifies the crucial risk factors, from democratic backsliding to factionalization and the politics of resentment. A civil war today won’t look like America in the 1860s, Russia in the 1920s, or Spain in the 1930s. It will begin with sporadic acts of violence and terror, accelerated by social media. It will sneak up on us and leave us wondering how we could have been so blind.

In this urgent and insightful book, Walter redefines civil war for a new age, providing the framework we need to confront the danger we now face—and the knowledge to stop it before it’s too late.

About CPL Book Club:
This monthly gathering's mission is simple: to explore profound opinions and accounts of our nation’s and the world’s most critical issues through in-depth books. But it’s not just about reading - it’s about embracing diverse perspectives, sparking discussions, and sharing thoughts with fellow explorers of knowledge.
What you’ll get out of book club: our hope is for you to dare to dive deep, analyzing topics and navigating the twists and turns of politics together. If you share a passion for continuous learning and want to explore the intricacies of our world’s challenges, then this club is your intellectual haven (or entry) into finding out more.

How It Works:

• Members will propose books by adding them to this list.

Where To Find the Books:
We promise that all the books we will discuss will be available online, in bookstores and in most cases, in your local library. Most will be available in hardcopy, audiobook, and e-book. Please consider borrowing the books from your local library. If you find purchasing new copies of the books beyond your budget, we encourage you to look for used copies, which you are likely to find online at Powell’s Bookstore, ThriftBooks, or on Amazon (listed below the hardcover or paperback prices).

Please do your best to arrive at the beginning of the meeting – once we are in breakout rooms and the conversations have started, the meeting doors close to new arrivals. The breakout rooms open (and the doors close) approximately 15 minutes after the hour.
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