Geopolitics Books

Book SynopsisWhen Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, Jen Stout left Moscow abruptly, ending up on a border post in southeast Romania, where she began to cover the human cost of Russian aggression. Night Train to Odesabegins in Russia and continues to focus on people in Ukraine. It is the account of a young female reporter with no backup or security.

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Book SynopsisIn The Origins of Political Order, Francis Fukuyama took us from the dawn of mankind to the French and American Revolutions. Here, he picks up the thread again in the second instalment of his definitive account of mankind's emergence as a political animal. This is the story of how state, law and democracy developed after these cataclysmic events, how the modern landscape - with its uneasy tension between dictatorships and liberal democracies - evolved and how in the United States and in other developed democracies, unmistakable signs of decay have emerged. If we want to understand the political systems that dominate and order our lives, we must first address their origins - in our own recent past as well as in the earliest systems of human government. Fukuyama argues that the key to successful government can be reduced to three key elements: a strong state, the rule of law and institutions of democratic accountability. This magisterial account is required reading for anyone wishing to know more about mankind's greatest achievements.Trade ReviewThe best account I have read of how we reached this point ... a wealth of insights worthy of the greatest writers about democracy -- David Runciman * FT *A basic rule of intellectual life is that celebrity destroys quality ... Francis Fukuyama is a glorious exception to this rule * The Economist *To his credit, Francis Fukuyama extracts no catchy global lessons from this story of political decay ... so often unjustly accused of cold-war triumphalism, [he] is giving us a wake-up call * Irish Times *Fukuyama writes about the degeneration of America's political system with the passion and frustration of a prophet straining to be heard over a cacophony of partisanship and ideological dogma. It is to be hoped that he will make himself heard: this excellent volume of comparative history and political science should be read by politicians and public alike -- Tim Bouverie * The Spectator *The ground covered is astonishing... Read these wonderful books so that you can never again say that we haven't been warned. And read them, too, for the way they make uncertainty seem not just tolerable but the only sane way to look at the world -- Nick Fraser * Observer *

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Book SynopsisAntarctica attracts great interest from political leaders, journalists, and public audiences around the world. In this Very Short Introduction, Klaus Dodds presents a modern account of Antarctica, looking closely at contemporary developments in commerce, science, sovreignty, and governance.Trade ReviewThe book's focus is very good and I think that many of my colleagues could benefit from reading it. On that basis, I would recommend it. * Mark Brandon, Geographical *Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; FURTHER READING; INDEX

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Book Synopsis''Forget almost everything you thought you knew about Britain ... You will not find a better informed history'' David Goodhart, Evening Standard''A striking new perspective on our past'' Piers Brendon, Literary ReviewFrom the acclaimed author of Britain''s War Machine and The Shock of the Old, a bold reassessment of Britain''s twentieth century.It is usual to see the United Kingdom as an island of continuity in an otherwise convulsed and unstable Europe; its political history a smooth sequence of administrations, from building a welfare state to coping with decline. Nobody would dream of writing the history of Germany, say, or the Soviet Union in this way. David Edgerton''s major new history breaks out of the confines of traditional British national history to redefine what it was to British, and to reveal an unfamiliar place, subject to huge disruptions. This was noTrade ReviewEvery so often a book comes out that the entire political class needs to read ... Edgerton is Britain's most exciting and arresting late-modern historian ... Thanks to this rich and compelling book, we now have a proper map and compass. -- Colin Kidd * New Statesman *A fierce and dazzling account of 20th-century Britain -- Christopher de Bellaigue * Guardian *An extraordinary revisionist study of modern Britain ... Edgerton's aim here is nothing short of a radical repositioning of our sense of ourselves as a nation. It's a startling book, and an unexpected thesis ... I'll be reading [it] over and over, and for years to come.' -- Brian Morton * The Herald *Forget almost everything you thought you knew about Britain in the 20th century ... You will not find a better informed history of this country in the last century. -- David Goodhart * Evening Standard *Stimulating and bracing ... He demonstrates that the story the British tell about themselves - and how it is taught in schools and discussed in the public sphere - is bogus. -- Iain Martin * The Times *Unsentimental and rigorous rewriting of British history. ... It looks beyond the froth of political debate, takes business seriously and analyses government as much from Whitehall and administration as Westminster and politics. -- A. W. Purdue * Times Higher Education *Beautifully written and can be read with pleasure by the general reader as well as the trained historian -- Vernon Bogdanor * Daily Telegraph *Original, opinionated, scholarly, complex and immensely stimulating ... this ambitious and provocative book achieves something remarkable. It provides a striking new perspective on our past, one that future historians may not accept but will be unable to ignore. -- Piers Brendon * Literary Review *A sweepingly, and ambitiously, revisionist account of 20th century British history ... full of striking lines ... and a very important challenge to much of the existing historiography. -- Duncan Weldon * Progressive Review *Timely jolt to a deluded 'Bullshit Britain'. David Edgerton fillets national delusion and historical amnesia ... of a country that knows so little of its own history. -- Chris Kissane * Irish Times *Edgerton is an extraordinary historian ... Written with bracing élan, Rise and Fall generates insights at every turn. Edgerton set out to rattle "the cage of clichés which imprison our historical and political imaginations", and succeeds magnificently. -- Nick Pearce * OpenDemocracy *... refreshing and immensely stimulating, and should be compulsory reading for anyone wanting to understand the reality of twentieth-century Britain. Lewis Namier, another historian known for his combative brand of scholarship, viewed iconoclasm as the judge of a great historian, that having produced an account of a period 'others should not be able to practise within its sphere in the terms of the preceding era'. Edgerton has certainly achieved this. -- Oliver Hadingham * History *

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Book SynopsisIn the early years of Vladmir Putin's Russia, Yevgeny Prigozhin emerged as one of the President's most trusted assets. By 2023, he had become a dangerous warlord and also one of Putin's chief rivals in Russia's tumultuous political climate, exiled after leading an attempted coup, and shortly after killed in a mysterious plane crash. But what is the truth about this enigmatic figure, his role in the war with Ukraine, and the chaos unleashed across Russia by his turn against Putin? And, in the aftermath of his death, what is next for Russia in the new stage of late Putinism that Prigozhin's life forged?In a compelling tale that unravels a complex web of power, betrayal and recrimination, Downfall delves into the profound impact of Prigozhin on the heart and soul of a nation at a crossroads. Drawing on years of research, this book traces the rise of Russia's most prominent non-state actor and examines the political climate that propelled a convicted gangster with no government office to the formidable role he came to occupy. An essential story of Russia's recent history, Downfall is also a compelling insight into its likely future.

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Book SynopsisBetween South and Central Asia, in the high mountains and cold deserts, India, Pakistan and China have fought brutal wars over barren, uninhabited territory in a bid for control over their national peripheries, including Xinjiang and Tibet in China, and Jammu and Kashmir on the Indian subcontinent. White as the Shroud explores this broader story through the most surreal of such conflicts: the Siachen war, fought between India and Pakistan for control of the eponymous glacier. The tale of Siachen highlights the absurdity of seeking hard borders in such desolate mountains, as well as the brutality of high-altitude warfare-- more soldiers were killed by the weather and terrain than by the fighting. As one of the few people to have visited both sides of the glacier, Indian and Pakistani, Myra MacDonald provides a first-hand view of the battlefield and a wealth of eyewitness testimony from combatants. She sets this account in the overarching narrative of the Kashmir conflict, India's defeat by China in 1962, and the 1999 India-Pakistan Kargil war. White as the Shroud brings a fresh perspective to one of the most volatile corners of the world, raising questions about borders and the wars fought to defend them.Trade Review'Essential reading.' -- Asian Affairs'This region is one of the world's most volatile flashpoints, where three nuclear powers persistently confront each other. MacDonald has penned a definitive tour de force, helping us to better understand the terrain and region--and why it's so dangerous.' -- Vipin Narang, Associate Professor of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology'Myra MacDonald's narrative about the inhumane and pitiless battlefields in, or involving, disputed Jammu and Kashmir is engrossing. Her highly informative book is invaluable for anyone wanting to understand the dangers and futilities of these heavily militarised and contested areas.' -- Christopher Snedden, author of 'Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris''This essential and hard-hitting book unpacks India and Pakistan’s military contest over remote heights not meant for human survival. Based on extensive travels and immense sensitivity to the human condition at Siachen, MacDonald reminds us how confusing and nebulous such borders truly are.' -- Avinash Paliwal, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, SOAS University of London'A searching analysis of a little-known war in the Himalayan glaciers. MacDonald's fresh perspective shows how the national ambitions of India, Pakistan, and China have prolonged a bloody and absurd conflict for more than three decades.' -- Farzana Shaikh, author of 'Making Sense of Pakistan'

