Dear Bernard, Why is war such fun? And so absorbing, and appealing and endlessly engaging? The intial question there was thrown at me recently by my girlfriend’s 7-year-old nephew, and I must admit, despite my academic learning, my grand theories, my adulthood cleverness, I was genuinely at a loss as to how to address the wonderment of this 7-year-old boy. I ducked it, and quickly brought up hurling (an Irish sport). What would you have said to him? (Give us a hint, because he’ll no doubt ask it again, the brat). Paul from Ireland