Comparative politics Books

Book SynopsisJohan Norberg is a historian, lecturer and commentator. He is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute in Washington DC and his books have been translated into forty languages. His books include The Capitalist Manifesto, the international bestseller Progress and Open, which was an Economist book of the year. Norberg regularly writes for publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Reason and HuffPost.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAnyone who is concerned about the future of democracy should read this brisk, accessible book. Anyone who is not concerned should definitely read it. -- Daron Acemoglu, co-author of Why Nations FailHow Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt is a useful primer on the importance of norms, institutional restraints and civic participation in maintaining a democracy - and how quickly those things can erode when we're not paying attention * President Barack Obama *With great energy and integrity [Levitsky and Ziblatt] apply their expertise to the current problems of the United States. -- Timothy Snyder, author of On TyrannyWe owe the authors a debt of thanks for bringing their deep understanding to bear on the central political issue of the day. -- Francis Fukuyama, author of Political Order and Political DecayWhat's the worst thing to happen to US democracy recently? Most answers to that question start and end with Donald Trump. Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, though as horrified by Trump as anyone, try to take a wider view. This book looks to history to provide a guide for defending democratic norms when they are under threat, and finds that it is possible to fight back. Provocative and readable. -- David Runciman * The Guardian *There are two must-read books about the Trump presidency at the moment. This is the one you probably haven't heard of. It is also the one that is most useful to British readers. Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt are anti-Donald Trump politics professors at Harvard. And the big advantage of political scientists over even the shrewdest and luckiest of eavesdropping journalists is that they have the training to give us a bigger picture.They set out some rules about the slow, internal collapse of democracies, which are entirely relevant to Britain... * The Times *The greatest of the many merits of Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt's contribution to what will doubtless be the ballooning discipline of democracy death studies is their rejection of western exceptionalism. They tell inspiring stories I had not heard before...excellent, scholarly and readable, alarming and level-headed. * The Guardian *The political-science text in vogue this winter is How Democracies Die. * The New Yorker *[An] important new book. * New York Times *Levitsky and Ziblatt show how democracies have collapsed elsewhere-not just through violent coups, but more commonly (and insidiously) through a gradual slide into authoritarianism.... How Democracies Die is a lucid and essential guide to what can happen here. * New York Times *We're already awash in public indignation-what we desperately need is a sober, dispassionate look at the current state of affairs. Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, two of the most respected scholars in the field of democracy studies, offer just that. * The Washington Post *Grander, more didactic ambitions underpin "How Democracies Die" ... a more scholarly approach * The Economist *The most thought-provoking book comparing democratic crises in different nations * New York Review of Books *The most important book of the Trump era was not Bob Woodward's Fear or Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury or any of the other bestselling exposés of the White House circus. Arguably it was a wonkish tome by two Harvard political scientists, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, published a year into Donald Trump's presidency and entitled How Democracies Die * The Economist *

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Book Synopsis''This is a marvellous football book, although it is much more than that.'' The Times''More Than A Shirt shows why geopolitics keeps invading the pitch.'' The Economist''Extensively researched and wonderfully written, Joey''s book deserves to be read by all'' Martin O''Neill''Intelligent, thoughtful and brilliant'' Chris Mason______________________________Twenty-Two Football Shirts that explain the world, geopolitics and the biggest stories of our timeFootball is the world''s most popular sport, and the shirts worn by teams and their supporters are its greatest means of cultural expression. Every year clubs launch new kits with increasingly extravagant marketing campaigns and convoluted explanations of how their designs reflect their history and local community. But football shirts are much more than just a symbol of which club we support. A seemingly innocuous combination of colours, sponsor logos and materials can all reflect the social values, financial struggles and political ideologies of the day, as geopolitical issues increasingly seep into every aspect of the game. Investigative journalist Joey D''Urso has travelled across the globe, combining on-the-ground reporting with unparalleled analysis to collate a list of the twenty-two football shirts that best explain the modern world.? More Than A Shirt?will take fans on a journey from Birmingham to Belgrade and onto Medellin and Mumbai, outlining how we can see the war in Ukraine in the shirt of Schalke in Germany or China''s foreign policy in West Bromwich Albion''s; how the shirts of state-owned clubs are used for sportswashing; and why the French national kit embodies worldwide migration patterns. A compelling and eye-opening exploration, More Than A Shirt?is essential reading for any football fan and will change the way you think about the beautiful game''s most universal symbol.______________________________''Thoroughly resourceful and revealing'' Jon Spurling, FourFourTwo''Colourful... a treat for anyone interested in football and politics'' Patrick Maguire, The Times''Original and innovative... a Parts Unknown for the game'' Miguel Delaney, Independent''Smart, warm and original'' Matt Chorley, BBC Radio 5 Live

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Book Synopsis''Riveting; as fresh and relevant today as it was almost 50 years ago. The words fire off the page with humour, anger and eloquence'' GuardianA powerful and commanding account of the life of trailblazing political activist Angela DavisEdited by Toni Morrison and first published in 1974, An Autobiography is a classic of the Black Liberation era which resonates just as powerfully today. It is reissued now with a new introduction by Davis, for a new audience inspired and galvanised by her ongoing activism and her extraordinary example.In the book, she describes her journey from a childhood on Dynamite Hill in Birmingham, Alabama, to one of the most significant political trials of the century: from her political activity in a New York high school to her work with the U.S. Communist Party, the Black Panther Party, and the Soledad Brothers; and from the faculty of the Philosophy Department at UCLA to the FBI''s list of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.Told with warmth, brilliance, humour, and conviction, it is an unforgettable account of a life committed to radical change.Trade ReviewThere are books you should read, books that you will enjoy reading, and books that will educate you. Rarely does one book do all three. The Autobiography of Angela Y. Davis is one of those books -- Marcus Ryder[A] rare book that even almost 50 years later feels timely and relevant. Maybe too relevant, considering how little has changed in the interim * Los Angeles Times *She has eyes in the back of our head. With her we can survive and resist -- John BergerDavis's arguments for justice are formidable. . . The power of her historical insights and the sweetness of her dream cannot be denied * The New York Times *Angela Davis has stood her ground on every issue important to the health of our people and the planet. It is impossible to read her words or hear her voice and not be moved to comprehension and gratitude for our incredible luck in having her with us -- Alice Walker

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Book SynopsisIn World Order, Henry Kissinger - one of the leading practitioners of world diplomacy and author of On China - makes his monumental investigation into the ''tectonic plates'' of global history and state relations.World Order is the summation of Henry Kissinger''s thinking about history, strategy and statecraft. As if taking a perspective from far above the globe, it examines the great tectonic plates of history and the motivations of nations, explaining the attitudes that states and empires have taken to the rest of the world from the formation of Europe to our own times.Kissinger identifies four great ''world orders'' in history - the European, Islamic, Chinese and American. Since the end of Charlemagne''s empire, and especially since the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, Europeans have striven for balance in international affairs, first in their own continent and then globally. Islamic states have looked to their destined expansion over regions populated by unbelievers, a position exemplified today by Iran under the ayatollahs. For over 2000 years the Chinese have seen ''all under Heaven'' as being tributary to the Chinese Emperor. America views itself as a ''city on a hill'', a beacon to the world, whose values have universal validity. How have these attitudes evolved and how have they shaped the histories of their nations, regions, and the rest of the world? What has happened when they have come into contact with each other? How have they balanced legitimacy and power at different times? What is the condition of each in our contemporary world, and how are they shaping relations between states now?To answer these questions Henry Kissinger draws upon a lifetime''s historical study and unmatched experience as a world statesman. His account is shot through with observations about how historical change takes place, how some leaders shape their times and others fail to do so, and how far states can stray from the ideas which define them. World Order is a masterpiece of narrative, analysis and portraits of great historical actors that only Henry Kissinger could have written.Trade ReviewHenry Kissinger ... still has remarkable influence. Reading this book, you can see why ... the wit, clarity and concision of his chapters on Europe, America and jihadism are bracing * Economist *Part history, part lecture, part memoir ... Kissinger's conclusion deserves to be read and understood by all candidates ahead of the 2016 presidential election. World order depends on it -- Lionel Barber * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisFrom the internationally bestselling author of The Silk Roads: everything you need to know about the present and future of the world ‘Masterly mapping out of a new world order’ Evening Standard 'Frankopan is a brilliant guide to terra incognita' The Times Peter Frankopan's highly anticipated follow-up to the 'Book of the Decade', The New Silk Roads takes a fresh look at the network of relationships being formed along the length and breadth of the Silk Roads today. The world is changing dramatically and in an age of Brexit and Trump, the themes of isolation and fragmentation permeating the western world stand in sharp contrast to events along the Silk Roads, where ties have been strengthened and mutual cooperation established. Following the Silk Roads eastwards from Europe through to China, by way of Russia and the Middle East, The New Silk Roads provides a timely reminder that we live in a world that is profoundly interconnected. In this prescient contemporary history, Peter Frankopan assesses the global reverberations of these continual shifts in the centre of power – all too often absent from headlines in the west. This important – and ultimately hopeful – book asks us to reread who we are and where we are in the world, illuminating the themes on which all our lives and livelihoods depend.Trade ReviewMasterly mapping out of a new world order . . . Peter Frankopan has gone up in the world since his bestselling Silk Roads history was published to great acclaim in 2015 – and deservedly so -- Justin Marozzi * Evening Standard *I enjoyed The New Silk Roads. I learnt a great deal about recent developments in Central Asia and elsewhere. Frankopan is a brilliant guide to terra incognita -- Niall Ferguson * Sunday Times *The book is diverting, eclectic and has serious intent. Its thesis that Eurasia is developing a sense of cohesion, largely powered by China’s restless ambition, is a sound one -- Roger Boyes * The Times *Absorbing . . . One of the slightly dizzying effects of reading this book is realising the sheer amount of change that has taken place globally in just three years * Irish Times *Peter Frankopan has written as prescient a modern history as possible . . . Frankopan’s skill is that he able to step back a few more paces from the world map and global events than most modern commentators, whilst encouraging us to use history as a way of looking forward than regressing into the past -- Total PoliticsIf you are only going to read one non-fiction book in the coming year, let it be The New Silk Roads by Dr Frankopan . . . This book has all the answers and some more * News on Sunday Pakistan *Entertaining . . . Peter Frankopan has a sharp eye for startling facts, and no reader will leave The New Silk Roads with her sense of the state of the world unchanged -- Richard Drayton * Times Literary Supplement *Frankopan has written another valuable and idiosyncratic book. He has the gift of perspective – the capacity to see the wood for the trees – which he combines with a Tolstoyan knack for weaving little details into the broader sweep of human affairs * Daily Telegraph *Peter Frankopan’s surprise 2015 bestseller The Silk Roads was a gripping world history that centred on the east. His follow-up The New Silk Roads takes the story right up to the present, as a resurgent China seeks to recreate the old trade routes -- Books of the Year * Prospect *A stimulating primer on modern geopolitics, written with a historian’s eye for colour and detail * Daily Telegraph *Superb -- Amol Rajan * BBC *An entertaining and carefully researched account of a new Chinese chapter in global history, and one where it finally makes sense to see Eurasia, with Europe at one end and China at the other, as a single connected whole * Spectator *Filled with an avalanche of remarkable facts . . . Peter Frankopan is on a mission to show that the world is no longer all about Europe and the West * Het Financieele Dagblad NL *