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Book SynopsisTHE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF 2023 A WATERSTONES PAPERBACK OF THE YEAR 2023 Space: the biggest geopolitical story of the coming century – new from the multi-million-copy international bestselling author of Prisoners of Geography and The Power of Geography Spy satellites orbiting the Moon. Space metals worth billions. Humans on Mars within our lifetimes. This isn’t science fiction. It’s astropolitics. We’re entering a new space race – and it could revolutionise life on Earth. Space: the new frontier, a wild and lawless place. It is already central to communication, economics, military strategy and international relations on Earth. Now, it is the latest arena for human exploration, exploitation – and, possibly, conquest. We’re heading up and out, and we’re taking our power struggles with us. China, the USA and Russia are leading the way. From physical territory and resources to satellites, weaponry and strategic choke points, geopolitics is as important in the skies above us as it is down below. If you’ve ever wondered if humans are going back to the Moon, who will benefit from exploration or what space wars might look like, the answers are here. With all the insight and wit that have made Tim Marshall the UK’s most popular writer on geopolitics, this gripping book shows how we got here and where we’re going, covering great-power rivalry; technology; commerce; combat in space; and what it means for all of us down here on Earth. This is essential reading on power, politics and the future of humanity. Praise for The Future of Geography: ‘A voyage of galactic discovery’ The Mail on Sunday ‘[An] engaging exploration of power politics in space’ Irish Independent ‘A superb survey of planetary politics’ The Sunday Times ‘Deeply thought-provoking’ BBC Sky at Night ‘Marshall is an engaging writer, good at explaining the science as well as the politics, and with an eye for a telling fact’ Lawrence Freedman, The New Statesman ‘Written with insight and great wit, this is an essential take on power, politics and the future of humanity from the UK’s most popular writer on geopolitics.’ The Daily Telegraph ‘In the latest instalment of his popular books on the meaning of geography, Marshall looks to the stars and the new frontier where astropolitics will be the new geopolitics’ Financial TimesTrade Review‘Very accessible and allows the author to lead the reader on a voyage of galactic discovery’ Robert Verkaik, The Mail on Sunday ‘[An] engaging exploration of power politics in space’ Irish Independent ‘A superb survey of planetary politics’ Bryan Appleyard, The Sunday Times ‘[Tim’s] prose is brisk in pace and refreshingly crystalline in its clarity, affording a highly readable lesson in historical geopolitics… deeply thought-provoking’ BBC Sky at Night ‘Marshall is an engaging writer, good at explaining the science as well as the politics, and with an eye for a telling fact’ Lawrence Freedman, The New Statesman ‘A fascinating and crucial insight into how, even as humanity moves upwards into the final frontier, we’ll be influenced by the geographies of space. Marshall has done it again!’ Professor Lewis Dartnell, author of Being Human ‘Astropolitics is a word I never thought would enter my lexicon – but after reading this fascinating book, I’m hooked!’ Dr Becky Smethurst, astrophysicist and author of A Brief History of Black Holes ‘Tim Marshall captures the excitement, anxiety and strangeness of being at the beginning of a period of major geopolitical change. A fascinating book.’ Helen Gordon, author of Notes from Deep Time ‘If space is our future, this urgent book reveals that we’re in danger of handing it over to warmongers, plutocrats and conquistadors as rapacious as those on Earth. Tim Marshall shows us why we need to look up – fast.’ Tom Burgis, author of Kleptopia ‘A chilling, insightful exploration of the political and military implications of our presence in space.’ Brian Clegg, author of Final Frontier ‘This stirring book shows why astropolitics matters for everyone on Earth – not just the scientists and the dreamers.’ Dr Bleddyn E. Bowen, author of Original Sin: Power, Technology and War in Outer Space ‘In his typical style – wielding a wickedly clever pen – Marshall provides a thoroughly enjoyable, dizzyingly thought-provoking, and technologically plausible ride through the terrain of solar space.’ Professor Everett Dolman, author of Astropolitik: Classical Geopolitics in the Space Age ‘The Future of Geography takes us on a gripping and amazing journey, to guide us expertly and often amusingly into the exploration of space and its profound implications for those of us left behind on planet earth.’ Professor Ian Goldin, author of Terra Incognita: 100 Maps to Survive the Next 100 Years  ‘Having conquered the world with his bestselling series on how geography shapes international relations, Tim Marshall is reaching for the skies. As states and companies compete aggressively for scarce resources on Earth, the desire to control space grows ever more powerful. The next stage of geopolitical rivalry is being shaped, he says, by who and what will dominate the final frontier. What could go wrong?’ Jason Cowley, The Sunday Times, Best Thought and Ideas Books of 2023  ‘In his latest analysis of international relations, our geopolitical columnist Tim Marshall turns his attention to the skies and the geopolitics of outer space, or ‘astropolitics’. We’re headed back to the Moon and this time we’re there to stay. Will it be a mission for the benefit of all humanity? Unlikely, says Marshall in his new book, The Future of Geography – at least, not unless we see a lot of changes, and we’re running out of time to make them.’ Geographical, The best books of 2023

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Book Synopsis''A riveting and illuminating tour of how nations deal with crises - which might hopefully help humanity as a whole deal with our present global crisis'' YUVAL NOAH HARARI, author of SAPIENS ** NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** Author of the landmark international bestsellers Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse, Jared Diamond has transformed our understanding of what makes civilizations rise and fall. Now, at a time when crises are erupting around the world, he explores what makes certain nations resilient, and reveals the factors that influence how nations and individuals can respond to enormous challenges. In a riveting journey into the recent past, he traces how six distinctive modern nations - Finland, Chile, Indonesia, Japan, Germany and Australia - have survived defining catastrophes, and identifies patterns in their recovery. Looking ahead, he investigates the risk that the United States and other countries, faced by grave threat, are set on a course towards catastrophe. Adding a rich psychological dimension to the in-depth history, geography, biology and anthropology that underpin all of Diamond''s writing, Upheaval is epic in scope, but also his most personal book yet.''Fascinating ... I finished the book even more optimistic about our ability to solve problems than I started'' BILL GATES''Jared Diamond does it again: another rich, original and fascinating chapter in the human saga - with vital lessons for our difficult times'' STEVEN PINKERTrade ReviewFascinating... I'm a big fan of everything Jared has written, and his latest is no exception. ... I finished the book even more optimistic about our ability to solve problems than I started. -- Bill Gates, Summer Reading Recommendations 2019Upheaval is bold, wide-ranging and original ... probes large and important questions. Unlike most social scientists, Diamond can write invigorating prose that carries the reader along with its sweep ... It deserves to be widely read and pondered. -- Vernon Bogdanor * The Sunday Telegraph *A riveting and illuminating tour of how nations deal with crises-which might hopefully help humanity as a whole deal with our present global crisis. -- Yuval Noah Harari, author of 'Sapiens' and '21 Lessons for the 21st Century'Jared Diamond is an undisputed global star of comparative history... Britain could learn from this book about how other nations have dealt with turmoil... He finds intellectually stimulating and unusual examples that provide much food for thought. -- Andrew Marr * The Times *Diamond writes so well, and his frame of reference (across disciplines and languages) is so considerable, that almost everything he describes comes across as fresh. -- Douglas Murray * The Evening Standard *[Diamond] wears the mantle of a modern-day prophet . . . opens textures of historical possibility. Only the most obtuse reader of his latest book, on national resilience, could miss the signs and portents with which it is studded ... The prophet spares us chiselled commandments, but we have been warned. -- Colin Kidd, Book of the Day * The Guardian *Fascinating globe-hopping study * The Telegraph *As a meditation about a world on edge, it is well worth reading * The Economist *Persuasive . . . runs refreshingly counter to conventional wisdom * Bloomberg *Jared Diamond does it again: another rich, original, and fascinating chapter in the human saga-with vital lessons for our difficult times. -- Steven Pinker, author of 'Enlightenment Now'Upheaval is a brilliant, gripping, personal account of nations in crisis, informed by how people respond to crisis. It's an especially timely read today, when nations are stressed and have much to learn about how to survive big challenges. I urge you to read it. -- Paul Ehrlich, author of 'Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic'In Upheaval, I find eye-opening lessons about the political and psychological forces that lead to crisis and then resilience, how individuals and nations experience trauma in similar ways, and what that suggests about our future and the world's . . . wise and beautiful. -- Diane Ackerman, author of 'The Zookeeper's Wife'Jared Diamond is one of the deepest thinkers and most authoritative writers of our time-arguably of all time-and Upheaval proves his prescience in analyzing historical crises within nations at a time when national crises have erupted around the world . . . No scientist has ever won the Nobel Prize for literature. Jared Diamond should be the first. -- Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine and author of 'Heavens on Earth'

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Book SynopsisDina Esfandiary is Senior Advisor in the Middle East and North Africa department of the International Crisis Group (ICG), Belgium. She worked previously at The Century Foundation, U.S and the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center, U.S. She is the co-author of Triple-Axis: Iran's Relations with Russia and China (I.B Tauris, 2018) and Living on the Edge: Iran and the?Practice of Nuclear Hedging (2016). She has also published in Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, The Guardian, The Washington Post, The New York Times among others.Trade ReviewA masterful overview of the UAE’s increasing assertive regional and international relations. Drawing on a vast range of sources, and impeccably referenced, this is required reading for everyone with a scholarly and practitioner interest in the region. -- Christopher DavidsonThe rise of the UAE has reshaped the balance of power and the regional order within the broader Middle East. New Order in the Gulf expertly guides us through the thinking of its leadership and the contours of its evolving foreign policy. Esfandiary is fair-minded and judicious in her assessments of both the strengths and the failings of the UAE's new strategies. Her accessibly written text ranges broadly across political, economic and ideological issues, and will make for an essential text for those seeking to understand how and why the Gulf has changed. * Marc Lynch, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University, USA *Brilliantly provides an overview of the last 12 years of regional developments. * International Affairs *Table of ContentsIntroduction Defining the change and situating it in the context of a rapidly changing region Historical overview of relations between states in the Persian Gulf, including the 2003-2011 period A discussion of domestic dynamics in the UAE: the rise of MBZ Chapter One: The Arab Uprisings: a key moment for the UAE Summary of the events An Arab Uprisings in the Persian Gulf? The impact of the Arab Uprisings on the UAE Collapse of Arab powerhouses The Perceived Rise of Iran The Perception of US influence and Power in the Region Changes in the region following the Arab Uprisings Chapter Two: The US Pivot to Asia: proof of a US departure from the region The History of the US presence in the Persian Gulf region The Pivot The impact of the Pivot on the region Chapter Three: The Iran nuclear deal: the final straw The deal itself The Gulf Arabs and the Iran nuclear crisis The impact of the deal on the UAE Chapter Four: The UAE’s Assertiveness – what does it look like? Growing capabilities Military Political and diplomatic clout Economic and Cultural influence Intent, including the UAE’s deployment in regional arenas Chapter Five: Assertiveness: The UAE’s perception of success Case Study: Yemen Post 2020: Emirati over-reach? Chapter Six: The impact of the UAE’s assertiveness for the Persian Gulf: The 2017 split Driven by the UAE Entrenchment of assertiveness for others Did Al Ula resolve the dispute? Conclusion and recommendations for the West

