The German concentration camps of World War II, the horrors of the Vietnam war, the prolific rape and brutality during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia and the Hutu massacres of Tutsis in Rwanda. All are abhorrent violations of the laws and customs of war. Yet some of the worst abuses of this century escape this classification, as they were not actually committed during times of armed conflict. Among these are Stalin’s policy of ethnic cleansing and his destruction of the kulaks, the terror of the Khmer Rouge, and Mao’s forced collectivizations.

This book records the worst abominations in history, whether or not classified as war crimes or just acts of pure evil.