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Book SynopsisKey content coverage is combined with practical tips to create a revision guide that students can rely on to review, strengthen and test their knowledge.With My Revision Notes every student can:- Plan and manage a successful revision programme using the topic-by-topic planner- Enjoy an interactive approach to revision, with clear topic summaries that consolidate knowledge and related activities that put the content into context- Build, practise and enhance exam skills by progressing through revision tasks and Test Yourself activities- Improve exam technique through exam-style questions and sample answers with commentary from expert authors and teachers- Get exam ready with extra quick quizzes and answers to the activities available online

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Book SynopsisWe live in a golden age of fictional television, while our politics has never been so controversial. This book explores that relationship, asking what it is that some of America’s most popular TV shows have to say about its politics. Perhaps, like the author, you have gasped at Game of Thrones and balked at Breaking Bad. This book illustrates how, far from being outside of politics, shows such as these are deeply political, helping to fill our world with meaning. To this end, the book analyses Game of Thrones, House of Cards, The West Wing, Homeland, 24, Veep, The Wire, The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. These are all politically consequential shows that shape how we feel and think about world politics.Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsList of abbreviationsIntroductionPart I: Watching television1 America and the screen2 Screening America under Bush, Obama, and Trump3 Drawing lines: world politics and popular culture4 Analysing fictional television Part II: Politics and television5 World politics as realpolitik (in House of Cards and Game of Thrones)6 Constructing counter-terrorism (in Homeland, 24, and The West Wing)7 Imagining the president (in The West Wing, 24, and Veep)Part III: Television and our political world8 Ethics and inequality (in The Wire)9 Being human in a world of zombies (in The Walking Dead)10 The personal is political (in Breaking Bad)ConclusionBibliographyIndex

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Book Synopsis''The standard book on anarchism for the twenty-first century. Written with brio, quiet insight and clarity'' Carl LevyA magisterial study of the history and theory of one of the most controversial political movementsAnarchism routinely gets a bad press. It''s usually seen as meaning chaos and disorder -- or even nothing at all. And yet, from Occupy Wall Street to Pussy Riot, Noam Chomsky to David Graeber, this philosophical and political movement is as relevant as ever. Contrary to popular perception, different strands of anarchism -- from individualism to collectivism -- do follow certain structures and a shared sense of purpose: a belief in freedom and working towards collective good without the interference of the state. In this masterful, sympathetic account, political theorist Ruth Kinna traces the tumultuous history of anarchism, starting with thinkers and activists such as Peter Kropotkin and Emma Goldman and through key events like the Trade ReviewA sympathetic, impressively well-informed history of the movement ... packed with information about this rich history -- Terry Eagleton * Guardian *Obligatory reading -- Jorell Meléndez-Badillo * Times Higher Education *A history of politics by other means * New Statesman *Ruth Kinna's book will be the standard text on anarchism for the twenty-first century. Written with brio, quiet insight and clarity and taking us from the nineteenth century anarchist Proudhon to Occupy and Rojava, this offering will appeal to the novice student, the activist and the grizzled professor. Quite a feat -- Carl Levy

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Book SynopsisNations are not trapped by their pasts, but events that happened hundreds or even thousands of years ago continue to exert huge influence on present-day politics. If we are to understand the politics that we now take for granted, we need to understand its origins. Francis Fukuyama examines the paths that different societies have taken to reach their current forms of political order. This book starts with the very beginning of mankind and comes right up to the eve of the French and American revolutions, spanning such diverse disciplines as economics, anthropology and geography. The Origins of Political Order is a magisterial study on the emergence of mankind as a political animal, by one of the most eminent political thinkers writing today.Trade ReviewFukuyama remains as prominent as ever * FT *Elegant, honest, persuasive ... he attacks his former academic allies and friends ... with a relentless and awesome force * Glasgow Herald *It should be read by every democrat - and every dictator. -- Dominic Lawson * Sunday Times *Thoroughly worthwhile ... [the book] will give many thoughtful people a sensible path forward * Spectator *This is that rare work of history with up-to-the-minute relevance * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *No longer the neocon of former days, Fukuyama seems a more flexible and discerning thinker, and as always, his mastery of the literature is daunting. This exceptional book should be in every library * Library Journal *Sweeping, provocative big-picture study of humankind's political impulses ... Endlessly interesting - reminiscent at turns of Oswald Spengler, Stanislaw Andreski and Samuel Huntington, though less pessimistic and much better written * Kirkus Reviews (starred) *Societies that learn from mistakes rather than punish them have an inherent resilience...It is confirmed by this ambitious work. -- Oliver Kamm * The Times *

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Book SynopsisCOVID-19 is the biggest public health and economic disaster of our time. It has posed the same threat across the globe, yet countries have responded very differently and some have clearly fared much better than others. Peter Baldwin uncovers the reasons why in this definitive account of the global politics of pandemic. He shows that how nations responded depended above all on the political tools available - how firmly could the authorities order citizens'' lives and how willingly would they be obeyed? In Asia, nations quarantined the infected and their contacts. In the Americas and Europe they shut down their economies, hoping to squelch the virus''s spread. Others, above all Sweden, responded with a light touch, putting their faith in social consensus over coercion. Whether citizens would follow their leaders'' requests and how soon they would tire of their demands were crucial to hopes of taming the pandemic.Trade Review'In this compelling guide to the coronavirus pandemic, Peter Baldwin shows that the varied state responses to COVID-19 cannot be explained by science or politics alone but depend on range of historical, social and cultural factors. Likely to be read long after the first wave is over.' Mark Honigsbaum, author of The Pandemic Century: A History of Global Contagion from the Spanish Flu to Covid-19'Why have countries taken such different approaches to fighting COVID? How have assumptions about behaviour, or political cultures, shaped responses? Peter Baldwin draws on the history of public health to produce a wide ranging analysis which helps us understand such surprising national divergences and outcomes.' Virginia Berridge, author of Public Health. A Very Short Introduction'Peter Baldwin, a very distinguished historian of epidemics and of the modern state, provides a rich, thoughtful, and accessible account of the various attempts to come to grips with COVID-19 around the world. This book will be at the center of the discussion for years to come.' Timothy Snyder, author of Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary'In Fighting the First Wave, one of the leading comparative historians of our era contemplates the worst global pandemic of the past century. This book will be an essential tool for understanding our present dilemmas, particularly those stemming from what Baldwin terms 'the social contract's fine print,' that is, the need to balance individual rights against the public good.' Nancy Tomes, author of The Gospel of Germs: Men, Women and the Microbe in American Life'In this masterful book, Peter Baldwin unravels the most puzzling aspect of the global response to COVID-19. His beautifully written and meticulously researched analysis spans history, science, politics, and law. From autocracies to democracies, Baldwin offers key lessons not just for COVID-19, but for future pandemics that most assuredly will come.' Lawrence O. Gostin, author of Foundations of Global Health and Human Rights'Peter Baldwin's examination of the 'first wave' of COVID-19 is a timely contribution and especially valuable because of its global reach. The central question of the book is fascinating and thought-provoking: why, despite a shared scientific understanding of the etiology of COVID-19, were the responses of governments across the globe so divergent?' Frank Snowden, author of Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present'Brisk and informative, this first draft history of the pandemic is a valuable resource for policymakers and lay readers looking to go beyond the headlines.' Publishers Weekly'The really disquieting possibility raised by Baldwin's history is that the central problem faced by many Western countries this past year was not political division, or libertarianism, or even Trump - it was democracy.' Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker'The best book written about the pandemic, so far' Crawford Killan, The Tyee'(Baldwin's) breadth is impressive, and his prose often elegant.' Henry Mance, Financial Times'Commendably, this well-written book is accessible to all audiences … The detailed index and Baldwin's extensive notes are of particular value. This will be a welcome text for use in university public health and history programs as well as an informative resource for general readers … Highly recommended R. A. Logan, ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction: One Threat, Many Responses; 1. Science, Politics, and History: Do They Explain the Variety of Approaches to Covid-19?; 2. New Dogs, Old Tricks: Fighting Covid-19 with Ancient Preventive Tactics; 3. The Politics of Prevention: How State and Citizen Interacted, Battling the Virus; 4. What Was Done? Act One of the Pandemic; 5. Why the Preventive Playing Field Was Not Level: Geography, Prosperity, Society; 6. Where and Why Science Mattered: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Herd Immunity, Asymptomatic Carriers, Superspreading, and Masks; 7. From State to Citizen: The Individualization of Public Health; 8. Who is Responsible for Our Health? How Prevention was Enforced; 9. Difficult Decisions in Hard Times: Trade-offs between Being Safe and Solvent; Conclusion: Public Health and Public Goods: The State in a Post-Pandemic World; Acknowledgments; Notes; Index.

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Book SynopsisChina’s rise from the poverty, isolation and stagnation of the 1970s to the world’s second largest economy is a transformative event perhaps unequalled in human history. The world today pays more attention to China, looks to it with more admiration than perhaps any other time. Yet, this rise also hides many deep-rooted problems and competing ideologies. Economically, socially and politically China has transformed itself but there is much that remains uncertain. This book aims to give an insight into China by exploring everyday life for her citizens, in their own voices. Providing both an overview of the political situation and context in China with ethnographic insights, The Politics of Everyday China aims to give both the new student of China and those who have encountered the subject before an insight that goes beyond the usual cliché and surface description.Table of ContentsIntroduction1 ‘It doesn’t matter if the cat is black or white as long as it catches the mouse’: the role of ideology in Communist China2 The road to revival3 People and place in the civilisation State4 Harmony and the self: rights and responsibilities5 To get rich is gloriousConclusion

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Book SynopsisTHE MUST-READ GUIDE TO THE TRADE WAR'A smart, vivid and humane account of the way the world really works' TIM HARFORD 'This is the book to read if you want to understand what might be about to hit the world economy' EVAN DAVISThe dangerous race for self-sufficiency has begun. Be warned. Nations are turning away from each other. Faith in globalisaton has been fatally undermined by the pandemic, the energy crisis, surging trade frictions and swelling great power rivalry. A new vision is vying to replace what we've known for many decades. This vision - Exile Economics - entails a rejection of interdependence, a downgrading of multilateral collaboration and a striving for greater national self-sufficiency. The supporters of this new order argue it will establish genuine security, prosperity and peace. But is this promise achievable? Or a seductive delusion? Through the stories of globally traded commodities - from silicon to steel and from soybeans to solar panels - economics journalist Ben Chu illustrates the intricate web of interdependence that has come to bind nations together - and underlines the dangers of this new push to isolationism. Exile Economics is an essential guide to this new world in all its promise and peril.

