Richard Hobbs examines one of society's greatest problems: the need for reconciliation between the democratic dislike of war and the appropriate use of the military instrument in world politics. He questions whether the results obtained in war are worth the expenditures made and contends that victory gained from total war is illusory.

Richard Hobbs has combined more than twenty years of active military service with careers as author and professor. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1977 and is now vice-president of Teledyne International Marketing.

Foreword -- Preface -- Introduction -- Total War -- Victory in Past Wars -- The War To End Wars -- Total War -- Strategie Bombing -- Psychological Warfare -- Unconditional Surrender -- The Policy of Unconditional Surrender -- Unconditional Surrender in Action -- The Results -- Victory in the Nuclear Age -- Spectrum of Conflict -- Stalemate in Korea -- Cold War -- Viet-Nam: Indochina II -- Concepts of Victory -- War and Victory -- Is War the Solution? -- Total Victory -- Victory in War -- Positions of Selected American Officials -- Army Intelligence Division Study Opposing Soviet Entry in Pacific War