Do boycotts work? Should arms sales be halted? And what about supplying weapons to the so-called "good guys"? In How Wars End , international conflict expert Jan van Aken explores what it really takes to achieve peace in an age of escalating global violence. In 2003, van Aken was preparing to travel to Baghdad as a UN weapons inspector to search for biological weapons--until he received a message: the United States was determined to invade Iraq in retaliation for 9/11, inspections or not. The invasion went ahead, and years later the truth emerged--Iraq had no biological weapons at all. Drawing on decades of firsthand experience as a weapons inspector, conflict analyst, politician, and activist, van Aken examines why wars start, how they spiral out of control, and what can actually bring them to an end. From disinformation campaigns and chemical weapons to sanctions, diplomacy, and citizen-led peace movements, he investigates both the failures and the successes of global conflict resolution. Blending compelling personal stories with the latest research in peace and conflict studies, How Wars End takes readers from Northern Ireland and Serbia to South Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, and Israel-Palestine, revealing evidence-based strategies to move from violent conflict to ceasefire--and from ceasefire to lasting peace. Translated by Jo Heinrich .