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Book SynopsisA New Yorker Best Book of 2022 A Globe & Mail Book of the Year "A stimulating work on the politics of language." LA Review of Books As globalisation continues languages are disappearing faster than ever, leaving our planet’s linguistic diversity leaping towards extinction. The science of how languages are acquired is becoming more advanced and the internet is bringing us new ways of teaching the next generation, however it is increasingly challenging for minority languages to survive in the face of a handful of hegemonic ‘super-tongues’. In Speak Not, James Griffiths reports from the frontlines of the battle to preserve minority languages, from his native Wales, Hawaii and indigenous American nations, to southern China and Hong Kong. He explores the revival of the Welsh language as a blueprint for how to ensure new generations are not robbed of their linguistic heritage, outlines how loss of indigenous languages is the direct result of colonialism and globalisation and examines how technology is both hindering and aiding the fight to prevent linguistic extinction. Introducing readers to compelling characters and examining how indigenous communities are fighting for their languages, Griffiths ultimately explores how languages hang on, what happens when they don’t, and how indigenous tongues can be preserved and brought back from the brink.Trade ReviewThis history of endangered languages assesses the political causes of their precariousness. * The New Yorker *A welcome addition to critiques of empire and studies of language and politics. Part history, part memoir, part policy critique, the volume succeeds at telling a universal tale through particular stories, including characters who remind us that the languages we speak – and speak not – are the worlds in which we live, and that such worlds are worth fighting for. -- David Moscrop * The Globe & Mail *Speak Not is an astute, well-researched, and often scholarly meditation on the forces that drive marginal languages out of existence in favor of dominant metropolitan tongues ... [a] stimulating work on the politics of language. -- Oliver Farry * LA Review of Books *A lucid and timely account of languages under threat around the world… illuminating in the extreme. -- Kang Hyun-kyung * The Korea Times *Griffiths is spot on: the survival of many languages—and perhaps the identities that go with them—depends on politics. * Asian Review of Books *Speak Not teases out both differences and similarities between [Griffiths’] examples, be that in the racial dimension or level of state violence in their oppression, with both sensitivity and passion. * Buzz *As languages throughout the world continue to disappear at an alarming rate, James Griffiths' book could not be more relevant. Focusing mainly on the historical trajectories of Welsh, Hawaiian and Cantonese, Griffiths chronicles the contentious and often bloody struggles faced by these languages, weaving the strands of history, culture and linguistics into a fascinating and highly readable narrative. Languages die for many reasons, but the book's central message is that language demise is not merely the natural consequence of modernization and mass media, but is often the result of a calculated authoritarian strategy that sees a common language as a guarantor of political unity. Speak Not is not merely a lament at the loss of the planet's linguistic diversity, but is also a positive record of how the courage and perseverance of beleaguered language communities can preserve and even revive their native tongues. * David Moser, author of "A Billion Voices: China's Search for a Common Language" *Speak Not is a beautifully narrated and intensely smart global history of how languages are destroyed. From Hong Kong to Wales, Hawaii to South Africa, Griffiths artfully guides us through intimate stories of people fighting over decades, often in vain, to protect their linguistic heritage and identities, stories that, when taken together, reveal an oft-unexplored aspect of the "disasters wrought" by colonialism, nationalism, and global inequality. Yet within Griffiths powerful critique of language destruction is a story of hope: a glimpse into a world in which language revitalization is possible. * Dr. Gina Anne Tam, Trinity University, San Antonio, USA *This commendable undertaking adds to the literature highlighting the constitutive role that centuries of imperial rule have played in the modern world. ... Speak not ends with a powerful call to action. * International Affairs *Table of ContentsEPIGRAPH INTRODUCTION PART ONE: WELSH 1. Blue Books 2. Fire and Fury 3. Signs of Change 4. Bilingual Nation INTERLUDE: AFRI-CAN’T PART TWO: HAWAIIAN 5. The Princess Who Was Promised 6. Sandwiched Islands 7. I Mua Kamehameha 8. Ke Ea Hawaii 9. Road Closed Due to Desecration INTERLUDE: THE OLD, NEW TONGUE PART THREE: CANTONESE 10. Dialectics 11. A Chinese Alphabet 12. Common Tongue 13. ‘Cantonese Gives You Nasal Cancer’ 14. Sounds of Separatism 15. Language Plateau EPILOGUE AUTHOR’S NOTE NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisIn China: Promise or Threat? Helle compares the cultures of China and the West through both private and public spheres. He argues that, for China, the private sphere of family life is well-defined and regulated, whereas behaviour in public relating to matters of government and law is less so. In contrast, in his view, the West inverts this arrangement.Table of ContentsForeword: A Fascination with China, by David Fasenfest Preface Introduction: The Goal of this Book 1. Familism: A Threat to the Environment The “Public Sphere:” Rights without Obligations Two types of Personal Association Personalization of the Law 2. Exchanges of Threats: The Opium Wars International Relations: Britain Russia, Japan, and Germany The Chinese Experience: Threat and Disappointment Why Did China not Defend herself? 3. China and the US: A Balance of Power? Why follow Thucydides? Promises and Threats Based on Economic Interests Real and Imagined Military Threats 4. Religions: Core Components of Cultures The Task at Hand: What is a Religion? Shared Origins of Contemporary Religions Governmental Interference with Religious Affairs 5. Religious Vitality in Contemporary China Types of Atheism in Party Politics Ancestor Worship: The Religion of China 6. Max Weber’s View of Religion in China 7. Daoism: China’s Native Religion The Fundamentals of Daoism Nature and Life Everlasting in Daoism Daoism as seen by Confucians and Buddhists 8. Oracle-Bones: The Mandate of Heaven How to Change – forward or backward? The Splendid Age of the Oracle Bones 9. Confucius: Recapture the Lost Splendour The Heavenly Mandate Shared by Relatives Finding Options for the Future The Party or the Family as “Church” in China? 10. The West: Individualism at its Limits The Western Family as Tragedy Cultural Evolution of Kinship in the West 11. China: The Kinship Society Granet and the Analects: Evolution of Kinship in China Fei Xiaotong: Field Work on Types of Family Life Altruism and Selfishness: A precarious Balance 12. China: A Threatening Promise to the West Summaries of the Chapters Concluding Queries about Threats and Promises Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWith its coherent analytical framework and accessible style, Foundations of European Politics: A Comparative Approach introduces students to important tools of social science and comparative analysis.Key Features- Adopts a social scientific approach, introducing students to the important theoretical and empirical tools necessary to compare and analyse democratic politics in Europe.- Provides comprehensive coverage of political institutions, political behaviour and voters, and selected important policy outcomes.- Breakout boxes are included in each chapter to go deeper into aspects of European politics, and how to study it. Boxes includes debates about methods and measurement of important concepts, case studies, and academic controversies and debates.New to this Edition- Three new chapters cover topics around how to study European politics using the scientific method, how people receive and process political information and the role social media and political elites play in informing citizens about politics, and how organizations and social movements influence policy-making in Europe. - New and updated, full colour, graphs and figures help to clarify complex data and theoretical topics.- Existing chapters have been restructured and expanded to provide deeper insights and more comprehensive coverage of European politics.Digital Formats and ResourcesFoundations of European Politics is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats, and it is supported by online resources. Additional data set exercises can be found at www.foundationsofeuropeanpolitics.com.

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Book SynopsisA vigorous and timely defense of the state as a force for goodTrade Review“Graeme Garrard…assembles the moral, economic and political reasons why the world of the privatised and outsourced state is over…The title of this book comes as a timely reminder that The Return of the State is here already.”—Polly Toynbee, The Guardian“A masterpiece of analysis—systematically dismantling our current meaningless antiquated political vocabulary, and the fantasy that charities and civil society will bring us salvation. Garrard’s advocacy for the public interest state is convincing and compelling. What else might work for (or appeal to) the next generation?”—Danny Dorling, author of Slowdown“As a global pandemic continues to expose the deep problems with the modern state’s subordination to market forces, Graeme Garrard’s book offers us both an engaging history of how the social democratic welfare state came about and a timely case for the necessity of restraining private power.”—Luke Savage, Jacobin magazine

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Book SynopsisIn 2021, Northern Ireland will commemorate its centenary, but Brexit, more than any other event in that 100-year history, has jeopardised its very existence. Events since 2016 have complicated political relationships within Northern Ireland and further destabilised the devolved institutions established in the wake of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Feargal Cochrane’s urgent analysis argues that Brexit is breaking peace in Northern Ireland, making it the most significant event since Partition. Endless negotiations and uncertainty have brought contested identities back to the forefront of political debate. Always so much more than a line on a map, the border has become an existential marker of identity as well as a reminder of the dark days of violent conflict. This insightful book explores how and why the Brexit negotiations have been so destabilising for politics in Northern Ireland, opening the door to a violent past.Trade Review'Elegantly written and forceful. ... This book will be of significant value to anyone who wishes to retrace the dynamics of this controversy.’ Paul Bew, Professor of Irish Politics, Queen’s University Belfast ‘Continued peace and progress on the island of Ireland always was the Achilles heel of Brexit and this masterful insight shows why.’Lord Peter Hain, former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland ‘Breaking Peace is a definitive work. Accessible and authoritative, it is the most important analysis yet of how Brexit destabilised both Northern Ireland and Anglo-Irish relations. Feargal Cochrane’s masterly book explains how the UK’s vote to leave the EU reinvigorated the long-standing question of Northern Ireland’s constitutional question, as its border dominated all things Brexit. The book provides a comprehensive account of how and why Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party backed Brexit, yet ultimately came to be left behind by a Brexiteer British Government. Drawing upon a wide range of sources, Breaking Peace is a must-read for any scholar interested in the recent politics of the UK and Ireland.’Jon Tonge, Professor of Politics, University of Liverpool'This book is a reliable, necessary record of an extraordinary period in British and Irish history. Cochrane captures the existential shock of Brexit for Northern Ireland, as well as carefully explaining why this was so. His scholarly knowledge of, and empathy towards, Northern Ireland has produced a powerful and compelling read.'Katy Hayward, Senior Fellow, UK in a Changing Europe and Queen’s University Belfast‘Informed by evidence, forensic in its analysis, and loaded with nuance and insight, Feargal Cochrane’s Breaking Peace explains in compelling detail how Brexit has challenged Northern Ireland’s fragile and delicate political equilibrium. The triumph of this book lies not just in the telling of this story, but in revealing how Northern Ireland’s future political stability can be protected as Brexit enters its next phase.’Mary C. Murphy, Jean Monnet Chair in European Integration, University College Cork 'This book will remain a vital resource for understanding how we arrived at a very badly damaged peace.'Irish Political Studies -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Brexit and Northern Ireland: hardening positions during the referendum2 Brexit as meteor theory: external shocks to peace settlements3 Brexit day: the result and the fallout4 The election that changed the course of Brexit: Westminster 20175 Aspiration or guarantee? The ‘frictionless’ border6 Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement7 From partners to rivals: Anglo-Irish relations after BrexitEpilogue: Brexit – do or die?Index

