Season 4, Episode 7: Richard Overy, Why War?

Send us Fan Mail Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and historian, Professor Richard Overy for an insightful conversation on one of humanity’s most unsettling questions: Why do we wage war? In his book, Why War? Overy takes us on a journey across time, from the ancient battlefields of the Roman Empire to the devastation of the World Wars and the conflicts shaping our present. Together, they examine what drives organized violence? Is it hardwired into human nature, or does it stem from competition for resources, power, and security? Drawing on psychology, history, and political strategy, Overy dissects the deep-rooted forces behind war— confronting the stark realities of conflict and examining whether war is an inescapable part of our past—or an unavoidable part of our future. This episode doesn’t shy away from the hard truths—there are no easy answers, and Overy delivers no false hope. The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy , the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org . Footnotes: Why Do Humans Make War? Statecraft Yugoslav Wars Aristotelianism Barbarian Proxy War Peloponnesian Wars Thucydides Jihad Israeli - Palestinian Conflict Nuremberg Trials Hermann Goering Demagogue of Athens Britain Mercantile State New Imperialism Hobbes Social Contract Munich Agreement ⭐️ Thanks for listening to Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs ! 📚 Join the conversation and go deeper into the ideas shaping our world. ➡️ Watch the conversation on YouTube ➡️

You can listen to Season 4, Episode 7: Richard Overy, Why War? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Season 4, Episode 7: Richard Overy, Why War? is an episode from Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs by Jeffrey Sachs.

This episode is 51:34 long.

This episode was published on Mar 4, 2025.

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