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Book Synopsis**A SUNDAY TIMES MUST-READ**''Riveting and vitally important'' - Steven Pinker''A gripping narrative of a world on the cusp of profound change'' - Anjana Ahuja, New StatesmanEmpty Planet offers a radical, provocative argument that the global population will soon begin to decline, dramatically reshaping the social, political and economic landscape.For half a century, statisticians, pundits and politicians have warned that a burgeoning planetary population will soon overwhelm the earth''s resources. But a growing number of experts are sounding a different kind of alarm. Rather than growing exponentially, they argue, the global population is headed for a steep decline. Throughout history, depopulation was the product of catastrophe: ice ages, plagues, the collapse of civilizations. This time, however, we''re thinning ourselves deliberately, by choosing to have fewer babies than we need to replace ourseTrade ReviewA fascinating study -- David Goodhart * Sunday Times *A bold thesis, but the authors are convincing . . . this briskly readable book demands urgent attention -- Sarah Ditum * Mail on Sunday *The "everything you know is wrong" genre has become tedious, but this book is riveting and vitally important. With eye-opening data and lively writing, Bricker and Ibbitson show that the world is radically changing in a way that few people appreciate -- Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of The Better Angels of Our Nature and Enlightenment Now[Bricker and Ibbitson] have written a sparkling and enlightening guide to the contemporary world of fertility as small family sizes and plunging rates of child-bearing go global. -- Paul Morland * Globe and Mail *Bricker and Ibbitson work their way around the globe in pacey, sometimes breathless journalistic prose, although their argument is refreshingly clear and well balanced . . . -- Robert Mayhew * Literary Review *The authors combine a mastery of social-science research with enough journalistic flair to convince fair-minded readers of a simple fact: fertility is falling faster than most experts can readily explain, driven by persistent forces . . . Empty Planet succeeds as a long-overdue skewering of population-explosion fearmongers -- Lyman Stone * Wall Street Journal *A highly readable, controversial insight into a world rarely thought about - a world of depopulation under ubiquitous urbanisation -- George Magnus, author of The Age of Aging and Red Flags: Why Xi's China is in JeopardyWhile the global population is swelling well over 7.5 billion people today, birth rates have nonetheless already begun dropping around the world. Past population declines have historically been driven by natural disasters or disease - the Toba supervolcano, Black Death or Spanish Flu - but this coming slump will be of our own demographic making. In this fascinating and thought-provoking book, Bricker and Ibbitson compellingly argue why by the end of this century the problem won't be overpopulation but a rapidly shrinking global populace, and how we might have to adapt -- Professor Lewis Dartnell, author of The Knowledge: How to Rebuild our World from ScratchTo get the future right we must challenge our assumptions, and the biggest assumption so many of us make is that populations will keep growing. Bricker and Ibbitson deliver a mind-opening challenge that should be taken seriously by anyone who cares about the long-term future - which, I hope, is all of us -- Dan Gardner, author of Risk and co-author of SuperforecastingThanks to the authors' painstaking fact-finding and cogent analysis, [Empty Planet] offers ample and persuasive arguments for a re-evaluation of conventional wisdom * Booklist *Warnings of catastrophic world overpopulation have filled the media since the 1960s, so this expert, well-researched explanation that it's not happening will surprise many readers . . . delightfully stimulating * Kirkus Reviews *Arresting . . . lucid, trenchant and very readable . . . a stimulating challenge to conventional wisdom * Publishers Weekly *A riveting travelogue that covers some of the most interesting places across the world -- Jinoy Josep * Business Line *The beauty of this book is that it links hard-to-grasp global trends to the easy to-understand individual choices being made all over the world today . . . a gripping narrative of a world on the cusp of profound change -- Anjana Ahuja * New Statesman *An ambitious reimagining of our demographic future -- Doug Bock Clark * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of The Ministry of Utmost HappinessAn extraordinary secret meeting between four brilliant political activists: Booker Prize-winner Arundhati Roy, NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden, Pentagon Papers insider Daniel Ellsberg and acclaimed actor John Cusack''What sort of love is this love that we have for countries? What sort of country is it that will ever live up to our dreams? What sort of dreams were these that have been broken?''In 2014, four people met in secret in a hotel room in Moscow. Each was a leading global advocate for government transparency and accountability: they had come together to talk. Over the course of two days, Arundhati Roy, Edward Snowden, John Cusack and Daniel Ellsburg shared ideas and beliefs - about the Vietnam War and the Pentagon Papers, the NSA and the ongoing crises in the Middle East, the American government and the nature of activism.Co-authored by Roy and Cusack, Trade ReviewPublisher's description. The historic account of a once-in-a-lifetime meeting between four of the modern world's most influential figures: NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden, Pentagon Papers whistle-blower Daniel Ellsburg, tireless political activist Arundhati Roy and Hollywood superstar John Cusack. * Penguin *Arundhati Roy is one of the most confident and original thinkers of our time * Naomi Klein *A political critique of everything ... the book will make you sit up and question things * Financial Express *[Roy is] an electrifying political essayist. . . . So fluent is her prose, so keen her understanding of global politics, and so resonant her objections to nuclear weapons, assaults against the environment, and the endless suffering of the poor that her essays are as uplifting as they are galvanizing * Booklist *The fierceness with which Arundhati Roy loves humanity moves my heart * Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of THE COLOR PURPLE *

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Book SynopsisA spy story like no other. Private spies are the invisible force that shapes our modern world: they influence our elections, effect government policies and shape the fortunes of companies. More deviously, they are also peering into our personal lives as never before, using off-the shelf technology to listen to our phone calls, monitor our emails and decide what we see on social media.Spooked takes us on a journey into a secret billion-dollar industry in which information is currency and loyalties are for sale. An industry so tentacular it reaches from Saddam Hussein to an 80s-era Trump, from the Steele dossier written by a British ex-spy to Russian oligarchs sitting pretty in Mayfair mansions, from the devious tactics of Harvey Weinstein to the growing role of corporate spies in politics and the threat to future elections.Spooked reads like the best kind of spy story: a gripping tale packed with twists and turns, uncovering a secret side of our modern world.Trade ReviewMeier sets out to investigate the investigations industry . . . a revealing read -- Brendan Daly * Business Post *A gobsmacking book detailing the rise of wannabe James Bonds . . . an enjoyable romp through the stranger-than-fiction world of private intelligence agencies... Meier is a Pulitzer-winning former New York Times reporter, and he stirs an incredible amount of well-researched material into this book . . . a mad whirl of double-cross, Machiavellian machinations and, of course, money. -- Darragh McManus * Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisThis book is a major reinterpretation of Pakistani politics. Its focus is conflict among groups, communities, classes, ideologies and institutions, which has shaped the country's political dynamics. Mohammad Waseem analyses the millennium-long conflict between Hindus and Muslims as separate nations but intermingled faiths, and the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh renaissances that created a twentieth-century clash of communities and led to partition. Political Conflict in Pakistan addresses multiple clashes: between the high culture as a mission to transform society, and the low culture of the land and the people; between those committed to the establishment's institutional constitutional framework and those seeking to dismantle the 'colonial' state; between the corrupt and those seeking to hold them to account; between the political class and the middle class; and between civil and military power. Waseem exposes how the ruling elite centralised power through the militarisation and judicialisation of politics, rendering the federalist arrangement an empty shell and grossly alienating the provinces. He sets all this within the contexts of education and media as breeders of conflict, the difficulties of establishing an anti-terrorist regime, and the state's pragmatic attempts at conflict resolution, under pressure from minorities. This is a wide-ranging account of a country of contestations.

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Book SynopsisMost politicians write autobiographies to ''set the record straight''. This is a different sort of memoir. Following his life as a self-confessed ''wet European'' from parliament to Hong Kong and beyond, Chris Patten creates a meditation on personal and political identity which, in an age of simplification, shows the complexities of both.''A defence of liberal conservatism ... If old-style centrism is to stage a comeback and reason to supplant stridency and authoritarianism, be it in west or east, the moderates can wave Patten''s book on their way to their barricades'' Jonathan Fenby, Financial Times''Vivid, very well-written, First Confession joins the highest tier of recent works by British politicians'' Paschal Donohoe, Irish Times''Draws on his experience of four controversial institutions - the Tory party, the Vatican, the Chinese government and the BBC - to swell the tiny list of intelligent and cultured memoirs by front-line politiTrade ReviewDraws on his experience of four controversial institutions - the Tory party, the Vatican, the Chinese government and the BBC - to swell the tiny list of intelligent and cultured memoirs by front-line politicians -- Mark Lawson * New Statesman, Books of the Year *A defence of liberal conservatism ... If old-style centrism is to stage a comeback and reason to supplant stridency and authoritarianism, be it in west or east, the moderates can wave Patten's book on their way to their barricades -- Jonathan Fenby * Financial Times *Engagingly frank, beefily pugnacious ... ... he writes stirringly -- John Preston * Sunday Telegraph *Vivid, very well-written, First Confession joins the highest tier of recent works by British politicians -- Paschal Donohoe * Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis''Captivating The stuff of thrillers'' - the Financial Times An explosive new vision of geopolitics from two trail-blazing political scientistsDeep beneath our feet, vast and sprawling, lies one of the most sophisticated empires the world has ever known. At first glance, it might not look like much - it is made up of fibre optic cables and obscure payment systems. But according to prominent political scientists Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman, the United States has turned the most vital pathways of the world economy into tools of domination over foreign businesses and countries, whether they are rivals or allies, allowing it to maintain global supremacy.Drawing on original reporting and ground-breaking research, Farrell and Newman explain how this underground empire has allowed the United States to eavesdrop on other countries and isolate its enemies. Now, efforts by countries such as China and Russia to untether themselves fro

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Book SynopsisOccupy gives Noam Chomsky''s thoughts on a movement which swept the world ''Occupy is the first major public response to thirty years of class war.''Since its appearance in Zuccotti Park, New York, in September 2011, the Occupy movement has spread to hundreds of towns and cities across the world. No longer occupying small tent camps, the movement now occupies the global conscience as its messages spread from street protests to op-ed pages to the highest seats of power. From the movement''s onset, Noam Chomsky has supported its critique of corporate corruption and encouraged its efforts to increase civic participation, economic equality, democracy and freedom. Through talks and conversations with movement supporters, Occupy presents Chomsky''s latest thinking on the central issues, questions and demands that are driving ordinary people to protest. How did we get to this point? How are the wealthiest 1% influencing the lives of the o

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Book SynopsisAn optimistic vision of the future after Covid-19 by a leading professor of globalisation at the University of Oxford.Covid-19 left us at a crossroads: should we go back to 'normal', or use the lessons learned during the pandemic to shape a new society?But what does life after a pandemic look like, and how do we build a better, more hopeful future?Ian Goldin, Professor of Development and Globalisation at the University of Oxford, provides an urgently needed roadmap that reveals how the pandemic could lead to a better world: from globalisation to the future of jobs, income inequality, and climate change.Rescue is a bold call for an optimistic future and one we all have the power to create.Trade ReviewA hopeful book . . . Goldin makes the case that this may be the moment when we reshape our individual and collective destiny -- Richard Baldwin * Financial Times *Ian Goldin gives us a bold, compelling account of the lessons of the pandemic: after four decades of neoliberal market thinking, big government is back. Only an activist state can deal with inequality, climate change, and future pandemics. This important book shows that we need not a "reset" but a fundamental rethinking of capitalism if we are to build more just, resilient societies. -- Michael J. Sandel, author of The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good?A fresh and penetrating insight from one of the great authorities on globalisation into what's gone wrong with our world and what needs to be put right. -- Gordon Brown, United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education and former Prime Minister of the United KingdomEssential reading for anyone interested in making the world a better place. Rescue provides an urgently needed roadmap for us all. -- Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive GlobalRescue gives us hope that we can come together to build forward better and shape societies and economies that are fairer, greener and more inclusive. Ian Goldin's prescriptions for investing in people and the planet, and with strong international cooperation, show us how we can create a world that works for all. -- Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary FundIan Goldin offers an insightful perspective on the injustices and crises besetting today's world. His book deserves wide readership - indeed one would like to hope that his wisdom will influence the political leaders who confront the challenge of "building back better" after Covid-19. -- Lord Martin Rees, Astronomer RoyalIan Goldin's Rescue is an optimistic and insightful analysis of the pros as well as the cons of the pandemic and seeks to assess its potential to reshape our lives for the better. To paraphrase his words and the essence of the title - can the pandemic go down in history as the event that rescued humanity? Goldin brings statistics alive in this optimistic analysis of the positive as well as the negative impact of the pandemic - it is a beacon of hope for the future. -- Lord Norman FosterThis well-researched book shows us what is wrong with our current economic model and provides a convincing clarion call for change after the pandemic. -- Baroness Minouche Shafik, Director, London School of EconomicsProfessor Ian Goldin is mapping the short- and long-term consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic in his excellent book Rescue. We know that some negative effects will linger for a long time in our societies and economies, but there is also hope of a brighter future. Professor Goldin points out that something better can come out of this if we make a joint effort to reset our communities on a more sustainable path. This well-written book gives hope of a better future. -- Cécilia Malmström, former European Commissioner for TradeIn this broad-ranging book, Ian Goldin aptly views the West's failure to address at all adequately the Covid-19 virus as emblematic of widespread national failures. To get out of this dystopia, he argues, nations will have to create nothing less than "a different operating system" and they must cooperate far more than in the past. This radical book is a must-read. -- Professor Edmund Phelps, economist and Nobel LaureateRescue is a wise and hopeful book. As the world begins to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, Ian Goldin has assembled an extraordinary range of data to assess its impact and identify opportunities for transformative change. Just the tonic weary readers need! -- Professor Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America

