This work investigates the causal mechanisms linking the presence of valuable natural resources to the initiation, financing, and persistence of armed conflicts in developing nations. Philippe Le Billon, a scholar specializing in the political economy of war, synthesizes extensive case study data to argue that resource wealth acts as both a catalyst for tension and a primary funding source for belligerents. The book establishes a framework for understanding how resource dependence undermines governance and complicates international intervention efforts.

Experts in international relations and development studies frequently cite this text as a foundational analysis of the resource curse in conflict zones. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous, evidence-based examination of the intersection between global markets and local violence.