Geopolitics Books

Book SynopsisOffers a behind-the-scenes account of the little-known role played by the US embassy in Prague in the collapse of communism in what was then Czechoslovakia. Featuring fifty-two newly declassified diplomatic cables, the book shows how the staff of the embassy worked with dissident groups and negotiated with the communist government.

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Book Synopsis A vision of a European future of peace and stability despite the present gloom The world appears to be at another major turning point. Tensions between the United States and China threaten a resumption of great power conflict. Global institutions are being tested as never before, and hard-edged nationalism has resurfaced as a major force in both democracies and authoritarian states. From the European perspective, the United States appears to be abdicating its global leadership role. Meanwhile, Moscow and Beijing eagerly exploit every opportunity to pit European partners against one another. But a pivot point also offers the continent an opportunity to grow stronger. In World in Danger, Wolfgang Ischinger, Germany''s most prominent diplomat, offers a vision of a European future of peace and stability. Ischinger examines the root causes of the current conflicts and suggests how Europe can successfully address the most urgent challenges facing the continent. The European Union, he suggests, is poised to become a more powerful actor on the world stage, able to shape global politics while defending the interests of its 500 million citizens. This important book offers a practical vision of a Europe fully capable of navigating these turbulent times.

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Book SynopsisAre countries truly reconciled after successful conflict resolution? Are only resource-rich regions capable of reconciliation, while supposedly resource-poor ones are condemned to recurring conflicts? This book examines the availability of various resources for political reconciliation, and explores how they are utilized in overcoming particular obstacles during the process. While the existing literature focus on themes such as justice, apology and resentment, the analysis here is centered on intellectual resources in terms of ideas, memory cultures, master narratives, economic incentives, civil society initiatives and object lessons. The research and comparative research in this volume are conducted by renowned regional experts from South Africa to the Asia-Pacific, thus providing multidisciplinary perspectives and new insight on the subject. Table of ContentsNotes on contributorsAcknowledgementsIntroduction: Resources for Reconciling with the PastPART I: RECONCILIATION RESOURCES AND OBSTACLES1. South Africa’s Reconciliation Process: Tools, Resources and Obstacles in the Journey to Deal With Its Atrocious Past Amity Symbolism as a Resource for Conflict Resolution. The Case of Franco-German Relations 2. Forget and Forgive? Central European Memory Cultures, Models of Reconciliation and Polish-German Relations 3. Apology and Confession: Comparing Sino-Japanese and German-Jewish Intellectual Resources for Reconciliation 4. Ruist Traditions of Revenge and Alternative Resources for Ruist-inspired Reconciliation 5. Tanabe Hajime on Repentance and Reconciliation: An Analysis of Philosophy as MetanoeticsPART II: REGIONAL EXPERIENCE AND COMPARISON6. Reconciliation Theory and the East Asian Context 7. Challenges of Teaching International Reconciliation in Japan and Korea: A Comparative Perspective 8. Altered States of Consciousness: Identity Politics and Prospects for Taiwan-Hong Kong-Mainland Reconciliation 9. Wrestling with the Past: Reconciliation, Apology and Settling History in Australia and New Zealand 10. Comparing Polish-German and Polish-Russian Reconciliation Efforts 11. France and Algeria: Conflict, Cooperation and ConciliationIndex

