Human Smoke

War is Peace

By ARVIN TEMKAR

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World War II—not the sparkling backdrop for a juicy love triangle between Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale. Nicholson Baker, in his latest book Human Smoke, dispels American glamorization of the "good" war and challenges textbook history in an episodic look at the players who brought the world to war, and the pacifists who fought to prevent it.

Human Smoke, a carefully documented work of nonfiction by the bestselling author of The Mezzanine and Checkpoint, demonstrates that, in the words of reviewer Mark Kurlansky, "World War II was one of the biggest, most carefully plotted lies in modern history." The war was not necessarily fought to save the Jews. Churchill was not necessarily motivated by pure good-willed anti-facism. The book "may be the most compelling argument for peace ever assembled," says journalist and author Simon Winchester.

Tuesday the author will be at Brookline Booksmith to talk about "Human Smoke, "and—maybe—how much Pearl Harbor sucked.

Nicholson Baker

Tue 3.18

Brookline Booksmith

279 Harvard St.

Brookline

617.566.6660

7 PM/Free

Brookline Booksmith.com