40 years ago I read the book Homo insipiens by a Brisbane author named Nye. (H. insipiens = man the fool cf. H.sapiens = man the wise).
In any event, the main thrust of the book was the changing nature of warfare devised by man, and what really hit me was the fact (figures given) that the civilian component of people killed in war on a percentage dead basis was increasing with every war of the 19/20th centuries (possibly earlier ones too - I can't recall).
At the time of publication, the US involvement in Vietnam had just begun, but I recall the French/Vietnamese war was included, as were Korea, Malaysia, WWll, WWl, Spanish Civil, and numerous others I've forgotten. The civilian % of deaths was simply rising each war after war after war.