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Book SynopsisMikael Weissmann is Associate Professor, Head of Research at the Land Operations Section and Co-Convener of the Hybrid Warfare Research Group in the Department of Military Studies at the Swedish Defence University, Sweden.Niklas Nilsson is Assistant Professor and Co-Convener of the Hybrid Warfare Research Group in the Department of Military Studies at the Swedish Defence University, Sweden.1. Björn Palmertz is Senior Analyst, CATS, Swedish Defence University, Sweden.Trade ReviewThis collection of essays on international hybrid threats and proper responses is a veritable cornucopia of empirical research findings and analytic insights, in the manner of so much good research and writing coming out of Sweden on matters of war and peace. With a wide array of authors from the world’s democracies, the contributions in this volume will be attractive to professionals and the public alike who are interested in the gray zone falling between outright war and peace in this trouble world---the space that Russia likes to operate within, for example, as Moscow attempts to manipulate Western opinion and undermine the open societies. One of the volume’s great strengths is its melding of thinking on this subject by both scholars and practitioners. Fascinating, too, are a series of case studies included among the chapters, with probes into hybrid threats and warfare as seen from the perspectives of China, Iran, Russia, the United States, and several other illustrations. The relevance, thoughtfulness, and practicality of this book cannot be overstated. * Loch K. Johnson, Regents Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia, USA *The new form of global competition being waged in the Grey Zone between peace and war is a struggle for our minds. This curated collection of articles by international experts in hybrid warfare is a timely warning of what is at stake for us in the digital age. Read it to find out what we must do to defend ourselves and our democracy. * Professor Sir David Omand, former UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator and Director of GCHQ *War is not what it used to be in the industrial age. As we are entering the digital age, we often find ourselves in a grey zone of contest, conflict and confrontation where a wide array of means are used to influence, disrupt and sometimes - although more seldom - also to destruct. This collection helps us to understand and to navigate in today’s far more complex reality with an ongoing contest between the different rising and declining powers of our time. * Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister (1991-1994) and Foreign Minister (2006-2014) of Sweden. Currently Co-Chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations *The edited volume Hybrid warfare: Security and Asymmetric Conflict in International Relations provides timely summary of conceptual origins of the hybrid war within the western research community, accompanied with insightful analysis of how this concept has been interpreted in Russia, Iran and China. The key contribution of the volume for further expert and policy debate is however combination of conceptually oriented research with the high-quality empirical analyses. The latter highlight concrete cases of hybrid war, focusing on the methods used (from informational, cyber to military) as well as on the efforts to counter hybrid war in different political contexts. The Hybridity Blizzard Model developed by the authors provides a good overview of the complexity of the problem. * Katri Pynnöniemi, Assistant Professor and holder of the Mannerheim Chair of Russian Security Studies at the University of Helsinki and National Defence University, Finland *Hybrid Warfare is one of the most misunderstood concepts in modern security studies, this volume goes a long way towards clearing up the confusion by providing a viable path towards understanding the evolution of warfare. Western nations will face the challenge of hybrid threats well into the future because of the opportunity new methods of political warfare offer, the "blizzard" is coming for us all. * Brandon Valeriano, Bren Chair of Military Innovation at the Marine Corps University *Table of ContentsForeword - Amb. Fredrik Löjdquist, Ambassador and Special Envoy for Countering Hybrid Threats, Sweden 1. Security Challenges in the Grey Zone: Hybrid Threats and Hybrid WarfareDr. Niklas Nilsson, Dr. Mikael Weissmann, Björn Palmertz, Per Thunholm, Henrik Häggström 2. NATO and Hybrid Warfare: Seeking a Concept to Describe the Challenge from Russia Dr. G. Alexander Crowther, Research Professor, Florida International University, former Special Assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and former researcher in the Strategic Studies Institute and the US National Defense University. 3. An American View: Hybrid Threats and Intelligence Dr. Gregory F. Treverton, University of Southern California, former Chair of the US National Intelligence Council 4. A Perspective on EU Hybrid Threat Early Warning Efforts Dr. Patrick Cullen, Senior Research Fellow, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) & member of the "Countering Hybrid Warfare" component of the Multinational Capability Development Campaign (MCDC) 5. Conceptualizing and Countering Hybrid Threats and Hybrid Warfare: The Role of the Military in the Grey-zone Dr. Mikael Weissmann, Associate Professor, Head of Research at the Land Operations Section and Co-Convener of the Hybrid Warfare Research Group, Department of Military Studies, Swedish Defence University. 6. Understanding Russian Thinking on Gibridnaya Voyna Dr. Markus Göransson, Assistant Professor and project leader of the Russia program, Swedish Defence University 7. China and its Hybrid Warfare Spectrum Dr. Lora Saalman, Senior Fellow, EastWest Institute; Associate Senior Fellow, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute 8. Influence Operations and the Modern Information Environment Björn Palmertz, Senior Analyst, CATS, Swedish Defence University 9. Hybrid Threats and New Challenges for Multilateral Intelligence Cooperation Henrik Häggström, Senior Analyst, Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies (CATS), Swedish Defence University 10. Cyberwarfare and the Internet: the Implications of a More Digitalized World Anne-Marie Eklund-Löwinder, Head of Security, The Swedish Internet Foundation and Cryptographic Officer at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Anna Djup, Analyst, Information Assurance, Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies (CATS), Swedish Defence University 11. The US and Hybrid Challenges: Past, Present and Future Jed Willard, Director of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Center for Global Engagement, Harvard University 12. China’s Political Warfare in Taiwan: Strategies, Methods, and Global Implication Dr Gulizar Haciyakupoglu, Research Fellow, the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS), S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Dr Michael Raska, Assistant Professor, Coordinator of Military Transformations Programme, IDSS, RSIS, Singapore 13. Hybrid Warfare in the Baltics Dr Dorthe Bach Nyemann, Associate Professor in International Relations, Institute for Strategy, Royal Danish Defence College 14. De-Hybridization and Conflict Narration: Ukraine’s Defence against Russian Hybrid Warfare Dr. Niklas Nilsson, Assistant Professor, Co-Convener of the Hybrid Warfare Research Group, Department of Military Studies, Swedish Defence University 15. Iran’s Hybrid Warfare Capabilities Dr. Rouzbeh Parsi, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Programme, Swedish Institute of International Affairs 16. Information Influencing in the Catalan Illegal Referendum and Beyond Dr. Ruben Arcos, Rey Juan Carlos University 17. Moving out of the Blizzard: Towards a Comprehensive Approach to Hybrid Threats and Hybrid Warfare Dr. Mikael Weissmann, Dr. Niklas Nilsson, Björn Palmertz

