Thought it simmers ceaselessly beneath the surface of society, violence is, for the most part, held in check by conscience and will, laws and social conventions.  Even in war, it is constrained by some extent by human rights treaties, codes of honor, and traditional rules of engagement.  Every once and a while, however, it erupts uncontrollably, unleashing atrocities that are almost beyond our comprehension.

 

The World's Bloodiest History : Massacre, Genocide and the Scars They Left on Civilization, recounts some of the most horrifying episodes of the past, from ancient times to our own, in searing detail, while rigorously investigating their causes and their consequences.