War often comes down to one thing: money. The role of economics in both peace and war is arguably the most important single factor when it comes to the study of defense. The aim of this book is to provide a critical overview of the history of economic thought on defense, peace and war from its eighteenth century origins right up to the present day. Important themes covered within the book include: *The German historical school *Classical economics and defense studies *Socialism through war or peace *Econometric analyses of military expenditures This superb book from Fanny Coulomb will be of interest not only to those involved in the burgeoning field of defense economics - it will also be of vital interest to students and academics from international relations, defense studies, philosophy and political science backgrounds.