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Book Synopsis'Kerry Brown's Xi is the perfect primer for understanding Xi Jinping's status as China's greatest ruler since Mao and as this century's least assailable statesman' John Keay, author of China: A History'A valuable primer for anyone looking to get up to speed on Xi Jinping's rise to global power' Jeff Wasserstrom, Guardian'Offers a nuanced and thorough explanation of Xi's China and why the Communist Party, for all its flaws, has long life in it' Oliver Farry, Irish TimesAlthough Xi Jinping came to power a decade ago, he remains an enigmatic figure in the West. His priority has always been to keep Chinese society as stable as possible, steering a course through a period of astounding economic growth, while ensuring that nothing challenges the political status quo.But with unrest stirring in Hong Kong, reports of human rights abuses taking place in the Xinjiang region and, devastatingly, the outbreak of a virus that would change the world, suddenly understanding Xi's China is more important than ever before.In this short and timely book, academic and author Kerry Brown examines the complexities behind the man, explaining the impact that his rule is already having on the West. But who is Xi really, and what is his vision for China's future? And, crucially, what does that mean for the rest of the world?Trade ReviewKerry Brown's Xi is the perfect primer for understanding Xi Jinping's status as China's greatest ruler since Mao and as this century's least assailable statesman' -- John Keay, author of China: A HistoryBrown's book provides a very readable account of Xi's childhood and rise through the ranks of the Communist party ... an interesting story -- Gideon Rachman * Financial Times *A valuable primer for anyone looking to get up to speed on Xi Jinping's rise to global power -- Jeff Wasserstrom * Guardian *There are many books in English about Xi's China, but you'll struggle to find one on the man himself. This book by an academic who has worked and lived in China is a welcome contribution to filling that gap. -- Tim Marshall * Reaction *Highly readable and concise ... A nuanced and thorough explanation of Xi's China and why the Communist Party, for all its flaws, has long life in it -- Oliver Farry * Irish Times *A zesty, fast-paced, very 'human' read... [a] forensic political account -- Neil Mackay * Herald *Written by the veteran British China-watcher Kerry Brown... Brown pithily sums up [Xi Jinping's guiding vision] as "making China great again by making the Party great again" -- Tom Miller * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisThis expansive history traces the hidden connections between oil and capitalism from the late 1800s to the current climate crisis. Beyond simplistic narratives that frame oil as 'prize' or 'curse', Crude Capitalism uncovers the surprising ways that oil is woven into the fabric of our modern world: the rise of an American-centered global order; the breakdown of Empire and anti-colonial rebellion; contemporary finance and US dollar hegemony; debt and militarism; and the emergence of new forms of synthetic consumption. Much more than an energy source or transport fuel, oil has a foundational place in all aspects of contemporary life - no challenge to the fossil fuel industry can be effective without taking this fact seriously.Crude Capitalism maps the varied geographies of oil, including the rise of OPEC, the importance of revolutionary and Post-Soviet Russia, the crucial role of African upstream reserves, and the new petrochemical circuits that link the Middle East, China, and East Asia. The book provides an original and fine-grained empirical analysis of corporate ownership and control, including refining and petrochemicals.By exposing these structures of power and placing oil in capitalism, the book makes an essential contribution to debates around oil-dependency and the struggle for climate justice.

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Book SynopsisBetween January and September 2019, the government of Kazakhstan carried out five humanitarian missions to repatriate more than 600 of its citizens from Syria. Thirty-three were adult males; the rest were women and children. The women had left Kazakhstan to become part of Islamic State – either out of personal conviction, or at the request of their jihadi husbands. Some of the children had gone with them. Others had been born amidst the horror of the war in Syria and Iraq, and the consequences of violent ideology; they knew nothing else of life. Collectively, these missions were known as Operation: Jusan (the jusan shrub, or wormwood, is symbolic for Kazkahs of home on the steppe). Erlan Karin’s involvement took him from the planning stages to the extensive de-radicalisation and rehabilitation programmes that followed the airlifts. Here he reveals the full story of a high-stakes mission that required sensitive diplomacy, meticulous timing and great courage. Drawing on extensive first-hand accounts from the returnees, Karin also examines their motives in joining the would-be Caliphate, and the role of women and children within it, finally weighing up the risks of returning trained terrorists to their mother country.

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Book SynopsisChoosing Liberty in California Policy Reform examines major problems facing California. Affordable Housing, Euthanasia, Occupational Licensing, and School Choice in California are problems that need new approaches to solving. Through the process of applying Libertarian principles of liberty and freedom, the full rights and dignity of the citizens of California can be restored.

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Book SynopsisThe first account of the new Cold War—revealing how today’s renewed era of global great power competition could threaten us allTrade Review“The Lost Peace is a superb book. Sakwa explains in learned detail how the West – especially the United States – pursued policies after the first Cold War ended that tragically led to a second Cold War, which has no end in sight.”—John J. Mearsheimer, author of The Great Delusion “The Lost Peace offers a long-awaited nuanced analysis of the multilayered crisis in which the world finds itself. Sakwa's sharp and meticulous interpretation will help all those who look for solutions ahead.”—Marlene Laruelle, author of Is Russia Fascist? ​“A masterly account of the decisions that, over the last quarter century, have plunged the world into a new crisis. Must reading for concerned citizens in North America and Europe.”—Jack F. Matlock, Jr., Former U.S. Ambassador to the USSR and author of Superpower Illusions “Richard Sakwa offers a sophisticated and highly informative analysis of competing views of world order after the Cold War. Written by a foremost expert in the field The Lost Peace is a definitive treatment of great power politics.”—Andrei P. Tsygankov, author of Russia and the West from Alexander to Putin

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Book Synopsis''Impressive ... It is a complicated story that still reverberates, and Gingeras narrates it with lucid authority'' New StatesmanThe story of the fall of the Ottoman Empire, published to coincide with the centenary of its dissolutionThe Ottoman Empire had been one of the major facts in European history since the Middle Ages. By 1914 it had been much reduced, but still remained after Russia the largest European state. Stretching from the Adriatic to the Indian Ocean, the Empire was both a great political entity and a religious one, with the Sultan ruling over the Holy Sites and, as Caliph, the successor to Mohammed.Yet the Empire''s fateful decision to support Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1914, despite its successfully defending itself for much of the war, doomed it to disaster, breaking it up into a series of European colonies and what emerged as an independent Saudi Arabia.Ryan Gingeras''s superb new book, published for the centenary of the last Sultan''s departure into exile, explains how these epochal events came about and shows how much we still live in the shadow of decisions taken so long ago. Would all of the Empire fall to marauding Allied armies, or could something be saved? In such an ethnically and religiously entangled region, what would be the price paid to create a cohesive and independent new state? The story of the creation of modern Turkey is an extraordinary, bitter epic, brilliantly told here.Trade ReviewThis epic account of Ottoman decline and the birth of modern Turkey is a tour de force of accessible scholarship. -- Fara Dabhoiwala * The Guardian *Gingeras takes an even-handed approach to each issue, while never making light of the horrendous tally of human suffering that emerges on every side. Turks have long been treated to an over-simplified account of their modern history. This book teaches the beginning of wisdom, which is that most human history, as it actually happened, was a terrible, bewildering mess. -- Noel Malcolm * The Telegraph *In his impressive centenary history, Ryan Gingeras recounts not just the death throes of the old realm but the painful emergence of Turkey as a nation state ... It is a complicated story that still reverberates under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Gingeras narrates it with lucid authority. -- Michael Prodger * New Statesman *Dispassionate and well-researched ... Gingeras sets out the twisting, turning story of decline through the later part of the 19th century. -- Peter Frankopan * Financial Times *Fruitful reflections on the enduring cultural legacy of the Ottomans, how their empire ended and what was lost when it did ... brings a welcome human lens to the story of the empire's disintegration. -- Vanessa H. Larson * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn this deeply-researched, fair-minded and highly readable account, Kurlantzick describes how China's attempt to create its own version of Al Jazeera failed on account of the turgid content it produced in an atmosphere of censorship. * Denis Staunton, Irish Times *Joshua Kurlantzick admits that much of China's international effort fails to attract audiences more accustomed to rigorous and convincing output. But, the author warns, China's leaders have proven to be consistently adaptable. In a world in which democracy appears ever more fragile, while media in liberal democracies suffer the effects of a collapsing business model and interfering proprietors, "telling China's story better" might prove to be worryingly more effective in the future. * Isabel Hilton, Times Literary Supplement *Given that Xi has explicitly stated the need to boost China's "discourse power," it is essential that targeted countries improve their understanding of what China is doing and build resilience within their societies, and Beijing's Global Media Offensive lays out a helpful set of recommendations for doing so...Kurlantzick also encourages democracies to double down on calling more attention to what China is up to, especially in struggling democracies. This book provides an excellent starting point for these efforts. * Kelley E. Currie, Journal of Democracy *ambitious ... The author painstakingly draws on scores of noteworthy studies and his own knowledge of Southeast Asia and beyond to construct a driving narrative. * Vivien Marsh *Foreign information campaigns in and against the United States are nothing new, but China's global effort is unprecedented in scale. This detailed assessment brings the threat into focus and suggests important ways to counteract it. * John Bolton, Former US National Security Advisor (2018-2019) and Former US Ambassador to the United Nations (2005-2006) *A highly illuminating narrative and a remarkable articulation of how China builds sharp power around the world and wield influence especially in developing countries. The book is a must-read for anyone trying to understand China's global information campaign. * Yun Sun, Director of China Program, the Stimson Center *In Beijing's Global Media Offensive, Joshua Kurlantzick has produced a lucid and penetrating investigation into the history, theory, and practice of China's global influence efforts. He shows that behind a veil of 'non-interference' in other nations' internal affairs, Beijing engages in a growing range of open and covert efforts to make friends, influence people, and shape foreign nations in ways supportive of its increasing global ambitions. Kurlantzick knows this terrain well, detailing the challenge posed by China's global media and influence efforts, and what the democratic world can do in response. Essential reading for a dawning era of superpower competition. * Sebastian Strangio, Southeast Asia editor at The Diplomat and author of In the Dragon's Shadow: Southeast Asia in the Chinese Century *This is a truly important book. Full of thoughtful insights and copious details, Joshua Kurlantzick has produced the missing link in our understanding of one of the most underappreciated geopolitical phenomena of our time: China's use of media and information tools to present itself to the world in a benign light while undermining the United States and other liberal democracies. Kurlantzick leads the way for an important reconsideration of how political motivations, rather than economic concerns, are now the main driver behind China's international engagement. * Joshua Eisenman, Associate Professor of Politics in the Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame *Kurlantzick has written a very comprehensive, accessible and timely account of China's efforts to expand its global media influence that will be of interest to anyone seeking a better understanding of China's rise to great power status. * Amitav Acharya, International Affairs *A very comprehensive, accessible and timely account of China's efforts to expand its global media influence that will be of interest to anyone seeking a better understanding of China's rise to great power status. * Amitav Acharya, International Affairs *Joshua Kurlantzick's new book is a timely contribution that arrives at a crucial juncture. * Hangwei Li, Asian Affairs 54.2 *In this deeply-researched, fair-minded and highly readable account, Kurlantzick describes how China's attempt to create its own version of Al Jazeera failed on account of the turgid content it produced in an atmosphere of censorship. * Denis Staunton *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Building a Giant - or a Giant Failure? Chapter 2: A Short Modern History of China's Soft- and Sharp-Power Approaches Chapter 3: The First Charm Offensive Sets the Stage for Today Chapter 4: Motivations for China's Modern Influence Campaign Chapter 5: Opportunities Chapter 6: The Soft-Power Tool Kit: Media and Information Coming Through the Front Door Chapter 7: Xinhua and Content-Sharing Deals: A Success Story Chapter 8: The Sharp-Power Tool Kit: Media and Information Slipping Through the Back Door Chapter 9: Controlling the Pipes Chapter 10: Old Fashioned Influence Chapter 11: China's Mixed Effectiveness Chapter 12: A Path Forward: Pushing Back against China's Information and Influence Activities

