First published by McSweeney's in November 2003, it was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

A single-volume condensed version was published at the end of the year by Ecco Press, an abridgment Vollmann explained by saying, "I did it for the money.

The seven-volume edition is divided between essays analyzing the actions and motivations of historical figures (including Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, John Brown, Robespierre, Cortés, Trotsky, Stalin, and Gandhi) and pieces of journalism and reportage that act as contemporary "case studies" on the problem of violence.

The first volume of the set is given over to the "Moral Calculus", Vollmann's attempt to outline rules for when and where violence is justified.

It is notable for its inclusion of much of Vollmann's reportage and journalism, containing the full versions of many pieces originally commissioned for Harper's, Esquire, and other magazines.