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Book SynopsisThe Conservative Private Members (1922) Committee is an important but elusive force in British politics. Despite becoming almost a household name during the leadership crises of 2022, it remains little understood beyond the corridors of Westminster.Established in 1923 by a group of Conservative MPs elected the year before, the Committee offers backbenchers an opportunity to discuss their views and coordinate independently of the frontbench. Over time it has become the kingmaker of the Conservative Party, overseeing leadership elections and confidence votes such as that faced by Boris Johnson over ‘partygate’.How did the Committee come together? How is it structured and how much power does it really wield? These are among the questions the book considers. Providing unprecedented insights into this long-standing institution, it is essential reading for anyone who cares about the integrity of our political system.Trade Review'Impeccable scholarship and a degree of charm'Simon Heffer, The Sunday Telegraph'With unrestricted access to its records, Lord Norton’s masterful account sheds fresh light on the workings of this mysterious committee.'Lord Lexden, The House magazine'The 1922 is probably the most significant body in British politics that almost no one knows anything about – and what they do think they know is probably wrong. Philip Norton does a superb job at disentangling myth from reality.'Philip Cowley, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London'Nobody knows more about parliament, or about the Conservative Party, than Philip Norton. So he is the perfect guide to the little-understood but increasingly newsworthy 1922 Committee. This meticulously researched history illustrates how much of parliament’s most important influence really goes on behind the scenes.'Meg Russell, Professor of British and Comparative Politics, University College London 'This highly insightful and accessible book sheds important new light on the history, organisation and politics of the Conservatives' backbench 1922 Committee. Drawing on his decades of experience observing and analysing parliamentary politics, Philip Norton reveals how the Committee works, its day-to-day power and its occasional role in terminating premierships.'Isabelle Hertner, Senior Lecturer in Politics, King’s College London'Anyone who wants to really understand the British Conservative Party, and indeed parliamentary parties in general, would be well advised to read this book.'Tim Bale, Party Politics'An admirable textbook about this obscure body which plays a vital role in crowning and defenestrating Conservative leaders, and therefore in the British Constitution.'Andrew Gimson, ConservativeHome -- .Table of Contents1 Setting the scene: parliamentary parties in perspectivePart I: History2 Modest beginnings: the origins of the 19223 Speaking truth to power: in war and peace4 Wielding the sword: the era of electing the leader5 The maker and slayer of leaders: from Cameron to SunakPart II: Organisation and leadership6 Who and when: membership and meetings7 Engaging members' interests: backbench committees8 Transforming or presiding? Leadership in the '22Part III: The impact of the 19229 What's going on? Bedding in and being heard10 Collective action: a trade union for backbenchers11 Us versus them: maintaining the integrity of the party12 'May I have a word, minister?' Influencing policy, challenging ministers13 'The men in grey suits': choosing a leader14 Conclusion: the 1922 in British politicsIndex

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Book SynopsisSunday Times Smart Thinking Book of the Year 2022 New York Times Bestseller WINNER OF THE GLOBAL POLICY INSTITUTE AWARD BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Financial Times, The Times, Esquire, Prospect''When one of the world''s leading scholars of civil war tells us that a country is on the brink of violent conflict, we should pay attention. This is an important book'' Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, authors of How Democracies DieCivil wars are the biggest danger to world peace today - this book shows us why they happen, and how to avoid them.We are now living in the world''s greatest era of civil wars. While violence has declined worldwide, major civil wars are now being fought in countries including Iraq, Syria and Libya, and smaller civil wars are being fought in India and Malaysia. Even countries we thought could never experience another civil war - such as the USA, Sweden and Ireland - are showing signs of unrest. So how can we stop them?In How Civil Wars Start, acclaimed expert Professor Barbara F. Walter, who has advised on political violence everywhere from the CIA to the U.S. Senate to the United Nations, explains the rise of civil wars and the conditions that create them - not least when countries are not quite democratic. As democracies across the world backslide and citizens become more polarised, civil wars will become even more widespread and last longer than they have in the past - but this urgent and important book shows us a path back toward peace.Trade ReviewWhen one of the world's leading scholars of civil war tells us that a country is on the brink of violent conflict, we should pay attention . . . This is an important book -- Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, authors of How Democracies DieAn absorbing guide ... this book performs a valuable service * Sunday Times *How Civil Wars Start is a stop sign for us. What an imperative book for our time. Read and act -- Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an AntiracistA bracing manual . . . . Indispensable -- Financial TimesLike those who spoke up clearly about the dangers of global warming decades ago, Walter delivers a grave message that we ignore at our peril -- David Remnick * The New Yorker *Polemical and essential -- James A. Robinson, co-author of Why Nations FailA vivid, compelling book on a globally vital issue. Timely, important and original -- Professor Richard English, author of Does Terrorism Work? A HistoryBarbara F. Walter has drawn on decades of experience and unparalleled expertise to write a powerful and indispensable book. How Civil Wars Start brilliantly illuminates the history of civil wars and the profound dangers to our union today, serving as both a warning about the stakes in our politics and a call to action for those who want to preserve multiethnic democracy and the values that America is supposed to stand for -- Ben Rhodes, author of After the Fall

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Book SynopsisBruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith's canonical book on political science turned conventional wisdom on its head. They started from a single assertion: leaders do whatever keeps them in power. They don't care about the "national interest"-or even their subjects-unless they must.Newly updated to reflect the global rise of authoritarianism, this clever and accessible book illustrates how leaders amass and retain power. As Bueno de Mesquita and Smith show, democracy is essentially just a convenient fiction. Governments do not differ in kind, but only in the number of essential supporters or backs that need scratching. The size of this group determines almost everything about politics: what leaders can get away with, and the quality of life or misery under them. And it is also the key to returning power to the people.

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Book SynopsisAbusive Constitutional Borrowing outlines this phenomenon, how it succeeds, and what we can do to prevent it. This book address current patterns of democratic retrenchment and explores its multiple variants and technologies, considering the role of legitimating ideologies that help support different modes of abusive constitutionalism.Trade ReviewDixon and Landau document the extent to which autocratic leaders have figured out how to convert independent courts and written rights guarantees into tools for consolidating power, repressing the opposition, and sidelining minorities. They support this account with a remarkable range of empirical examples, drawn from virtually all regions of the constitutional world. * Thomas M. Keck, Law & Social Inquiry *Table of Contents1: Introduction: A Dark Side of Comparative Constitutional Law 2: Democracy and Abusive Constitutional Change 3: The Concept and Scope of Abusive Constitutional Borrowing 4: The Abuse of Constitutional Rights 5: Abusive Judicial Review 6: The Abuse of Constituent Power 7: The Abusive Borrowing of Political Constitutionalism and Weak-Form Judicial Review 8: Can Abusive Borrowing Be Stopped?

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Book SynopsisPrinciples of Comparative Politicsoffers a view into the rich world of comparative inquiry, research, and scholarship. This groundbreaking text gives students meaningful insight into how cross-national comparison is actually conducted and why it matters. William R. Clark, Matt Golder, and Sona N. Golder walk us through the enduring questions that scholars grapple with, the issues about which consensus has started to emerge, and the tools comparativists use to analyze the complex and interesting problems at the heart of the field.The thoroughly revisedFourth Editionincludes streamlined discussion and analysis of key topics and theories in the field.

