The Middle East is a crust floating on a gigantic pool of oil. Is this why the region is racked by war? The question has been chewed over again and again, notably by Harvard’s Samuel P. Huntington, who argued in 1993 that war was a clash of cultures, not a struggle for resources. In Blood and Oil (Penguin, £7.99), Michael Klare sets out to show that war and resources are inextricably linked – and succeeds. Unless we control our use of energy, he warns, demand for oil will lead to more wars.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Life
Darwin proved right about gnat-trapping carnivorous plant
News
Humans
We’re beginning to understand the sudden ‘grief attacks’ that hit mourners
Features
Comment
The best new popular science books of August 2026
Culture
Environment
Canadian wildfires are reducing solar power generation in Europe
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles