Paying the Human Costs of War: American Public Opinion and Casualties in Military Conflicts

Gelpi and Feaver, and Reifler have produced a most fascinating volume on the human costs of waging war. They set out to understand under what conditions Americans would support their leaders' decision to use military force... Well researched and thoughtfully written. Choice Policy makers would be wise to heed the authors' findings regarding how to gain public trust and support when contemplating the future use of military power in achieving national objectives. For the citizenry, however, a warning also emerges: national leaders may attempt to keep a sinking policy ship afloat by remaining publically optimistic even when nothing can be done to save it. -- Walter E. Kretchik Military History [T]he book is straightforward, well organized and a pleasure to read. -- Thomas C. Shaw American Review of Politics One measure of a book's quality is whether it generates questions for future research, and this one certainly fits the bill. -- Jennifer L. Merolla Perspectives on Politics [T]his is a well-thought-out, well-organized and well-written book. In particular, the concluding summaries at the end of each chapter provide excellent reviews and syntheses of the arguments. The authors have posed many questions that should open new horizons for scholars and policy makers. -- Cigdem Pakel Atahan Journal of American Studies of Turkey