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Book SynopsisPrinciples of Comparative Politics offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to comparative inquiry, research, and scholarship. In this thoroughly revised Third Edition, students now have an even better guide to cross-national comparison and why it matters. The new edition retains a focus on the enduring questions with which scholars grapple, the issues about which consensus has started to emerge, and the tools comparativists use to get at the complex problems in the field. Updates to this edition include a new intuitive take on statistical analyses and a clearer explanation of how to interpret regression results; a thoroughly-revised chapter on culture and democracy that includes a more extensive discussion of cultural modernization theory and a new overview of survey methods for addressing sensitive topics; and a revised chapter on dictatorships that incorporates a principal-agent framework for understanding authoritarian institutions. Examples from the gender and politics literature have been incorporated into various chapters, and empirical examples and data on various types of institutions have been updated. The authors have thoughtfully streamlined chapters to better focus attention on key topics. Explore online resources: https://edge.sagepub.com/principlescp3eTable of ContentsPart I. What Is Comparative Politics? Chapter 1. Introduction Overview of the Book The Approach Taken in This Book Key Concepts Chapter 2. What Is Science? Introduction What Is Science? The Scientific Method An Introduction to Logic Myths about Science Conclusion Key Concepts Problems Chapter 3. What Is Politics? The Exit, Voice, and Loyalty Game Solving the Exit, Voice, and Loyalty Game Evaluating the Exit, Voice, and Loyalty Game Conclusion Key Concepts Preparation for the Problems Problems Part II. The Modern State: Democracy or Dictatorship? Chapter 4. The Origins of the Modern State What Is a State? Somalia and Syria: Two Failed States The Contractarian View of the State The Predatory View of the State Conclusion Key Concepts Preparation for the Problems Problems Chapter 5. Democracy and Dictatorship: Conceptualization and Measurement Democracy and Dictatorship in Historical Perspective Classifying Democracies and Dictatorships Conclusion Key Concepts Problems Chapter 6. The Economic Determinants of Democracy and Dictatorship Classic Modernization Theory A Variant of Modernization Theory Some More Empirical Evidence Conclusion Key Concepts Appendix: An Intuitive Take on Statistical Analyses Problems Chapter 7. Cultural Determinants of Democracy and Dictatorship Classical Cultural Arguments: Mill and Montesquieu Does Democracy Require a Civic Culture? Religion and Democracy Experiments and Culture Conclusion Key Concepts Problems Chapter 8. Democratic Transitions Bottom-Up Transitions to Democracy Top-Down Transitions to Democracy Conclusion Key Concepts Problems Chapter 9. Democracy or Dictatorship: Does it Make a Difference? The Effect of Regime Type on Economic Growth The Effect of Regime Type on Government Performance Conclusion Key Concepts Problems Part III. Varieties of Democracy and Dictatorship Chapter 10. Varieties of Dictatorship A Common Typology of Authoritarian Regimes The Two Fundamental Problems of Authoritarian Rule Selectorate Theory Conclusion Key Concepts Problems Chapter 11. Problems with Group Decision Making Problems with Group Decision Making Arrow’s Theorem Conclusion Key Concepts Problems APPENDIX: STABILITY IN TWO-DIMENSIONAL MAJORITY-RULE VOTING Chapter 12. Parliamentary, Presidential, and Semi-Presidential Democracies Classifying Democracies Making and Breaking Governments in Parliamentary Democracies Making and Breaking Governments in Presidential Democracies Making and Breaking Governments in Semi-Presidential Democracies A Unifying Framework: Principal-Agent and Delegation Problems Conclusion Key Concepts Problems Chapter 13. Elections and Electoral Systems Elections and Electoral Integrity Electoral Systems Conclusion Key Concepts Problems Chapter 14. Social Cleavages and Party Systems Political Parties: What Are They, and What Do They Do? Party Systems Where Do Parties Come From? Types of Parties: Social Cleavages and Political Identity Formation Number of Parties: Duverger’s Theory Conclusion Key Concepts Problems Chapter 15. Institutional Veto Players Federalism Bicameralism Constitutionalism Veto Players Conclusion Key Concepts Problems Part IV. Varieties of Democracy and Political Outcomes Chapter 16. Consequences of Democratic Institutions Majoritarian or Consensus Democracy? The Effect of Political Institutions on Fiscal Policy Electoral Laws, Federalism, and Ethnic Conflict Presidentialism and Democratic Survival Conclusion Key Concepts Problems

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Book SynopsisThroughout history, states have tried to create the perfect combatant with superhuman physical and cognitive features that are akin to those of comic book superheroes. However, the current innovations have nothing to do with the ones from the past and their development goes beyond a simple technological perspective. On the contrary, they are raising the prospect of a human enhancement revolution that will change the ways with which future wars will be fought and may even profoundly alter the foundations upon which our modern societies are built on. This book, which discusses the full ethical implications of these new technologies, is a unique contribution for students and scholars who care about the morality of warfare.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Conceptual clarifications: distinguishing capacity-restoring and capacity-increasing technologies2 The moral obligation of soldiers’ enhancement research3 Military capacity-increasing technologies and their consequences 4 The ethics of developing capacity-increasing technologies5 Permanent capacity-increasing technologies and the transhumanist danger Conclusion Index

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Book SynopsisThis book analyses Member States’ and EU neighbours’ national visions for the enlargement of the European Union (EU), highlighting 41 national histories, policies, and corresponding public perceptions of European integration. In a geopolitical context in which Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has renewed the impetus for EU enlargement, national views vary considerably on the timing, conditions, and reforms necessary to welcome Eastern neighbours and the Western Balkans countries into the European family. Moreover, EU enlargement policy is not only an investment in peace and stability; it has also become a political tool in response to the exploitation of interdependencies and illiberal pressures. This book presents concrete policy recommendations to national governments and the EU on how to move forward productively.Table of Contents Enlarging and reforming the European Union - An Austrian perspective Belgium: If the enlargement process is broken, then fix it Bulgaria's attitude towards EU enlargement Croatia: Between proclaimed enthusiasm and reality on the ground The national debate in Cyprus on the future of EU enlargement policy The Czech Approach to EU Enlargement: Full Steam Ahead! Denmark: Two or three recent shifts and the problem of favouring stability and security over democratisation Estonia: definitely positive about enlargements Finland and EU enlargement What French infuriating reluctance reveals Germany and EU enlargement (title TBC) Greece, EU enlargement and the ‘ Thessaloniki promise‘ Enlargement at all costs? Hungarian visions for the political agenda of the EU towards the Eastern Neighborhood and the Western Balkans Ireland and EU enlargement (title TBC) Beyond ‘Enlargement Fatigue’– A View from Rome on the Future of Europe Head and Heart in the Right Place: Latvia on the EU Enlargement Lithuania’s strong support for EU’s "open door“ policy – how to cope with getting what you aimed for? Luxembourg: Get ready to enlarge Malta and Enlargement – Supportive but Not Engaged Direction East – Polish views on EU’s Enlargement Policy Portugal: Nobody talks about enlargement Romania’s constant support for the enlargement process. A proof of investment in European values Slovakia’s Approach to EU Enlargement: From Strategic Passivity to Declaratory Supporter Slovenia: a Strong Defender of Western Balkan Enlargement Spain: A country in favour of enlargement, but of low performance Sweden and EU enlargement: A strong supporter walking a fine line Strict, fair, engaged.... and still without a vision? A view from the Netherlands on EU enlargement, the western Balkans and the Eastern neighbourhood What's holding back Albania? Bosnia and EU enlargement (title TBC) Seizing the EU Enlargement Momentum: Georgia’s Prospects for Joining the European Family Iceland's passive supportive approach: Vocal with others on Ukraine Kosovo's EU membership bid: a leap of faith Liechtenstein and EU enlargement (title TBC) How should EU support Moldova’s path towards accession? The Scramble for re-Enlargement: Montenegro North Macedonia: Stuck at the doorstep of EU? Norway and the enlargement of the EU Serbia on a rocky road to the EU Switzerland: not a candidate but a partner in EU enlargement Schrödinger’s Candidate: Türkiye’s Awkward Situation within the Enlargement Debate Oh the outside looking in: The UK after Brexit Ukraine: Enlargement of the EU in the new realities: Challenges and prospect

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Book SynopsisPatriots, Traitors and Empires is an account of modern Korean history, written from the point of view of those who fought to free their country from the domination of foreign empires. It traces the history of Korea’s struggle for freedom from opposition to Japanese colonialism starting in 1905 to North Korea’s current efforts to deter the threat of invasion by the United States or anybody else by having nuclear weapons. Koreans have been fighting a civil war since 1932, when Kim Il Sung, founder of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, along with other Korean patriots, launched a guerrilla war against Japanese colonial domination. Other Koreans, traitors to the cause of Korea’s freedom, including a future South Korean president, joined the side of Japan’s Empire, becoming officers in the Japanese army or enlisting in the hated colonial police force. From early in the 20th century when Japan incorporated Korea into its burgeoning empire, Koreans have struggled against foreign domination, first by Japan then by the United States. Some protests were peaceful; others involved riots, insurrection and sustained guerrilla war. After the US engineered political partition of their country in 1945, the Koreans fought a conventional war, from 1950-1953. Three million gave their lives. When the Japanese Empire collapsed in 1945, Koreans erupted in joy, quickly organizing an independent state, the Korean People’s Republic. Joy turned to bitterness when the US refused to recognize the new republic, and soon declared war on it. Hungering for self-determination, land reform, and an economy directed to local needs, Koreans turned to communists as leaders, who had established great moral authority in the anti-colonial struggle for freedom. They looked to the Soviet Union for inspiration. But a communist Korea, a Korea that handed control of the country’s land, resources, and factories to farmers, cooperatives and state-owned enterprises, clashed with the aspirations of US policy planners, mainly Wall Street lawyers and bankers. The latter sought a world in which US corporations and investors would be free to scour the globe in search of lucrative trade and investment opportunities. Patriots, Traitors and Empires, The Story of Korea’s Struggle for Freedom is a much-needed antidote to the jingoist clamor spewing from all quarters whenever Korea is discussed.Trade Review“Washington’s Long War on Syria is a well-researched and deeply considered analysis of the tragedy that has befallen Syria. Stephen Gowans reveals the political and economic interests that are motivating Washington’s intervention in Syria. No praise is too high for this much-needed corrective to Western propaganda. This fascinating book is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the war in Syria.” Gregory Elich is on the Board of Directors of the Jasenovac Research Institute and the Advisory Board of the Korea Policy Institute.“It is always refreshing to read Stephen Gowans. … he does his homework and his writing is well-documented and far from the well-intentioned fluff that litter too many websites. He is careful to situate his subject within its context and he has a good eye for discerning what is important and what is of lesser consequence. These virtues are exemplified by his latest book… Stephen Gowans has written a marvellous and incisive study of modern Korea.” —Tim Beal, author of Crisis in Korea (Pluto Press, 2011)