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Book Synopsis''If you are curious about what the financial Götterdämmerung might look like you''ve certainly come to the right place'' ForbesFinancial expert, investment advisor and New York Times bestselling author James Rickards reveals how the global elite are darkly concealing a coming catastrophe from investors, whilst protecting themselves from the fallout.------------------------------------------------------------------------If you want to plan for the risks ahead, you will need Rickards''s cutting-edge synthesis of behavioural economics, history, and complexity theory. It''s a guidebook to thinking smarter, acting faster and living with the comforting knowledge that your wealth is secure.

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Book SynopsisThe author is among the few to have witnessed at first hand the devastating reality of life in the failed and desperate state of Somalia. In this book, he takes us to the heart of the struggle, meeting everyone from politicians, pirates, extremists and mercenaries to aid workers, civilians and refugees.Trade ReviewOne of the best narratives of discovery I have read for years. The sense of place is acute, the characters and landscapes vivid ... rivals Ryszard Kapuscinski and Robert Byron at their best. -- Robert Fox * Evening Standard *Fergusson has a talent for shedding light in dark places. While most reporters have opted to stay away, Fergusson has risked his life to cover the ground and, an even greater achievement, succeeded in making the Somali mess understandable and relevant. It is this insight, alongside his harrowing account of life in the grief zone that gives Fergusson's book its power. -- Anthony Sattin * Observer *Essential reading for those who seek to counter the menace. With ingenuity and no little courage he has travelled far and wide, within Somalia and among the Somali diaspora in Britain and America, delving into the soul of a ravaged community. * The Economist *What [Fergusson] has done, with heroic tenacity and no little courage, is to spend much of the last two years wandering from one end of the country to the other, interviewing politicians and presidents, fighters and pirates, foreign advisers and security guards, and above all scores of ordinary Somalis, whose lives have been destroyed by 20 years of carnage and whose tales he eloquently recounts. An elegant writer, with a scholarly understanding of history, he brings to terrible light the catastrophe that is Somalia. -- Caroline Moorehead * The Spectator *Fergusson's book is an honest, illuminating and surprisingly funny account of his travels through a lawless land in which the lure of terrorism all too often proves irresistible. * Mail on Sunday *A perceptive and engaging account. * Guardian *Excellent. -- Mark Doyle * Observer *If you meet James Fergusson on your travels, look out, you are most definitely in the wrong place. The writer has earned something of a reputation as a specialist on the dark side of the troubled world in which we live. From the Balkans to Afghanistan and the modern-day hell that is sub-Saharan Africa, the adventurous journalist and best-selling author has put his life on the line to become a global authority on Al Qaeda, the Taliban, boy soldiers in Somalia - and the worst aspects of human behaviour in the most inhospitable and dangerous regions. -- Jim McBeth * Daily Mail *This book is one of the most detailed and illuminating books I have ever read. Comprehensive, detailed, and filled with information, this is an excellent read. Read this book. * Army Rumour Service (ARRSE) *Coruscating reportage... Fergusson is a great journalist, and such truly brilliant investigative work offers the seeds, the suggestions of remedies for the contagion beneath the reporter’s microscope. -- Roger Hutchinson * Scotsman *Riveting ... Fergusson rounds out this invaluable work by noting the glimmers of hope appearing * Publishers Weekly *[A] fine book... With his usual insouciant courage – for this country is not for the faint-hearted – Fergusson takes us on an invigorating journey through Somali life and history... wide-ranging and fascinating. -- Frank Ledwidge * RUSI journal *Exceptional... Fergusson vividly recounts the grotesque horrors of the endless war in Somalia while leavening his account with the gallows humor of some of the war’s participants. -- Nicolas van de Walle * Foreign Affairs magazine *

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Book SynopsisIn turbulent global times, your study of this subject is increasingly necessary and urgent. Featuring a new chapter on critical theories, and revised to take a less Eurocentric approach to concepts and case studies, this new edition allows you to tackle global politics' important concepts, debates and problems:-How can theories help us to understand the politics of a global pandemic?-Do we live in a post-truth' world of fake news' and disinformation?-Does international aid work? -Does the United States remain a global hegemon?-What is the Anthropocene and how does it shape global politics?-Are global politics constrained by a North-South' divide?-What are the possible futures of global politics and the politics of outer space?Delving into topics as diverse as anarchy, intersectionality, Confucianism, and neoconservatism, boxed features give you confidence in political analysis:-Focus on: learn more about the global colour line or the tragedy of the commons-Key figures: discuss the iTrade ReviewClear, intelligent, accessible and interesting – Heywood and Whitham represents the gold standard in global politics textbooks. * Jane Verbitsky, Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology *Global Politics is a clinical treatment of diverse themes and issues in global studies, international relations, and the vast array of cultural dynamics in a fast-changing world. The authors' interdisciplinary skills and unrelenting quest for excellence manifest in the demonstrated awareness of time and space. This book is an invaluable companion in the noble quest to transform our students into high-flying graduates and practitioners with proven intellectual acuities. I strongly recommend it to anyone passionate about training tomorrow's scholars, practitioners, and truly global citizens. * Dr Raphael Chijioke Njoku, Professor of History and Global Studies, Idaho State University, USA *Among the many university textbooks on international relations, Global Politics by Andrew Heywood stands out for its clarity, readability and balance. This new edition with Ben Whitham has been considerably expanded and updated, taking into account new developments in global politics and the academic study of International Relations. Global Politics remains an ideal guide for students to navigate their way through the complexities and uncertainties of world affairs. * André W.M. Gerrits, Professor of International Studies, Leiden University *This is an exciting and comprehensive introduction to the study and practice of global politics. Heywood and Whitham have done a superb job updating the text so that the theories, concepts, topics, and recent events of global politics are clearly relevant to students. Pedagogically, they have managed to present the material in a way that facilitates understanding and critical thinking. In a crowded market, Global Politics clearly stands out as a textbook that has distinct advantages over the others. * Brian C. Schmidt, Professor of Political Science, Carleton University, Canada *The third edition of Global Politics is an impressive achievement. Managing to be both comprehensive and accessible, Heywood and Whitham thoroughly cover the key theoretical and empirical debates of the field, illustrating complex ideas with relevant examples and case studies, and taking account of the true globality of international politics. This is an essential textbook that will bring international relations to life, for students and teachers alike. * Leonie Jackson, Northumbria University, UK *Global Politics provides an extensive and critical approach to the field. It marshals vignettes, comparative theoretical perspectives, and illustrations to apply the student to the implications of each chapter. It takes seriously postcolonial and critical theories that question the received wisdom of western scholars. As a result, it lays strong claim to being a truly global textbook for students of global politics. * - Paul S. Rowe, Professor of Political and International Studies, Trinity Western University *Heywood and Whitham do an excellent job in this third edition of Global Politics. The text has been revised and updated to be far more thorough and truly global. It now has a much broader range of themes and debates, and focuses on a wide range of theories and current developments. With its well-illustrated text enriched with key concepts, thinkers, figures, introducing diverse approaches, global actors, case studies, and perspectives, it is much more than an introductory textbook of international relations. This new edition will undoubtedly be an important book, inspiring students all over the world to pursue further studies. * Tuba Kanci, Kocaeli University, Turkey *Table of Contents1. Introducing Global Politics 2. The History of Global Politics 3. Traditional Theories of Global Politics 4. Critical Theories of Global Politics 5. The Economy in a Global Age 6. The State, the Individual and Foreign Policy in a Global Age 7. Society in a Global Age 8. Nations and Nationalisms in a Global Age 9. The Global Politics of Identity, Difference and Culture 10. Power and Twenty-First Century World Order 11. War and Peace 12. The Global Politics of Weapons of Mass Destruction 13. Terrorism 14. Human Rights and Humanitarian Intervention 15. International Law 16. Poverty, Development and Inequality 17. Global Environmental Issues 18. Women, Gender and Sexuality in Global Politics 19. International Organizations and the United Nations 20. Global Governance 21. Regionalism and Global Politics 22. Whose Global Politics?

