Why Leaders Fight is about those world leaders and how their beliefs, world views, and tolerance for risk and military conflict are shaped by their life experiences before they enter office - military, family, occupation, and more. Using in-depth research and the largest set of data on leader backgrounds, the authors show that - within the constraints of domestic political institutions and the international system - who ends up in office plays a critical role in determining when and why countries go to war.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

How leaders matter -- Systematically evaluating leader risk -- Leader risk across geography and time -- The experiences that matter I : military/rebel status, age, and education -- The experiences that matter II : childhood, family, and gender -- "L'état, c'est moi" : or is it?