One of René Girard's final major works, Battling to the End extends his theory of mimetic desire into the history of war, political violence and the future of Europe.

Structured as a series of conversations with Benoît Chantre, the book revolves around Carl von Clausewitz's On War, arguing that modern conflict has escaped the political limits Clausewitz described and now tends toward reciprocal escalation without end. From Napoleon and Hegel to Hölderlin, Christianity and the French-German rivalry, Girard reads European intellectual history as an unfolding meditation on violence and imitation.

Published in English by Michigan State University Press, this volume is among Girard's most ambitious and interdisciplinary books, moving effortlessly between philosophy, theology, military history, literature and anthropology. Rather than offering military strategy, it asks how rivalry reproduces itself across cultures and institutions, and why modern societies remain trapped in cycles of reciprocal conflict. Essential reading for anyone interested in Girard's later work or the intersection of political theory, religion and continental philosophy.

2010 Michigan State University Press paperback. Clean, bright copy with light shelf wear and a tight, uncreased binding. Excellent condition.