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Book SynopsisA FINALIST FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITINGThe first book of reportage from the front line of the Ukraine war. This is a powerful, moving first draft of history written by the award-winning Guardian journalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Collusion and Shadow State.'An excellent, moving account of an ongoing tragedy.' ANNE APPLEBAUM'Compelling, important and heartbreaking.' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE'Essential reading.' ELIOT HIGGINS, founder of Bellingcat'Brilliant.' ANDREY KURKOVFor months, the omens had pointed in one scarcely believable direction: Russia was about to invade Ukraine. And yet, the world was stunned by the epochal scale of the assault that began in February 2022. It was an attempt by one nation to devour another.Invasion is Luke Harding's compelling chronicle of the war that changed everything. For this breathtaking work of reportage he spent months reporting on the ground during the build up to the conflict and afterward; his book tells of the initial days of shock and panic, the grim reality of this ongoing war, and the unheard human stories behind the headlines. Invasion also offers insightful portraits of the the war's two great personalities. One, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is an actor-turned-president who rallied support on a global stage. The other, Vladimir Putin, is a dictator who dwells in a strange and unreachable realm. Harding examines the ideological, religious and personal reasons behind Putin's decision to invade. And he confronts a crucial question: which side will prevail in this terrible war?With the ripple effects of the largest armed conflict in Europe since 1945 already being felt beyond Ukraine and Russia's borders, it is more vital than ever to understand how the situation on the front line will have profound effects for us all. Written in Luke Harding's starkly transfixing style, Invasion makes for essential reading.*Includes a brand new chapter for the paperback edition****Author royalties from this edition will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

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Book SynopsisFor a decade America’s share of the global economy has been in decline. Its diplomatic alliances are under immense strain, and any claim of moral leadership has been abandoned. America is still a colossus, possessing half the world’s manufacturing capacity, nearly half its military forces, and a formidable system of global surveillance and covert operations. But even at its peak it may have been sowing the seeds of its own destruction. Is it realistic to rely on the global order established after World War II, or are we witnessing the changing of the guard, with China emerging as the world’s economic and military powerhouse? America clings to its superpower status, but for how much longer?Trade Review‘A brilliant and deeply informed must-read for anyone seriously interested in geopolitics, the history of Empire, and the shape of the future.’ -- New York Journal of Books‘A profound meditation on the nature of American state power.’ -- James A. Robinson, Dr. Richard L. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies, University of Chicago, and co-author of Why Nations Fail‘McCoy’s detailed, panoramic analysis…joins the essential short list of scrupulous historical and comparative studies of the United States as an…imperial power.’ -- John Dower, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Embracing Defeat and War Without Mercy‘Persuasively argues for the inevitable decline of the American empire and the rise of China… Powerful.’ -- Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sympathizer‘One of our best and most underappreciated historians takes a hard look at the truth of our empire, both its covert activities and the reasons for its impending decline.’ -- Oliver Stone‘“What is the character of this American empire?” Alfred McCoy asks at the outset of this provocative study. His answer not only limns the contours of the American imperium as it evolved during the twentieth century, but explains why its days are quite likely numbered. This is history with profound relevance to events that are unfolding before our eyes.’ -- Andrew J. Bacevich, author of America’s War for the Greater Middle East‘A meticulous, eye-opening account of the rise, since 1945, and impending premature demise of the American Century of world domination.’ -- Ann Jones, author of They Were Soldiers‘Sobering reading for geopolitics mavens and Risk aficionados alike.’ * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisRobert Fisk’s bestselling eyewitness account of the events that have shaped the Middle East is alive with vivid reporting and incisive historical analysis. The history of the Middle East is an epic story of tragedy, betrayal and world-shaking events. It is a story that Robert Fisk has been reporting for over thirty years. His masterful narrative spans the most volatile regions of the Middle East, chronicling with both rage and compassion the death by deceit of tens of thousands of Muslims, Christians and Jews. Robert Fisk’s remarkable history is also the tale of a journalist at war – learning of the 9/11 attacks while aboard a passenger jet, reporting from a bombed-out Baghdad, interviewing Osama bin Laden – and of the courage and frustration of a life spent writing the first draft of history.Trade Review‘For sheer bravery, dazzling prose, three interviews with Osama bin Laden and an unrivalled collection of awards won over three decades, there is nobody to match Robert Fisk. This book is his testament.’ Sunday Times ‘Brilliant…powerfully written.’ Independent on Sunday ‘A remarkable book.’ New Statesman ‘Fisk writes with a marvellous resource of image and language. His investigative reporting is lethally painstaking.’ Neal Ascherson, Independent ‘His forte is straight reporting, such as his three interviews with Osama bin Laden. At least as good are his meetings with Saddam Hussein, Khomeini and Sadeq Khalkhali, the hanging judge of the Iranian revolution, and his close-ups of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the launch of Saddam's war against Iran, an ambush by Islamists of an Algerian police patrol, and a lift into trouble in an Apache attack helicopter on the Iraq/Turkey border.’ Guardian ‘A mammoth and magisterial work, the definitive summation of what has gone wrong in the West’s foreign policies towards Arabia.’ Scottish Sunday Herald ‘A stimulating and absorbing book, by a man who speaks Arabic, who has known the region better than most, and has met the leading players, from bin Laden to Ahmad Chalabi. A formidable production.’ New York Times ‘Full of furious, vivid and highly personalised writing…An important book by an intrepid and talented writer.’ Literary Review ‘Vivid, graphic, intense and very personal…this is a book of unquestionable importance.’ Washington Post

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Book SynopsisSIR ROBIN NIBLETT is a leading expert on international relations. He is a distinguished fellow at Chatham House, after spending 15 years as its Director and Chief Executive until 2022, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, and a senior fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute. He is also a senior adviser at Hakluyt, the global strategic advisory firm, and regularly advises businesses and other organisations on the implications of today's changing geopolitics.

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Book Synopsis‘Heavily sourced, crisply written and deeply alarming.’ The Times ‘This is a remarkable book with a chilling message.’ Guardian The Chinese Communist Party is determined to reshape the world in its image. Its decades-long infiltration of the West threatens democracy, human rights, privacy, security and free speech. Throughout North America and Europe, political and business elites, Wall Street, Hollywood, think tanks, universities and the Chinese diaspora are being manipulated with money, pressure and privilege. Hidden Hand reveals the myriad ways the CCP is fulfilling its dream of undermining liberal values and controlling the world.Trade Review‘A remarkable book with a chilling message… The book’s convincing message is plain… Everyone must stay on their guard.’ -- Will Hutton, Guardian‘Revelatory… A detailed and necessary examination.’ * Sunday Times *‘Hidden Hand is heavily sourced, crisply written and deeply alarming.’ * The Times *'Hidden Hand should be required reading for our diplomats, intelligence analysts, military officers and businesspeople.' * The Australian *'An in-depth explanation of how China conducts its operations to gain important knowledge – ranging from tech secrets to financial information.' * International Business Times *'It takes courage to prod somnolent liberal democracies out of their complacent and dangerous incomprehension of the CCP. We are in Hamilton’s and Ohlberg’s debt.' -- Journal of Democracy'[Hidden Hand] should be required reading for anyone working in government and policy, the private sector, or media — really, for anyone with a stake in resisting the shadowy machinations of a totalitarian regime that seeks to exert its will on free societies.' * National Review *

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Book SynopsisAN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEARHumanity's embrace of openness is the key to our success. The freedom to explore and exchange - whether it's goods, ideas or people - has led to stunning achievements in science, technology and culture. As a result, we live at a time of unprecedented wealth and opportunity. So why are we so intent on ruining it?From Stone Age hunter-gatherers to contemporary Chinese-American relations, Open explores how across time and cultures, we have struggled with a constant tension between our yearning for co-operation and our profound need for belonging. Providing a bold new framework for understanding human history, bestselling author and thinker Johan Norberg examines why we're often uncomfortable with openness - but also why it is essential for progress. Part sweeping history and part polemic, this urgent book makes a compelling case for why an open world with an open economy is worth fighting for more than ever.Trade ReviewClear, colourful and convincing, marshalling evidence from a range of eras and civilisations. [...] The author is often amusing as well as illuminating. * The Economist *No person or society is smart enough or wise enough or noble enough to solve the wicked problems of life by themselves. With clarity and grace, Johan Norberg reminds us that openness to things and ideas from others is the only route to well-being. * Steven Pinker *If we are to recover from the pandemic of 2020, the world needs openness more than ever: open minds, open hearts, open communications, open markets. Johan Norberg's superb book demonstrates, with hundreds of examples, how openness has been the key to the success of our species over 10,000 years and is the secret of prosperity and peace today. * Matt Ridley, author of The Rational Optimist *Johan Norberg has a great story to tell: how, throughout history, open societies have always closed down, but never for good. The tension between closed and open, between trading and tribalism drives both progress and reaction. Why are the virtues and benefits of openness always under threat? We can't live without it, yet too often it seems that we can't live with it either. Norberg has a powerful argument to give us insight and hope that man's curiosity and imagination is unstoppable. * Margaret Heffernan, author of Wilful Blindness *Norberg's excellent book tells us that openness is more than a defensive reaction to those who want to close borders to migrants, trade and new ideas... [it is] a deeply rooted trait that has played a major role in the success of individuals, nations and humanity itself. * Vince Cable *Johan Norberg makes a compelling case that we all thrive -- in every sense -- on 'open'... This is big thinking that deserves everyone's attention. * Michael Blastland, author of The Hidden Half *Johan Norberg reminds us that every great civilization has been destroyed by the end of openness. His essential book, then, is a timely reminder that the fate of our civilization rests on a defense of openness. Strongly recommended. * Andrew Keen, author of The Internet Is Not The Answer *A prophet of anti-pessimism. -- Simon Jenkins * Guardian *This book is a blast of good sense. * The Economist on Progress *Norberg has a strong case and he makes it with energy and charm. A pertinent book for grumpy times. * The Times on Progress *Table of Contents0: Traders and tribalists 1: Open exchange 2: Open doors 3: Open minds 4: Open societies 5: Us and them 6: Zero-sum 7: Anticipatory anxiety 8: Fight or flight 9: Open or closed?

