Mass murder, ethnic cleansing, genocide, hatred and rage: all these have taken on new meaning for Americans after the horrors of September 11th 2001. But that infamous day was not one on which the world changed. Rather, it was the day that the USA joined the rest of the world in a struggle far older than most Americans realize. Suddenly, remote spots like Bosnia or Kosovo have become easier to understand, places that have faced death and destruction for centuries. This text explores much of the background to the strife that the globe faces. In particular, Christopher Catherwood shows how religion and national pride, which are supposed to be positive forces, can become perverted ideologies that arouse hatred, slaughter and war. Religion has often been ignored as a vital component in understanding the awakened forces of nationalism. Catherwood not only seeks to correct that imbalance but to empower the reader to comprehend our troubled world. If we understand our history and experiences, and the ways in which they can be manipulated for evil ends, then we are much better placed to solve the problems that grow from them in the present.