Civil Wars

Description

In Civil Wars, Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Germany's most astute literary and political critic, chronicles the global changes taking place as the result of evolving notions of nationalism, loyalty, and community. Enzensberger sees similar forces at work around the world, from America's racial uprisings in Los Angeles to the outright carnage in the former Yugoslavia. He argues that previous approaches to class or generational conflict have failed us, and that we are now confronted with an "autism of violence": a tendency toward self-destruction and collective madness.

Hans Magnus Enzensberger was born in Bavaria in 1929. One of the leading social critics in Germany, his essays have appeared in a wide range of journals. He is the author of Civil Wars: From L.A. to Bosnia, Europe, The Consciousness Industry, Political Crumbs, Politics and Crime, and, most recently, The Number Devil. He lives in Munich, Germany

"Always clear, never reliant upon jargon, able to convey complex ideas without obfuscation, [Enzensberger's] prose and poetry are the witty, no-nonsense vehicle of a preeminent public intellectual." -The Boston Phoenix "Brilliant. . . . A bracing polemic against the pretensions of Western politicians and intellectuals." -The Nation "Enzensberger moves inventively from philosophical contemplation . . . to biting commentary. . . . [His] distinctive melange of despairing cynicism and shrewd irony makes us pay attention." -The Toronto Globe and Mail "Thoughtful and highly nuanced insights on the changes taking place since the end of Communism." -The New York Times Book Review