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Book SynopsisBurma is currently ruled by a harsh dictatorship unmoved by Western activists and sanctions. It is also the sight of the longest-running conflict in the world. Drawing both on his own family''s stories and his years of hands-on political experience working with the United Nations, Thant Myint-U has written an illuminating account of how Burma''s rich past informs its violent present, and of how the world might transform the country''s future. In The River of Lost Footsteps, Thant Myint-U tells the story of modern Burma, in part through a telling of his own family''s history, in an interwoven narrative that is by turns lyrical, dramatic, and appalling. His maternal grandfather, U Thant, rose from being the schoolmaster of a small town in the Irrawaddy Delta to become the UN secretary-general in the 1960s. And on his father''s side, the author is descended from a long line of courtiers who served at Burma''s Court of Ava for nearly two centuries. Through their stories aTrade Review"'It is hard to imagine a more thought-provoking or eloquently written elucidation of Burma's afflictions and their causes - nor one more heartfelt.' Sunday Times"

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Book Synopsis From a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist specializing in the Middle East, this groundbreaking account of the Syrian Civil War reveals the never-before-published true story of a 21st-century humanitarian disaster. In spring 2011, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad turned to his friend and army commander, Manaf Tlass, for advice about how to respond to Arab Spring-inspired protests. Tlass pushed for conciliation but Assad decided to crush the uprising -- an act which would catapult the country into an eight-year long war, killing almost half a million and fueling terrorism and a global refugee crisis. Assad or We Burn the Country examines Syria''s tragedy through the generational saga of the Assad and Tlass families, once deeply intertwined and now estranged in Bashar''s bloody quest to preserve his father''s inheritance. By drawing on his own reporting experience in Damascus and exclusive interviews with Tlass, Dagher takes readers within palace walls to reveal the family behind the destruction of a country and the chaos of an entire region. Dagher shows how one of the world''s most vicious police states came to be and explains how a regional conflict extended globally, engulfing the Middle East and pitting the United States and Russia against one another. Timely, propulsive, and expertly reported, Assad or We Burn the Country is the definitive account of this global crisis, going far beyond the news story that has dominated headlines for years.

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Book SynopsisFor decades, Hong Kong has maintained precarious freedom at the edge of competing world powers. In City on the Edge, Ho-fung Hung offers a timely and engaging account of Hong Kong''s development from precolonial times to the present, with particular focus on the post 1997 handover period. Through careful analysis of vast economic data, a myriad of political events, and intricate networks of actors and ideas, Hung offers readers insight into the fraught economic, political, and social forces that led to the 2019 uprising, while situating the protests in the context of global finance and the geopolitics of the US-China rivalry. A provocative contribution to the discussion on Hong Kong''s position in today''s world, City on the Edge demonstrates that the resistance and repression of 2019-2020 does not spell the end of Hong Kong but the beginning of a long conflict with global repercussions.Trade Review'At a time when many of Hong Kong's freedoms seem to have been extinguished, Ho-fung Hung brings historical knowledge and a deft analysis of capital to show that the desire for liberal values in the city is by no means dead and that a new more hopeful phase for Hong Kong may yet emerge.' Rana Mitter, Oxford University'A powerful book packed with incisive and informative analyses, animated by a deep and intimate understanding of the local people and society. Hung's masterful narrative places Hong Kong's storied history in global, regional, national and comparative perspectives. At a time of looming darkness and despair, this is essential reading for making sense of the past and forging a brave new future.' Ching Kwan Lee, UCLA & Founding Chair of the Society for Hong Kong Studies'… meticulous and informative … an illuminating look at an issue of grave geopolitical import.' Publishers Weekly'… a penetrating analysis of the city's evolution … Hung insists that the struggle for the future of Hong Kong has not ended. But his analysis of how Hong Kong arrived at this bleak state is so persuasive that it doesn't leave the reader with much hope.' Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs'a deeply researched and colourful history' Victor Mallet, Financial Times'… a timely and carefully researched expose of how China botched its stewardship of Hong Kong after taking over the British colony in 1997.' Ian Johnson, The New York Review of BooksTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. At Empires' Edge, 1197–1997; Part I. Capital: 3. The Making of China's Offshore Financial Center; 4. Mainlandization of Business Monopoly; Part II. Empire: 5. 'One Country, Two Systems' Before Hong Kong; 6. From Autonomy to Coercive Assimilation; Part III. Resistance: 7. The Class Politics of Democratic Movement; 8. Hong Kong as a Political Consciousness; 9. Conclusion: Endgame or New Beginning?

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Book Synopsis''Smart. Informative. Overdue'' Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google Political risk - the probability that a political action could significantly affect an organisation - is changing fast, and it''s more widespread than ever before.In the past, the chief concern used to be whether a foreign dictator would nationalise the country''s oil industry. Today, political risk stems from a widening array of agents, from Twitter users and terrorists to hackers and insurgents. What''s more, the very institutions and laws that are supposed to reduce uncertainty and risk often increase it instead. This means that in today''s globalised world there are no ''safe'' bets. Political risk affects companies and organisations of all sizes, operating everywhere from London to Lahore, even if they don''t know it.Political Risk investigates and analyses this shifting landscape, suggests what businesses can do to navigate it, and explains how all of us can better Trade Review'Rice and Zegart's Political Risk should be read by every business leader. Well-written and chock-full of compelling case stories wrapped inside a coherent conceptual framework, Political Risk gets and keeps your attention, page after page. We cannot predict the future, but - with the help of this marvellous masterwork - we can prepare for it' -- Jim Collins, author of Good to Great and co-author of Great by Choice and Built to Last'Smart. Informative. Overdue. Will completely change the way you think about political risk' -- Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google and Alphabet, Inc.'This book is truly excellent, both for tracing how far the political risk field has come in the last two decades, and how much further it has left to go' -- Ian Bremmer, president, Eurasia GroupClearly written and timely, this book will interest not only current and future business executives but also would-be-whistle-blowers and corporate watchdogs * Publishers Weekly *'Secretary Rice and Dr Zegart have melded their professional experiences of managing political risk at the highest levels with other case studies into a uniquely useful and profound book' -- Frederick W. Smith, chairman & CEO, FedEx Corporation

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Book SynopsisFrom the dawn of the atomic age to today, nuclear weapons have been central to the internal dynamics of US alliances in Europe and Asia. But nuclear weapons cooperation in US alliances has varied significantly between allies and over time. This book explores the history of America’s nuclear posture worldwide, delving into alliance structures and interaction during and since the end of the Cold War to uncover the underlying dynamics of nuclear weapons cooperation between the US and its allies.Combining in-depth empirical analysis with an accessible theoretical lens, the book reveals that US allies have wielded significant influence in shaping nuclear weapons cooperation with the US in ways that reflect their own, often idiosyncratic, objectives. Alliances are ecosystems of exchange rather than mere tools of external balancing, the book argues, and institutional perspectives can offer an unprecedented insight into how structured cooperation can promote policy convergence.Trade Review'Long a footnote to US nuclear strategy, extended deterrence is rising in salience and urgency as the United States and its allies contend with a deteriorating security environment. This important new study combines historical research, political science, and policy analysis to generate valuable new insights into past and present practices in both Europe and Asia and thereby lays the foundation for future policy development.'Brad Roberts, Director of the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California'Partners in deterrence offers a fresh perspective on an enduring question: what motivates states to form nuclear alliances? As US alliances in Europe and Asia face growing nuclear threats, strategists would be well-served to understand what brings in security partners - and what helps them stay. This book makes a valuable contribution, blending classic theory with meticulous examination of well-selected case studies to explain contemporary nuclear alliances. By going beyond the traditional fixation on proximate security threats as the main driver of nuclear alliances, the book widens the aperture of contemporary debates, providing a valuable perspective for academics and policymakers alike.'Matthew Kroenig, Professor of Government and Foreign Service at Georgetown University and the author of The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Realism, institutionalism, and nuclear weapons cooperation2 Nuclear sharing and mutual dependence: Germany and NATO nuclear weapons cooperation3 Local accommodation: Norway and nuclear weapons cooperation in NATO4 Security at arm’s length: US–Japan nuclear weapons cooperation5 Assurance and abandonment: Nuclear weapons in the US–South Korea alliance6 Informal bargaining: Nuclear weapons cooperation and the US–Australia alliance7 Understanding the drivers of nuclear weapons cooperationIndex

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Book SynopsisWhen you fill up your car, install your furniture or choose a wedding ring, do you ever consider the human cost of your consumables? There is a war raging in the heartlands of Peru, waged on the land by the global industries plundering the Amazon and the Andes. In Saweto, charismatic activist Edwin Chota returns to his ashaninka roots, only to find that his people can't hunt for food because the animals have fled the rainforest to escape the chainsaw cacophony of illegal logging. Farmer Maxima Acuña is trying to grow potatoes and catch fish on the land she bought from her uncle - but she's sitting on top of a gold mine, and the miners will do anything to prove she's occupying her home illegally. The awajun community of the northern Amazon drink water contaminated with oil; child labourer Osman Cuñachí's becomes internationally famous when a photo of him drenched in petrol as part of the clean-up efforts makes it way around the world. Joseph Zárate's stunning work of documentary takes three of Peru's most precious resources - gold, wood and oil - and exposes the tragedy, violence and corruption tangled up in their extraction. But he also draws us in to the rich, surprising world of Peru's indigenous communities, of local heroes and singular activists, of ancient customs and passionate young environmentalists. Wars of the Interior is a deep insight into the cultures alive in the vanishing Amazon, and a forceful, shocking exposé of the industries destroying this land.

