Publisher's Synopsis
This unique collection explores, not only the formal constraints on the conduct of war throughout Western history, but also the unwritten conventions about what is permissible in the course of military operations. Special documents, seldom published together, are reproduced in the book. Ranging from classical antiquity to the present, the book discusses the legal and cultural regulation of violence in such areas as belligerent rights, the treatment of prisoners/civilians, the observing of truces and immunities, the use of particular weapons, siege warfare, codes of honor, and war crimes. The various documents make the book a perfect reference tool for diplomats, members of the armed forces, humanitarian organizations, lawyers, journalists, and students of international law/international relations.