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Book SynopsisFROM THE WINNERS OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICSOne of the Financial Times'' Best Books of 2019One of Kirkus Reviews'' Best Books of 2019Shortlisted for the Lionel Gelber Prize''This book is more original and exciting than its predecessor...the highly influential Why Nations Fail' Martin Wolf, Financial TimesBy the authors of the international bestseller Why Nations Fail, based on decades of research, this powerful new big-picture framework explains how some countries develop towards and provide liberty while others fall to despotism, anarchy or asphyxiating norms - and explains how liberty can thrive despite new threats.Liberty is hardly the ''natural'' order of things; usually states have been either too weak to protect individuals or too strong for people to protect themselves from despotism. There is also a happy Western myth that where liberty exists, it''s a steady state, arrived at by ''enlightenment''. But liberty emerges only when a delicate and incessant balance is struck between state and society - between elites and citizens. This struggle becomes self-reinforcing, inducing both state and society to develop a richer array of capacities, thus affecting the peacefulness of societies, the success of economies and how people experience their daily lives.Explaining this new framework through compelling stories from around the world, in history and from today - and through a single diagram on which the development of any state can be plotted - this masterpiece helps us understand the past and present, and analyse the future.''As enjoyable as it is thought-provoking'' Jared DiamondTrade ReviewThis book is more original and exciting than its predecessor...the highly influential Why Nations Fail -- Martin Wolf * Financial Times *One of the biggest paradoxes of political history is the trend, over the last 10,000 years, towards the development of strong centralized states, out of the former bands and tribes of no more than a few hundred people that formerly constituted all human societies. Without such states, it would be impossible for societies of millions to function. But-how can a powerful state be reconciled with liberty for the state's citizens? This great book provides an answer to this fundamental dilemma. You will find it as enjoyable as it is thought-provoking -- Jared Diamond, Professor of Geography at UCLA, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and SteelAnother outstanding, insightful book by Acemoglu and Robinson on the importance and difficulty of getting and maintaining a successful democratic state. Packed with examples and analysis, it is a pleasure to read -- Peter Diamond, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2010Society and state need each other. Applying a global wealth of historical detail to a simple analytic framework, Acemoglu and Robinson build a powerful argument against the current opposing fashions of totalitarianism and the stateless society -- Sir Paul Collier, author of The Bottom BillionThe Narrow Corridor takes us on a fascinating journey, across continents and through human history, to discover the critical ingredient of liberty. It finds that it's up to each of us: that ingredient is our own commitments, as citizens, to support democratic values. In these times, there can be no more important message-nor any more important book -- George Akerlof, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2001How should we view the current challenges facing our democracies? This brilliant, timely book offers a simple, powerful framework for assessing alternative forms of social governance. The analysis is a reminder that it takes vigilance to maintain a proper balance between the state and society-to stay in the 'narrow corridor'-and avoid falling either into statelessness or dictatorship -- Bengt Holmstrom, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2016Why is it so difficult to develop and sustain liberal democracy? The best recent work on this subject comes from a remarkable pair of scholars, Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson. In their latest book, they have answered this question with great insight -- Fareed Zakaraia * Washington Post *Liberty does not come easily. Many populations suffer from an ineffective state and are stuck in a cage of norms and traditions, of self-appointed chiefs, dispute adjudicators, guardians of souls and husbands turned tyrants. Others are subdued by a despotic Leviathan. In this highly original and gratifying fresco, Daron Acemoglu and Jim Robinson take us on a journey through civilizations, time and locations. Their narrow corridor depicts the constant and often unstable struggle of society to keep the Leviathan in check and of the Leviathan to weaken the cage of norms. A remarkable achievement that only they could pull off and that seems destined to repeat the stellar performance of Why Nations Fail -- Jean Tirole, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2014

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Book SynopsisIn politics, money is often the name of the game. Politicians enrich themselves while in office, spend campaign money to finance their re-election, and accept lucrative ''golden parachute'' jobs after leaving office. Money in Politics argues that these different forms of capital are part of a common system and should be analyzed in a single framework. The book advances a comparative theory that shows how self-enrichment, campaign spending, and golden parachute jobs are connected to each other. This theory explains when and how money enters politics, ultimately illuminating that a change in one form affects the other types and revealing the consequences this has for democracy. The book uses a wide range of evidence from countries around the world, including causally identified quantitative studies, qualitative cross-national comparisons, and original survey experiments. Enlightening and instructive, this book shows that we can only fully comprehend the role of money in politics when we Table of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Types of Money in Politics; 3. The System of Money in Politics; 4. The Connection between Self-Enrichment and Campaign Spending; 5. The Connection between Campaign Spending and Golden Parachute Jobs; 6. The System of Money in Politics in Comparative Perspective; 7. Consequences for Democracy; 8. Evolving the Conversation about Money in Politics.

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Book SynopsisStudents of history, politics, economic change, social hierarchy, and even Fascism will view this book as provocative and indispensable. It illuminates how plagues, blockades, migrations, and such world-changing innovations as the invention of printing precipitate political and social revolutions in some societies but peaceful adaptation in others.Trade Review'From the pandemic-induced shocks to the labor supply, to electoral support for right-wing populists, to war-related malnutrition, this historical work seems 'ripped from the headlines.' In fact, it is the culmination of an idea the author advanced decades ago in Commerce and Coalitions. In demonstrating how political action can be understood as one possible response to economic shocks, Rogowski has, once again, provided the closest thing political economy has to a unifying theory.' William Roberts Clark, Texas A&M University'As the world reels from crippling supply shocks, this book could not be more timely. In it, Rogowski explores how unforeseen events can cause sudden and significant disruptions to economic and political life … a must-read for anyone seeking a better understanding of the complex dynamics of supply shocks and their impacts on society.' Stephanie Rickard, London School of Economics'Ranging from the Black Death to World War One, with many stops in between, Rogowski analyzes how major events worked their way through economics and politics. Full of important lessons for a world newly sensitive to the importance of reliable sources of supply, Shocking Contrasts will be read with great benefit by anyone interested in the interaction of technology, the economy, and politics in modern societies.' Jeffry Frieden, Harvard UniversityTable of ContentsPreface and acknowledgments; 1. How supply shocks arise and why political responses to them vary; 2. Who adjusts to a supply shock and who resists it: three determining factors; 3. Why a technological solution does, or does not, emerge; 4. Exogenous loss of labor: the black death in fourteenth century Europe; 5. Exogenous gain of labor: railroads, reproduction and revolution: the Russian population explosion between 1850 and 1914; 6. Exogenous loss of land: blockade, hunger and the Nazi pursuit of Lebensraum; 7. Exogenous increase of human capital: French Huguenots in German cities and principalities, 1685-1715; 8. When the endogenous becomes exogenous: the printing press as a multiplier of human capital; 9. Conclusion: the role of other factors, including institutions, ideas and human agency.

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Book SynopsisIntegrating theory and case studies, this cogent text explores the processes and factors that shape foreign policy. In her thoroughly revised and updated edition, Laura Neack considers both old and new lessons, drawing on a rich array of real foreign policy choices and outcomes. In new cases, Neack explores decision making in the Eurozone crisis, increasing nationalism in Germany and Japan and what seems to be growing bellicosity among Canadians, Obama's grand strategy and the responses of rising powers Brazil and India, and the Egyptian youth revolution. Following a levels-of-analysis organization, the author considers all elements that influence foreign policy, including the role of leaders, bargaining, national image, political culture, public opinion, the media, and nonstate actors.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction: The New Foreign Policy Chapter 2: Rational Actors and National Interests Chapter 3: Cognitive Misers and Distrusting Leaders Chapter 4: Decision Units, Small Groups, and Autonomous Groups Chapter 5: National Self-Image, Culture, and Domestic Institutions Chapter 6: Domestic Politics Chapter 7: Public Opinion and Media Chapter 8: Great Powers in General, the United States Specifically Chapter 9: Competitors, Rising Powers, and Allies Chapter 10: Conclusion: A Nested Game with Many Players

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Book SynopsisYoung Arabs are too often reduced to the figures of the potential terrorist, the migrant or the exotic icon of the revolution. But the reality is much richer.Coming from both sides of the Mediterranean, the researchers in this book travel off the beaten track by exploring how young Arabs spend their free time. The case studies take in a wide range of countries, including Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and all manner of activities, from football to rap music, café culture to sex work. Drawn with sensitivity and humour, Arab youths presents an exceptional portrait of a generation that is much talked about but rarely listened to.This book gives a voice to young men and women who, as heirs of plural traditions, animated by new ideas and influenced by various cultural movements, are inventing the future of their societies in the midst of radical change.Table of ContentsPreface: Arab youth inside out – François BurgatGeneral introduction: deconstructing stereotypes: interwoven trajectories of young Arabs – Laurent Bonnefoy and Myriam CatussePart I: Living in the presentIntroduction: living in the present – Laurent Bonnefoy and Myriam Catusse1 ‘Go ahead, burn your tyres!’: the lust for life of Saudi joyriders– Pascal Ménoret2 ‘Just watching the time go by’: the ‘hittists’ of Algeria – Loïc Le Pape3 Coffee shops and youth sociability in Abu Dhabi– Laure Assaf4 From TV soaps to web dramas: a new platform for young Arabs – Yves Gonzalez-Quijano5 The Buyat: subverting gender norms in Saudi Arabia – Amélie Le Renard6 From Jihad to Sufi ecstasy: politico-religious trajectories in pre-revolutionary Syria – Thomas Pierret7 The Faculty of Education of Lab‘us: salafism as a student subculture in Yemen – Laurent Bonnefoy8 ‘A man, a real man!’: Halima, a woman rebel in Gafsa (Tunisia) – Amin Allal9 Long-distance supporters: Barca and Real fans in Palestine – Abaher El Sakka10 Commentary in Arabic... or in Tigrinya? Football fans and the search for free television broadcasting – Mahfoud Amara and Laurent BonnefoyPart II: Rooting the futureIntroduction: rooting the future – Laurent Bonnefoy and Myriam Catusse11 Drinking in Hamra: youthful nostalgia in Beirut? – Nicolas Dot-Pouillard12 The end of a world? Shifting seasons in Lejnan (Algeria) – Mohand Akli Hadibi13 Finding Baghdad: young people in search of ‘normality’ – Zahra Ali and Laurent Bonnefoy14 Two brothers: family and hospitality in Al-Karak (Jordan) – Christine Jungen15 In Massada Street’s coffee shops: the ambiguous social mix of the Palestinians of Israel in Haifa – Mariangela Gasparotto16 In the shade of the Khayma: cultural and political resistance of the young Sahrawis at Dakhla – Victoria Veguilla Del Moral17 Recreation, re-creation, resistance: what roles for dabké in Palestine? – Xavier Guignard18 Taranim and videos: the Egyptian Church stripped bare by its children? – Laure Guirguis19 ‘My identity is becoming clear like the sun’: theatre in the Shiite schools of Lebanon – Catherine Le ThomasPart III: Constructing oneselfIntroduction: constructing oneself – Laurent Bonnefoy and Myriam Catusse20 ‘A room of one’s own’: young people in search of privacy – Anne-Marie Filaire21 A different way of being a young woman? Self-defence in Cairo – Perrine Lachenal22 Chewing alone? The transformations of Qat consumption in Yemen – Marine Poirier23 Gulf holiday-goers in Europe: five-star family favourites – Claire Beaugrand24 In SOS Bab el Oued: rappers and rockers between integration and transgression – Layla Baamara25 Leaving the camp: the wanderings of young Palestinian refugees in Lebanon – Nicolas Puig26 ‘Rainbow Street’: the diversity, compartmentalization and assertion of Youth in Amman (Jordan) – Cyril Roussel27 Brahim: autopsy of a suicide in Kabylia – Kamel Chachoua28 “Bnat lycée dayrin sexy”: from fun to sex work in Tangier (Morocco) – Mériam CheikhPart IV: Speaking OutIntroduction: speaking out – Laurent Bonnefoy and Myriam Catusse29 ‘A bad day for Ammar’: when Tunisian bloggers took on internet censorship – Romain Lecomte30 A new social world? Young Syrian activists and online social networks – Enrico De Angelis31 Stand up: Saudi Youth take the floor... on YouTube! – Yves Gonzalez-Quijano32 The café in Jadu: a place for ‘revolutionary’ emancipation in Libya – Arthur Quesnay33 From consumerism to political engagement: young ‘Sunnis’ in Bahrain react in ‘defence of their country’ (2011–12) – Claire Beaugrand34 When walls speak: revolutionary street art in Yemen – Anahi Alviso-Marino35 Art under occupation: ‘The Young Artist of the Year’ (Palestine) – Marion Slitine36 ‘The instinct of rap’: Palestinian rap, political contents and artistic explorations – Nicolas Puig37 Rocking in Morocco: the new urban scene in Casablanca – Dominique Caubet and Catherine Miller38 Alexandrians in fusion: trajectories of Egyptian musicians from alternative milieux to the revolution – Youssef El ChazliIndex

