The power of the well-turned phrase to energize and sustain us has long been recognized by historians. Yet for most of us, we hear phrases or cliches throughout popular culture without the slightest idea of where they came from. Now you can discover the legend and stories behind this collection of expressions all with one common factor--they originated out of conflict and war.

WORDS OF WAR travels throughout world history to identify the unique correlation between battling nations and the lasting power of words, such as:

• Back to the wall
• No firing until you see the whites of their eyes!
• With blood and sweat and tears
• We're eyeball to eyeball
• Over the hump
• He got canned
• Blood is thicker than water