My first experience in a conflict zone was in western Côte d'Ivoire in August 2003. I was traveling with Malayee Cheyard, a Liberian refugee I met during an internship in Ghana. Malayee was searching for his mother and siblings, whom he hadn't seen in thirteen years, and I, a college student,wanted to gain experience.We rode public buses for two days and crossed dozens of military roadblocks to reach the Nicla refugee camp, 450km northwest of Abidjan.

The Liberians referred to the camp as “Peace Town,” but the name was more hopeful than descriptive. Only a few miles from the fighting in Liberia, the camp received hundreds of new refugees each day and served as a base of operations for Liberia's MODEL rebels. The camp was also on the frontline of Côte d'Ivoire's civil war. The refugees lived in fear of forced conscription and sporadic attacks by the multitude of armed groups in the area. But despite the political turmoil, life carried on for the Liberians in the camp and for the Ivorians outside it. People bought and sold goods in the local market.Men gathered to watch European football matches broadcast live via satellite.

This experience challenged my preconceived notions of conflict. Rather than chaotic violence, I realized that security – or the lack of security – is the defining feature of civil war for civilians. While civilians in some conflicts are able to remain in their communities and continue their livelihoods, civilians in other conflicts, facing an acute risk of looting and abuse, are forced to flee their homes for the shelter of a refugee camp. Fighting and killing, while tragic and undoubtedly significant, are only a small part of the conflict experience.

These insights led me to consider two puzzles, which are the focus of the book. First, why do some rebel groups provide security and promote local production, while others loot and prey on the population? And second, why do some rebel groups break into competing, violent factions, while others remain unified? These puzzles stayed with me over the following years as I worked in the conflict areas of Sri Lanka, DR Congo, and Somalia,witnessed electoral violence in Zanzibar, and made extended trips to Liberia.