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Book SynopsisWhy do international actors, including powerful states, often fail to develop clear foreign policies and instead adopt indecisive, ‘muddling-through’ approaches? This book develops a concept and a theory of reluctance in world politics. Applying it to the study of regional crisis management by leading powers, it finds that reluctance emerges when governments fail to devise clear foreign policy preferences and face competing international pressures. The study of reluctance in world politics sheds new light on some of the most pressing problems of our time, from weak crisis management to cooperation deficits in global governance.Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Conceptualizing Reluctance 3. Theorizing Reluctance in World Politics 4. India’s Reluctant Crisis Management in South Asia 5. Germany’s Mixed Approach: Not Always a Reluctant Hegemon 6. Brazil’s Non-Reluctant Approach to Regional Crisis Management 7. Explaining Reluctance in Other Contexts 8. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisFrom the founder of Simple Politics comes a guide to rediscovering the heart of our democracy, reshaping our political system and making the UK a better place for all. Strikes across the country. A prime minister resigning after just forty-four days. Accusations of bullying in the House of Commons. Our politics and our democracy appear to be fundamentally broken. But that doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. Things can get better. There are solutions out there to the complex web of failure in which we’re currently entangled. Politics, But Better will look at the very fabric of our system and what improvements can be made. Exploring twenty-six issues in UK politics, from A to Z – including censorship, elections, insults and U-turns – it clearly lays out the problems and challenges we face, and puts forward possible solutions. Looking at a variety of ideas and real-world examples, it will encourage us to rethink the fundamental ways we do things, to question the status quo, and to chart a path towards a more hopeful future. Respect and understanding are at the heart of this book, promoting open debate, tolerance and compassion as the cornerstones of a reformed political landscape. Politics is about improving the world – and we can do better.Trade Review'Most books on politics aren’t an easy read…this is! That’s how it should be, no hiding behind big words, we all need to understand it.' Vicky McClure ‘A calming voice in a world of shouty politics and distracting polarisation … The reason and hope the world needs right now!’ Tom Allen, comedian, on Simple Politics ‘I have no clue about politics - I find it messy, confusing and frustrating. This book came along, breaking things down simply and humanly to make me see that politics can be about hope.’ Rose Ayling-Ellis

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Book SynopsisWhy aren't ordinary Russians more outraged by Putin's invasion of Ukraine? Inside the Kremlin's own historical propaganda narratives, Russia's invasion of Ukraine makes complete sense. From its World War II cult to anti-Western conspiracy theories, the Kremlin has long used myth and memory to legitimize repression at home and imperialism abroad, its patriotic history resonating with and persuading large swathes of the Russian population. In Memory Makers, Russia analyst Jade McGlynn takes us into the depths of Russian historical propaganda, revealing the chilling web of nationwide narratives and practices perforating everyday life, from after-school patriotic history clubs to tower block World War II murals. The use of history to manifest a particular Russian identity has had grotesque, even gruesome, consequences, but it belongs to a global political pattern where one's view of history is the ultimate marker of political loyalty, patriotism and national belonging. Memory MTrade ReviewWith authority and skill … McGlynn gives what now ranks as the most reliable, up-to-date account of the use and misuse of history and memory in post-Soviet Russia. -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *McGlynn presents a powerful and disturbing case that the invasion had a convincing historical logic to it, for Vladimir Putin and for Russians more generally. . . . As if to prove McGlynn’s point, historically based justifications for Russian policy and alleged plots by the West form terrifyingly explicit parts of Russia’s most recent National Security Strategy. Her insightful and creative analysis suggests that we are in for a long conflict not just over the fate of Ukraine, but also over how differing memories of the past will continue to shape the future. * Washington Post *McGlynn’s informative study of Russia’s “memory wars” shows just how easily performance, media narratives and cultural priming can slip into real violence. -- Bradley A. Gorski * Times Literary Supplement *Memory Makers makes for fascinating reading … [It] should be required reading for anyone wishing to engage in Russian politics, scholars, journalists, policy-makers alike. -- Usman Butt * Middle East Monitor *Pithy and tightly argued. -- Christopher Silvester * The Critic *Scholarly, revelatory and deeply unsettling … Dr McGlynn’s brilliant, remorseless study inculpates almost the entire Russian nation. -- Allan Mallinson * Country Life *History is back - armed with artillery and with a commitment to genocide. Jade McGlynn’s highly timely study shows how Putin weaponises the past to destroy the future * Peter Pomerantsev, Author of 'This is Not Propaganda' *As Vladimir Putin presents his imperial adventure in Ukraine as a twenty-first century re-run of the Great Patriotic War against the Nazis, it has never been more crucial to understand the degree to which his regime seeks to legitimise itself by the rewriting of history, and Jade McGlynn provides a deeply-argued and nuanced analysis of this pernicious process. * Mark Galeotti, Author of 'A Short History of Russia' *Jade McGlynn explains why Russians back the senseless war on Ukraine - because of the state's abuse of history as a tool to legitimate Russia's return to empire. * Keir Giles, Author of 'Russia’s War on Everybody' *McGlynn’s fascinating study shows how Russian memory politics does much more than evoke memories of World War Two. Its particular propaganda form is to replay and conflate the past and the present. Events in Ukraine in 2014 are not just said to echo those of the 1940s, footage and commentary are literately spliced together; Russia’s intervention in Syria is depicted as the Cold War that wasn’t, with Moscow victorious. * Andrew Wilson, University College London, author of 'Ukraine Crisis: What it Means for the West' *McGlynn delivers a timely, well-researched account of how memory politics are playing out in Russia today, where history also functions as ideology. This book is excellent for those interested in discovering how Russians understand their recent history, and why they have come to view it as they do. * Todd H. Nelson, Cleveland State University, Author of 'Bringing Stalin Back In: Memory Politics and the Creation of a Useable Past in Putin’s Russia' *Painstakingly dissects the genesis, defining features and aims of the Kremlin’s manyfold (ab)uses of history in the last decade...Jade McGlynn’s book is much-needed reading for scholars who want to dig deeper into the discourse underpinning Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the political use of history in today’s world more generally. Through thorough and painstaking analysis, the author engages with this narrative very seriously, dissecting its key tenets, examining where it comes from – and, sadly, where it is leading Russia and its people. * The International Spectator *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Note on Transliteration, Translation and Citation Style List of Abbreviations 1. Taking Back Control of History 2. The Kremlin’s Memory Policies 3. Past as Present: The Historical Framing of Ukraine, Sanctions and Syria 4. Amplifying the Call to History 5. Living Forms of Patriotism 6. Attaining Cultural Consciousness 7. The Endlessness of History References Index

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Book SynopsisAbby Innes argues that the Soviet revolution and British neoliberalism failed for many of the same theoretical and practical reasons. She shows how Britain championed radical economic liberalisation only to weaken and ultimately break its own governing institutions.Trade Review'Abby Innes is one of the most original and provocative analysts of politics in Britain. Her inventive, erudite explorations of both right and left and the many pathologies that make them mimic each other explain so many of the problems which beset the country today.' Rory Stewart, Director of Give Directly, former UK Secretary of State for International Development and co-presenter of the podcast The Rest is Politics'Innes has written a creative, original and deeply insightful account of the modern British state. In comparing the utopianism of neo-liberal thinking and policymaking to that of the Soviet system, she shows how the attempt to translate closed theoretical models into practice leads to weakened forms of governance. This book is critical reading for those trying to understand both contemporary Britain and the nature of modern statecraft.' Jane Gingrich, Professor of Social Policy at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI), University of Oxford'The neoclassical project of withdrawing the state from the market ironically rested upon the same fallacy as Soviet planning: that a self-regulating material utopia was possible. The result in both cases was stifling bureaucratic overreach, economic stagnation and system crisis, as the utopia could never be realised. That which is opposite is really the same. Innes offers us more than an analogy of decline. She gives us a forensic dissection of the same pathology in two quite different bodies. A bold and important book.' Mark Blyth, Professor of International Economics at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University, Rhode Island'Political dogmatism kills, no matter what its ideological shape and pedigree. Abby Innes has given the most meticulous articulation of an insight that, through Václav Havel's writing, nourished the insurrections against the totalitarian regimes in Eastern Europe. Thanks to her merciless dissection of the totalitarian logic of neo-liberalism and her scrupulous account of the damage it has inflicted on Britain, we should be better equipped to find a way out. In Late Soviet Britain, Abby Innes has recast the Enlightenment project by cleansing it of its modernist hubris. Emancipation without utopia requires politics without dogma, and this book charts a new road ahead.' Albena Azmanova, Author of The Scandal of Reason and the multiple-award-winning Capitalism on EdgeTable of ContentsIntroduction: the Gods that failed; Part I. The Materialist Utopias: 1. Rationality and closed-system reasoning; 2. General equilibrium and the balanced plan; 3. On bureaucracy; 4. On 'organised forgetting' in the governing science; Part II. Britain's Neoliberal Revolution: 5. The new public management, or Enterprise planning in capitalist form; 6. Quasi-markets in welfare, or The non-withering state; 7. Tax competition, or The return of regulatory bargaining; 8. Efficient markets and climate change, or Soviet cybernetics 2.0; Part III. The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal 'Movement Regime': 9. Neoliberalism: the Brezhnev years; 10. A politics for the end of time.

