Ethics, Killing and War By Richard Norman Cambridge University Press, 1995

In this book Richard Norman is primarily concerned with exploring the 'dilemmas of war and peace' - and in particular the question of whether war can ever be justified - yet the book also addresses issues about the nature and scope of moral reasoning, the distinction between killing and letting die, the morality of killing in self-defence, as well as a number of other central issues in moral theory. It is a work which operates on a number of different levels: Norman develops original ideas and provides a clear introduction to an important topic in applied ethics. It is a testament to Norman's abilities as both a writer and philosopher that he is able to juggle these various aims and produce a coherent, eminently readably and philosophically engaging piece of work.