ABSTRACT
By the close of the sixteenth century, Machiavelli's Art of War had been published in twenty editions and in many languages. In its very historicity, the Art of War was the prototype of the modern Western conception of war, a profession and an activity that had higher moral purposes of national integration and prosperity, but an activity rooted in the largely amoral purpose of gaining domination and advantage. The thesis articulated by Aron on The Imperial Republic should be understood with reference to the sub-title of his book by that name: "The United States and the World." A good deal of Sharansky's The Case for Democracy is a balanced narrative integrating his personal experiences in Soviet prison camps, and his general understanding of the distinction between a free society and a fear society. Many of the images in The Signature of Power relate to military installations, courthouses, and maximum-security prisons.
