This book examines spontaneous and organised mass cruelty in this conduct of war, revolution and military occupation. It does this historically - covering the period from classical times to the twentieth century - and comparatively. It seeks to relate the criteria whereby humans make and have made moral judgements to particular sets of circumstances. This is done in a series of case studies, some familiar, many not. It is not preoccupied with the minutiae of specific atrocites but is concerned to achieve depth of analysis by examination of the theme in many social contexts.