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Book SynopsisThe 2014 Ukrainian-Crimean crisis has raised serious questions in the West about Russian motivations and future policy directions. Now more than ever, it is imperative to explore the defensive perceptions, reactions, and preparations of neighbouring countries, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. Is there a convergence of their approaches along similar paths, or do their different cultures and historical experiences prefigure a divergence of their defense policies? While Slovakia, Hungary and Czech Republic all seem to have little concern about Russia’s policies in Ukraine, the Polish response has been uniquely strong and militarized. This book will explore reasons for the different responses to the crisis.Trade ReviewAn accurate and thorough investigation of the underlying defense policies such as this one is extremely valuable and a valid discussion to undertake.Eurasian Geography and Economics -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction and overview 1 Theoretical framework: liberalism, realism and constructivism2 Empires and peripheries: security and defense realities of East-Central Europe3 Communism and late communism: from forced convergence to divergence4 The Czech Republic: a reluctant ally5 Hungary: imperial legacies and post-imperial realities6 Poland: return to the West?7 Slovakia: politics from the periphery8 Recapitulation: from convergence to divergence and back?Index

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Book Synopsis"Abu Sitta's memoir conveys a still burning sense of outrage at the injustice of the dispossession of the Palestinians and the denial of their rightsa personal and collective Nakba without end."Ian Black, The Guardian The only memoir in English by a Palestinian Arab who grew up in the Beersheba district prior to 1948, now with a new afterwordSalman Abu Sitta was just ten years old when the Nakbathe mass expulsion of Palestinians in 1948happened, forcing him from his home near Beersheba. Like many Palestinians of his generation, this traumatic loss and his enduring desire to return would be the defining features of his life from that moment on. Abu Sitta vividly evokes the vanished world of his family and home on the eve of the Nakba, giving a personal and very human face to the dramatic events of 1930s and 1940s Palestine as Zionist ambitions and militarization expanded under the British mandate. He chronicles his life in exile, from his family's flight to Gaza, his teenage years as a student in Nasser's Egypt, his formative years in 1960s London, his life as a family man and academic in Canada, to several sojourns in Kuwait. Abu Sitta's long and winding journey has taken him through many of the seismic events of the era, from the 1956 Suez War to the 1991 Gulf War. This rich and moving memoir is imbued throughout with a burning sense of justice and a determination to recover and document what rightfully belongs to his people, given expression in his groundbreaking mapping work on his homeland. Abu Sitta, with warmth and wit, tells his story and that of Palestine.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first comparative study of the distinctive literatures and cultures that have developed in Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland since political devolution in the late 1990s, especially surrounding Brexit. The book argues that in conceptualising their cultures as ‘national’, each nation is caught up in a creative tension between emulating forms of cultural production found in the others to assert common aspirations, and downplaying those connections in order to forge a sense of cultural distinctiveness. The author explores the resulting dilemmas, with chapters analysing the growth of the creative industries; the relationship between UK City of Culture and its forerunner, the European Capital of Culture; national book prizes in Britain and Europe; British variations on Nordic Noir TV; and the Brexit novel. With regard to separate cultural precursors and responses in each nation, Brexit itself is debated as a factor that has widened their differences, placing the future of the UK in question.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction: Compatriots or Competitors? Chapter 1: From Counter Culture to Creative Industries Chapter 2: The Cultural Capital of Capitals of Culture Chapter 3: Imaging Northern Europe: British Varieties of Nordic Noir Chapter 4: Aspiration by Proxy: National Book Awards in International Markets Chapter 5: Brexit and Beyond Afterword: Brexit and Coronavirus References

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Book SynopsisYou may not be interested in Russia. But Russia is interested in you.Russia's 2022 attack on Ukraine saw confrontation between Moscow and the West spill over into open conflict once again. But Russia has also been waging a clandestine war against the West for decades. Hostile acts abroad, from poisoning dissidents to shooting down airliners, interfering in elections, spying, hacking and murdering, have long seemed to be the Kremlin's daily business. But what is it all for? Why does Russia consistently behave like this? And what does it achieve?Now containing a new preface to the paperback edition, Keir Giles explains how and why Russia pushes for more power and influence wherever it can reach, far beyond Ukraine and what it means not just for governments, but for ordinary people. Bringing together stories from the military, politics, diplomacy, espionage, cyber power, organised crime and more, Giles describes how Moscow conducts its campaigns across the globe, anTrade ReviewSuperb . . . coherent and eminently readable. . . . Giles brings home the causes and consequences of Moscow's actions to the average reader. . . . Russia's War on Everybody is an invaluable piece of a growing mosaic of renewed expertise on, and interest in, Russia. . . . It is a needed accompaniment to the more academic reflections on the Kremlin's behavior. . . . Giles is a welcome guide for readers along this path. * Diplomatic Courier *[Giles's] analysis of the way the current government thinks and acts should be taken seriously. He has an excellent grasp of Putin's view of the world. * The Conversation *An important book. -- Martin Chilton * The Independent *An important and timely book that covers the range of current activities of Russia's ruling regime, discussing issue areas that are only going to become more important in coming decades. * War in Ukraine: Update from Kyiv *An essential text on understanding modern Russia's role in the world, delivering a deep dive into the many facets of the Russian mindset when dealing with the West. * Eliot Higgins, founder and director of Bellingcat *Keir Giles has long been one of the most informed and consistent voices warning about the threat Putin's Russia poses its neighbours and the West as a whole, and this book is a combative and comprehensive assessment of the challenge... it deserves to be read and discussed widely, not least to get us thinking about what else we may face in the future. * Professor Mark Galeotti, author of 'We Need To Talk About Putin' *Nobody cuts through the nonsense around what Russia does, and why it does it, like Keir Giles. If anybody was still in any doubt about why Russia is everybody's problem, the answers are here. Keir Giles lays out clearly and simply why Russia's war is not just against Ukraine - it's against all of us. * Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Former President of Estonia *An invaluable and timely wake up call. . . . A thought provoking, comprehensive and excellent book that should be absorbed by all those concerned with the progression and eventual outcome of what is by now a long term struggle between Russia as at present misgoverned and a wide swathe of the rest of the world. * Sir Andrew Wood, British Ambassador to Moscow, 1995-2000 *Relevant, timely, and essential for understanding why Russia must be defeated, not only in Ukraine but in its war on everybody. * LTG (Ret) Ben Hodges, Human Rights First *A compelling text on why Russia is a threat not just to the Western world as such, it's a threat to every citizen; directly and maliciously. A threat to your way of life and your loved ones. Just because its mere legitimization is not possible without such a threat. * Pavlo Klimkin, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine *This is a highly detailed and readable book. Referenced to a high standard, the reader can really dig into the sources of information, and it is academic in its framing and development of arguments without compromising its readability. Taking a completely different approach to most books, it really digs into why Russia acts as it does, and what it hopes to achieve. This is an important distinction and adds significant value compared to a lot of more recent narrative assessments of wider Russian malign activity. -- James Burton * Wavell Room *Table of ContentsDedication Table of Contents Acknowledgements Preface to the New Paperback Preface 1. What Makes Russia Different 2. Politics: Warfare By Other Means 3. Neither War Nor Peace 4. What the Russian Army is For 5. Nobody Is Too Unimportant 6. The Willing Accomplices 7. Business, Statecraft And Crime 8. What Comes Next Appendix Selected Reading Index

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Book SynopsisLyndon Baines Johnson, Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Barack Obama, Gordon Brown, Theresa May, and Donald Trump: each had different motivations, methods, and paths, but they all sought the highest office. And yet when they reached their goal, they often found that the power they had imagined was illusory. Their sweeping visions of reform faltered. They faced bureaucratic obstructions, but often the biggest obstruction was their own character. However, their personalities could help them as much as hurt them. Arguably the most successful of them, LBJ showed little indication that he supported what he is best known for - the Civil Rights Act - but his grit, resolve, and brute political skill saw him bend Congress to his will. David Runciman tackles the limitations of high office and how the personal histories of those who achieved the very pinnacles of power helped to define their successes and failures in office. These portraits show what characters are most effective in these offices. Could this be a blueprint for good and effective leadership in an age lacking good leaders?Trade ReviewPraise for How Democracy Ends: 'Presented in pellucid prose free of the jargon of academic political science, How Democracy Ends is a strikingly readable and richly learned contribution to understanding the world today ... surely one of the most luminously intelligent books on politics to have been published for many years.' -- John Gray * New Statesman *Bracingly intelligent...a wonderful read -- Mark Mazower * Guardian *Full of intriguing new lines of thought -- Gideon Rachman * FT *Refreshingly, rather than a knicker-twisting diatribe about Trump and Brexit, Runciman offers a thoughtful analysis about what popular democracy means, and its alternatives. -- Katrina Gulliver * Spectator *Clear-headed, compact and timely * Irish Times *An excellent book: it is well-written, evenly paced, accessible, non-academic in tone but very much so in rigour and thoughtfulness. It is sceptical but not pessimistic, and warnful but not alarmist ... It is heartily recommended for anyone who seeks to understand our current malaise and interested in this question of how democracy got to where it is today, and where it may go - if anywhere - next. * LSE Review of Books *Refreshingly free of received and rehearsed wisdoms, Runciman doesn't tiptoe around sacred cows and invites us to take part in that most adult way of thinking: to examine contradictory ideas in tandem and ponder what the dissonance amounts to. . . . [H]e argues lucidly, persuasively, even exhilaratingly at times. The nightly news will never appear exactly the same again * Australian *Praise for The Confidence Trap: Runciman's book abounds with fresh insights, arresting paradoxes, and new ways of posing old problems -- Andrew Gamble * Times Literary Supplement *This rich and refreshing book will be of intense interest to anyone puzzled by the near paralysis that seems to afflict democratic government in a number of countries -- John Gray * New York Review of Books *As a corrective to the doom-and-gloomsters, this book makes some telling points, and he is a clear and forceful writer -- Mark Mazower * Financial Times *Runciman is a good writer and brave pioneer. . . . The picture he sketches is agreeably bold * Sydney Morning Herald *[An] ingenious account . . . Runciman concludes that democracy will probably survive, having made a delightfully stimulating, if counterintuitive case, that the unnerving tendency of democracies to stumble into crises is matched by their knack for getting out of them * Publisher's Weekly *What we get here is good history. The events at the seven junctures are presented in a way that is learned, concise and informative -- Stein Ringen * International Affairs *Those who cannot remember history, George Santayana observed, are condemned to repeat it. Except he's wrong, according to David Runciman. In his admirable analysis, How Democracy Ends, he says the trouble is that we remember the least helpful bits of history, perpetually harking back to the 1930s to explain the aspects of modern politics we like least: Trump especially. Really we'd be better off comparing and contrasting ourselves with ancient Athens, the world's purest democracy. * Evening Standard *well-written -- Bryan Maye * Irish Times *

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