On Killing Remotely

With advances in technology, from armor to in the Middle Ages to nerve gas in World War I to weapons of mass destruction in our own time, the rules of armed conflict have constantly evolved. Today, when killing the enemy can seem palpably risk-free and tantamount to playing a violent video game, what constitutes warfare? What is the effect of remote combat on individual soldiers? Phelps addresses these questions and many others as he explores the ethics of remote military engagement, the misconceptions about PTSD among RPA operators, and the specter of military weaponry controlled by robots. His book is a compelling reminder that it should always be difficult to kill another human being lest we risk losing what makes us human. -- adapted from jacket