Download or read book The Verdict of Battle written by James Q. Whitman and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2012-10-22 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Slaughter in battle was once seen as a legitimate way to settle disputes. When pitched battles ceased to exist, the law of victory gave way to the rule of unbridled force. Whitman explains why ritualized violence was more effective in ending carnage, and why humanitarian laws that view war as evil have led to longer, more barbaric conflicts.