Download PDF of this full issue: v46n1.pdf (21 MB)

Waging Peace

By Paul K. Chappell (reviewer)

Waging Peace: Global Adventures of a Lifelong Activist
by David Hartsough with Joyce Hollyday
(PM Press, 2014)

David Hartsough's book, "Waging Peace: Global Adventures of a Lifelong Activist," is an inspiring testament to the power of conscience and compassion. Many people see peace as an abstract concept, but Hartsough shows us how peace is a lifestyle of love and courage. In fact, Hartsough shows us over and over again that love requires courage. It is a message that we need to hear now more than ever.

"Waging Peace" is an adventure story that recounts Hartsough's journey to wage peace. This journey takes him around the world, from segregated lunch counters during the civil rights movement to conflict zones in various countries. "Waging Peace" describes the influences that shaped Hartsough as a human being, such as meeting Martin Luther King, Jr. and learning from the example of his parents. Hartsough's lifelong commitment to peace serves as an inspiration to others, including myself.

The health of our nation and planet depends on us learning to embrace the lifestyle of love and courage, and Hartsough's life's work is an example for us all. What Hartsough's life represents is not just an adventure story or a life committed to waging peace, but the direction humanity must go toward if we are going to survive as a species.

Paul K. Chappell graduated from West Point in 2002, was deployed to Iraq, and serves as Peace Leadership Director for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.