The Great Illusion

A Study of the Relation of Military Power to National Advantage

Norman Angell

Recommended By

Book Reviews

One of Peter Thiel's favorite books.

Book Synopsis

"The Great Illusion" by Norman Angell is a groundbreaking work that challenges the prevailing belief in the inevitability of war and questions the economic basis for military power.

Angell asserts that conflicts between modern nations have shifted from the pursuit of territorial gains to the protection of economic interests. He argues that war has become an uneconomic and irrational means to achieve these objectives and that nations are interconnected through trade and finance, making it futile and harmful to engage in armed conflicts.

By examining historical events and economic data, Angell highlights the interconnectedness of nations and emphasizes that aggression and conquest no longer yield economic benefits. He contends that military capabilities are increasingly becoming a financial burden, diverting resources from productive economic activities.

Angell further presents the idea that armed conflicts are detrimental to domestic prosperity, as they result in destruction and economic inefficiencies. He challenges the notion of military superiority as a reliable measure of power, asserting that economic strength and cultural influence are more significant determinants of a nation's standing in the international arena.

"The Great Illusion" provokes readers to rethink commonly-held beliefs about warfare and encourages peaceful alternatives for resolving disputes among nations. Angell's compelling arguments and evidence-based analysis make this book essential reading for those seeking a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between economics and war in the modern world.

Explore More Books

See All
Astrophysics for People In a Hurry
Guns, Sails, and Empires
At Play in the Fields of the Lord
Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field
Writing My Wrongs
Dance to the Tune of Life
Bet The Farm
The Interpretation of Dreams
The True Believer
American Prison
National Economic Planning
Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees
Memos From The Chairman
Darwin's Blind Spot
Once a Warrior
The Intel Trinity
Power Failure
Trust Me, I'm Lying
Expectations Investing
Everything All At Once
Glass
The Sun Also Rises
History of the World
Code
The Jungle Book
The Creative Society
The Most Important Thing
The Ordeal of Civility
Good Calories, Bad Calories
Awareness
A Universe From Nothing
DeMark Indicators
The Red Queen
Walter Benjamin
The Man Without a Face
Moorish Spain
End The Fed
Rational Ritual
Being You
The Blue Sweater
The Remains Of The Day
Influence
I Am Not a Tractor
The Trump Century
The Little Prince
A Magic Web
The Outsiders
On The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation
Dreamland
The Dao of Capital
The Hour Between Dog and Wolf
My Inventions
Your Dad Stole My Rake
Nixonland
Long Walk to Freedom
It's About Damn Time
A Higher Loyalty
Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll
Dream Yoga
Sam Walton
The Quest
The Knowledge
In the Company of Giants
The Enchiridion
The Creative Act
Democracy In America
Blink
Hillbilly Elegy
War
Small Is the New Big
The Language Instinct
The Snowball
Slow Horses
Anything You Want
Children of Dune
A History of the English-Speaking Peoples
Financial Derivatives
Born Standing Up
When I Say No, I Feel Guilty
Self Reliance
End of Illness
Defend The Border and Save Lives
Innovating Out of Crisis
Reamde
Burn
The Immortality Key
Joy on Demand
The New Science of Strong Materials
The Invention of Air
When The Facts Change
Shantaram
The Order of Time
Built from Scratch
#AskGaryVee
Blitzscaling
Billion Dollar Whale
100 Best-Loved Poems
Man's Search for Meaning
Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track
Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman