Girard's "Battling to the End" is a challenging book that claims the possibility of an end of the world caused by human beings through war, terrorism or environmental disaster. At its center we can find the danger of an escalation of violence as it was addressed by Clausewitz in his book "On War". Even if this apocalyptic view worries its analytical potential should not be yielded to fundamentalists. The authors of this collection of essays follow Girard through European history, filling (...) out some of his approximate sketches, sheding light on some obscure parts and marking inconsequences in the unfolding of his approach. A critical reading of "Battling to the End" will contribute to a better understanding of the modern European history and of the dangerous crises in our contemporary world. (shrink)