The two World Wars of the 20th century were unfathomably polarizing. There were those who believed war was necessary to defeat either national or global enemies, and those who believed acts of agression and war were counter to our enlightened place in history. Hermann Hesse, in If the War Goes On, is vehemently against war. In this collection of 27 essays, Hesse explores his own feelings about war and also the experiences of living through both great calamities.

Hermann Hesse’s writing won him the 1946 Nobel Prize in Literature for pieces that “exemplify the classical human ideals,” and those ideals are on display in his nonfiction. While most of the pieces are reactions to World War I, we see his vivid pacificism grow when the World War II starts thirty years later. One strange facet of the writing, however, is that he very seldomly condemns the Nazis for their actions. Much of his focus is on the larger idea of war itself and how that turns innocuous feelings of nationalism into a deadly frenzy. Hesse calls on those fighting to examine what they are doing and what that means not only for their future, but also future generations.

I rather enjoyed this collection. While the book itself is a little dated, the feelings aren’t. The translation is very crisp and tries to capture a lot of Hesse’s original energy. This is one of those books I would come back every five years or so for a bit grounding or perspective. This collection comes from a great era of anti-war writing and shouldn’t be passed up. An invigorating read. ( )

If the War Goes On . . . Reflections on War and Politics, by Hermann Hesse (28 Aug 2003) This book published in 1970 collects 28 pieces by Hesse written at various times between 1914 and 1948. Some are exceptionally telling and memorable. Hesse not only at once saw the evil of Hitler but also, in contradistinction to folk such as Thomas Mann, opposed Germany's course in 1914. The essays have been translated into lucid English and are really admirable. For instance, these words, written to his sister in 1946, recalling their childhood days: "the golden legend of our childhood is revived and once more we see before us the world that surrounded us and nurtured us, the world of our parents and ancestors, a world that both German and Christian, both Swabian and international, a world in which every soul, Christian or not, was held in equal worth..." I found this a surprisingly fine and inspiring book. ( )