In her weekly newsletter, FT Editor Roula Khalaf highlights the significance of economic factors in shaping wars throughout history, referencing Duncan Weldon’s book, Blood and Treasure, which spans conflicts from the Vikings to Ukraine. The narrative emphasizes the interplay between economics and institutional frameworks, while also noting that human passions and agency play critical roles in warfare, as illustrated by historical figures like Putin, Hitler, and Stalin. Ultimately, Weldon argues that understanding conflicts requires attention to both economic incentives and the complexities of human behavior.