THE DEVIL'S GARDENS: A History of Landmines

Based on a television series of the same name produced and directed by the authors, this book provides a clear account of the invention and proliferation of landmines, "a global humanitarian crisis." Secondary-source–based accounts of the comprehensive deployment of mines in the two world wars leads into discussions of Korea and Vietnam, where a wealth of primary source material kicks in on the continuing horrors of mined fields in Southeast Asia. Chapters on Africa, the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan are no less disturbing, showing how regional conflicts can escalate severely and interminably once mines are involved. Mines can also be used as a psychological and economic weapon—in Mozambique, people were told there were mines where there really were none. While the book includes b&w photos of mine types and victims, none are graphic, as the myriad injuries and deaths caused by mines—often to children—have been well-documented elsewhere. The economics of de-mining are explained clearly, as is the necessity of global action, undertaken by such groups as Adopt-a-Minefield, which counts Sir Paul McCartney among its members. As he notes in his back-cover blurb: "It is not brave to leave mines when war is over and I want to see the world rid of these terrible weapons." While the book does not linger over the narratives of individual victims, it may help inspire the same feeling in others. (Dec.)