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Book SynopsisChina’s Belt and Road strategy is acknowledged to be the most ambitious geopolitical initiative of the age. Covering almost seventy countries by land and sea, it will affect every element of global society, from shipping to agriculture, digital economy to tourism, politics to culture. Most importantly, it symbolises a new phase in China’s ambitions as a superpower: to remake the world economy and crown Beijing as the new centre of capitalism and globalisation. Bruno Maçães traces this extraordinary initiative’s history, highlighting its achievements to date, and its staggering complexity. He asks whether Belt and Road is about more than power projection and profit. Might it herald a new set of universal political values, to rival those of the West? Is it, in fact, the story of the century?Trade Review'China’s emerging mastery of the Eurasian trade zone is described in visionary, granular detail.'‘Maçães . . . is one of our chaotic times’ most fertile brains . . . across Asia things are on the move, in large part because of Chinese ambition, and he is right to be excited about it.’'Stimulating.'‘A masterful overview of China’s Belt and Road project . . . it’s a fascinating, intriguing and terrifying story, and Maçães tells it superbly.’‘The author has an engaging, animated writing style . . . recommended reading for those who are curious about who will rule the world when the US empire recedes.’'This is a remarkably insightful and comprehensive review of China's Belt and Road Initiative, with all its implications for economic development as well as for the reshaping of the global order. America and Europe: take note! This is essential reading for us all.' -- Stephen Green, former chairman of HSBC'This book shows the impressive and ambitious planning of a project that would redraw the map of the global economy to put China at the centre with a transnational industrial strategy of value chain dominance.''Bruno Macaes writes with great felicity on the expansive Chinese effort to transform the global order. His insights capture a critical moment in the evolution of world politics.'‘Bruno Macaes describes a changing world order with great verve and clarity. 'Belt and Road' is a vital compass for this change, describing how the formation of 'Eurasia' and the creation of world changing trading routes reset the allocation of economic and political influence.’'In Belt and Road, Bruno Maçāes sees the reach and influence of the West diminishing over the next thirty years.' -- The Financial Times'A timely output … It will be helpful to China scholars as well as students who are keen to understand and undertake research in this area.’ -- Asian Affairs Journal

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Book SynopsisAmid pervasive and toxic language, and equally ugly ideas, suggesting that migrants are invaders and human mobility is an aberration, one might imagine that human beings are naturally sedentary: that the desire to move from one's birthplace is abnormal. As the contributors to this volume attest, however, migration and human mobility are part and parcel of the world we live in, and the continuous flow of people and exchange of cultures are as old as the societies we have built together. Together, the chapters in this volume emphasise the diversity of the origins, consequences and experiences of human mobility in the Middle East. From multidisciplinary perspectives and through case studies, the contributors offer the reader a deeper understanding of current as well as historical incidences of displacement and forced migration. In addition to offering insights on multiple root causes of displacement, the book also addresses the complex challenges of host-refugee relations, migrants' integration and marginalisation, humanitarian agencies, and the role and responsibility of states. Cross-cutting themes bind several chapters together: the challenges of categories; the dynamics of control and contestation between migrants and states at borders; and the persistence of identity issues influencing regional patterns of migration.Trade Review'This collection is both a timely and significant contribution to our understanding of what makes movement and mobility a defining feature of contemporary life in the Middle East.' -- Dawn Chatty, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology and Forced Migration, University of Oxford'Babar has skillfully assembled an impressive collection of case studies on voluntary and involuntary mobility in the Middle East. A valuable contribution to the debate on how states and non-state actors instrumentalise migration, displacement and statelessness.' -- Abdulhadi Khalaf, Professor of Sociology, Lund University'This volume is timely and essential as more borders harden, economies and societies struggle with refugees, and war continues to cause human suffering in the Middle East. An excellent read and a must-have resource for scholars in the field.' -- Jane Bristol-Rhys, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Zayed University Abu Dhabi, and author of 'Emirati Women'

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Book SynopsisWhen Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, millions of lives changed in an instant.Millions of people were suddenly on the move. In this great flow of people was a reporter from the north of Scotland. Jen Stout left Moscow abruptly, ending up on a border post in southeast Romania, from where she began to cover the human cost of Russian aggression. Her first-hand, vivid reporting brought the war home to readers in Scotland as she reported from front lines and cities across Ukraine. Stories from the night trains, birthday parties, military hospitals and bunkers: stories from the ground, from a writer with a deep sense of empathy, always seeking to understand the bigger picture, the big questions of identity, history, hopes and fears in this war in Europe.Night Train to Odesa begins in Russia and continues to focus on people, relationships and individuals in Ukraine. It is the account of a young female reporter with no institutional backup or security. Both in language and themes, it is acce

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Book SynopsisThe Times and Financial Times Book of the Year'Enticing' Sunday Times 'Engaging' Financial Times 'Essential' Reid Hoffman___As technology accelerates, the human mind struggles to keep up - and our companies, workplaces and democracies get left behind. This is the exponential gap.Now, a leading technologist explores how this exponential gap is rewiring our world - and reveals how we should respond.___'The sheer might of technology giants is one of the great challenges of our time . . . Azeem Azhar's excellent book Exponential offers some solutions' Amol Rajan, BBC News'Azhar has a knack for interrogating and inverting conventional thinking . . . A convincing case that something extraordinary is taking place in business and society' Economist'Deft and clear-eyed . . . Perhaps Azhar's most valuable insight is that conservatively managing the individual risks posed by new technologies will not suffice' Financial Times'Speaks powerfully about how we need to shape technology to put it back in the service of society' Guardian'Valuable and timely . . . A diligent and comprehensive definition of a new phase in human affairs' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewValuable and timely . . . The importance of the book lies in its diligent and comprehensive definition of a new phase in human affairs . . . An enticing and necessary read. * Sunday Times *As a primer on our latest multi-dimensional technological revolution and how it is rewriting the rules of society, economics and politics, this book is hard to beat. -- Books of the Year * Financial Times *The exponentially growing mismatch between the tools available to democracies and the sheer might of technology giants is one of the great challenges of our time . . . Azeem Azhar's excellent book Exponential offers some solutions. -- Amol Rajan * BBC News *As high-tech innovation accelerates in ways that deliver huge benefits to society but also create unique challenges, Azeem Azhar delivers a comprehensive but lively take on the key issues informing what he calls the Exponential Age. It's an essential addition to the ongoing discourse about where these remarkable new technologies can take us, and where we should be aiming to go. Highly recommended! -- Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and author of BLITZSCALINGWhile many talk about the rate of innovation, too few talk about its direction. Azeem's new book helps bring that directionality to the surface through a dynamic understanding of the connections between economic, social and technological forces. Read this book if you are interested in how we can design a more inclusive and sustainable system with a re-direction of technological change at its centre. -- Mariana Mazzucato, UCL professor and author of THE VALUE OF EVERYTHING and MISSION ECONOMYA sweeping, engaging, nuanced, and ultimately conflicted look at how recent innovations in computing and other emerging technologies have radically transformed human existence, with consequences that we can hardly fathom . . . A deft and clear-eyed treatment of complex issues such as globalisation and the future of automation . . . Perhaps Azhar's most valuable insight is that conservatively managing the individual risks posed by new technologies will not suffice. * Financial Times *Azeem Azhar is one of the best-regarded thought leaders in the industry. But more importantly, he has a broad understanding of the exponential ways technology can be used to solve our biggest problems, shape our society, and bridge cultural divides. -- Daniel Ek, founder and CEO of SpotifyAzeem Azhar is a globally recognised voice on technology and its impact. He has written a fascinating and important book, required reading for anyone seeking to understand the new economy and the massive global corporations that seek to dominate that economy. -- Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive, Royal Society of ArtsAzhar is unapologetically bullish about the power of technology . . . He speaks powerfully about how we need to shape technology to put it back in the service of society. * Guardian *Brilliant. -- Anil Seth, author of BEING YOUEvery generation fears technology is changing frighteningly fast. Usually it is hyperbole, the fear of the unknown. But today technological shifts are posing challenges to our security, our democracies, our way of life, our sanity. Azeem Azhar's brilliant book demystifies these exponentially fast changes and - importantly - shows how the chronic volatility can be harnessed for good. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how to reclaim a good society from the snapping jaws of looming chaos. -- Robert PestonWe are living through a period of unprecedented technological change . . . Exponential offers a new framework for understanding the impact of technology on the economy, politics and the future. * Forbes *A powerful argument . . . Azhar's writing is informative and accessible, and his prescient ideas are only going to become more important. -- Hannah Fry, BBC Radio 4 presenter and author of HELLO WORLDA details-rich journey from the discovery of the first transistor in 1947 to the arrival of TikTok. * Reuters *Azhar has a knack for interrogating and inverting conventional thinking . . . A convincing case that something extraordinary is taking place in business and society. * Economist *A celebration of the world-changing impact of computing technologies . . . Azhar meticulously and smartly makes his case. * MIT Technology Review *Excellent. * Forbes *A tremendous new book which has far-reaching implications. -- Ian Goldin, Founding Director, University of Oxford Martin SchoolAs a primer on our latest multi-dimensional technological revolution and how it is rewriting the rules of society, economics and politics, this book is hard to beat. -- Books of the Year * Financial Times *How tech companies conquered the world and how their thirst for endless growth shapes the way they operate . . . Heralds an eventful, if rather alarming, new phase in human history. -- Books of the Year * The Times *

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Book SynopsisA history of Russian violence waged against Ukraine across the centuries. Russia''s brutal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world. And yet this attack was in fact the latest episode in a centuries-long Russian campaign. In Intent to Destroy, leading scholar of genocide and Eastern Europe Eugene Finkel uncovers the deep roots of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Ever since the rise of Russian nationalism in the nineteenth century, the domination of this key borderland has become a cornerstone of Russian and Soviet policy. Using genocidal tactics - killings, deportations, starvation and cultural destruction - against ethnic Ukrainians and minorities including Tatars, Jews and Poles, Russia''s long-standing policy has aimed to obliterate Ukrainian identity. This eradication has consistently been a part of the Kremlin playbook and leads inexorably to the violence we see today. Told with the astonishing power of Finkel''s connection to this living h

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Book SynopsisBetween 1968 and 1975, there was a subtle thawing of relations between East and West, for which Brezhnev coined the name Détente, and perhaps a chance to end the Cold War. The leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union, Richard Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev, hoped to forge a new relationship between East and West. Yet, the greatest changes of the era took place outside the sphere of international diplomacy. The 1960s brought social collision across the world, from the anti-war protests in America to the student demonstrations on the streets of Paris, and Mao Zedong''s Red Guards in China. A new generation, whom advertising executives dubbed the baby-boomers, brought new attitudes to towards sex, gender, race, the environment and religion. In this book, Richard Crowder explores the years of Détente, and introduces us to the key players of the era, whose stories form the narrative of this book.Trade ReviewA sweeping and evocative account of the Cold War’s thaw… It’s fast-moving, engaging and authoritative in equal measure. 5 stars. * All About History *Richard Crowder’s broad-ranging account of ‘détente’, the comparative relaxation of Cold War tension which lasted from the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 to the American withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975, shows in colourful, lively and meticulous detail how Nixon and Brezhnev constructed fragile barriers against mutual annihilation, even while one was coping with a violently divided America and the other with an increasingly dysfunctional Soviet Union. * Rodric Braithwaite *Richard Crowder has managed to write about these turbulent years in vivid detail in a way that combines serious research and readability. * Richard Harries, Baron Harries of Pentregarth *Richard Crowder possesses a rich array of gifts which carry his fascinating story with zest and insight—a mix of his sense of moment, character and context all enhanced by his insider’s feel for diplomacy and statecraft. Roll on volume three of this fascinating cold war narrative. * Peter Hennessy, Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: Seeing Glory Chapter Two: Time Ending Chapter Three: Coming Darkness Chapter Four: The Cock Crows Chapter Five: Courage to Change Chapter Six: The Topmost Branch Chapter Seven: Hurting Each Other Chapter Eight: Sweet Rain Chapter Nine: Monster Rising Chapter Ten: The Humiliated Men Chapter Eleven: Awful Wisdom Chapter Twelve: Horizon of Dreams

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