This book critically reassesses the foundational Correlates of War (COW) project and its impact on understanding global conflict. Paul F. Diehl, a specialist in international conflict analysis, has gathered leading scholars to re-examine the COW project's key ideas. The book evaluates these concepts in light of subsequent world events and advancements in the field, offering a retrospective analysis of J. David Singer's influential empirical data gathering on the causes of war. It aims to reintroduce Singer's significant and still-debated findings to contemporary students and specialists in international relations.

This collection of essays offers a critical retrospective on the seminal Correlates of War project, re-examining its core ideas through the lens of contemporary scholarship and historical events. The contributors, all leading specialists in international conflict analysis, provide a nuanced re-evaluation of J. David Singer's foundational work. The book is structured to reintroduce Singer's influential findings to a new generation of students and scholars, fostering continued debate on the causes and nature of global conflict. Its critical approach ensures that the legacy of the COW project is assessed with both historical context and current relevance.