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Book SynopsisAnalyses the democratic transition in Tunisia by exploring its international dimension

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Book SynopsisGeorg Löfflmann examines the identity conflict within the Washington foreign policy establishment, between elite insiders and outsiders, and how the `Obama Doctrine' both confirmed a geopolitical vision of American exceptionalism and challenged established notions of US hegemony and world leadership.Trade Review'Lofflmann's sophisticated analysis brings together a wealth of empirical material with a theoretical framework that is persuasive and insightful. As a study of how to study grand strategy, it is unmatched. In the forest of materials on the inner workings of American political culture, it stands tall.' - Stuart Croft, University of WarwickTable of ContentsAcknowledgements; List of Tables and Illustrations; 1. Introduction; 2. Reimagining grand strategy; 3. Filming hegemony: Hollywood and the Manichean script of geopolitics; 4. Competing visions for America on the New York Times best sellers list; 5. The American grand strategy debate in International Relations; 6. Think tanks and the Washington consensus on hegemony; 7. Strategic vision: National security and the geopolitics of military pre-eminence; 8. The 'Obama Doctrine' - Vision for Change?; 9. Conclusion; 10. List of abbreviations; 11. Appendix; 12. Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a theory of spacepower and considers the implications of space technology on strategy and international relations.Trade Review"War in Space is unquestionably a must-read book." - Augusto C. Dall'Agnol, E-International Relations. "Dr Bowen is a leading spacepower thinker and this book is the culmination of 8 year's work. It is an impressive and comprehensive study which makes a significant contribution to spacepower theory and will undoubtedly take its place on the essential reading lists of universities and defence academies around the world." - Andy Netherwood, Wavell Room. "War in Space delivers groundbreaking insights using traditional continental sea power theory as a template for strengthening space power theory. The largest contribution to space power thought in a generation, Bowen's seminal ideas are destined to inform wide audiences and guide our way ahead as space becomes increasingly contested and the USA stands up its Space Force." - Peter L. Hays, Space Policy Institute, George Washington University.

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Book SynopsisThe essays in this collection explore the historical and geopolitical aspects of European integration and their relevance to interpretations of the current climate. They also examine the different regional dynamics of integration and the attitudes that result from those experiences, including in the European peripheries.

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Book SynopsisThe essays in this collection explore the historical and geopolitical aspects of European integration and their relevance to interpretations of the current climate. They also examine the different regional dynamics of integration and the attitudes that result from those experiences, including in the European peripheries.

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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.We are at a crossroads. The wrecking-ball of Covid-19 has destroyed global norms. Many think that after the devastation there will be a bounce back. To Ian Goldin, Professor of Development and Globalisation at the University of Oxford, this is a retrograde notion. He believes that this crisis can create opportunities for change, just as the Second World War forged the ideas behind the Beveridge Report. Published in 1942, it was revolutionary and laid the foundations for the welfare state alongside a host of other social and economic reforms, changing the world for the better. Ian Goldin tackles the challenges and opportunities posed by the pandemic, ranging from globalisation to the future of jobs, income inequality and geopolitics, the climate crisis and the modern city. It is a fresh, 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 SynopsisThe updated ninth edition of Challenges of the Developing World examines political, social, and economic development in the diverse countries of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. In doing so, it explores the political economy of policymaking, investigates the uncertain dynamics of democratization, highlights the impact of ethnic and religious tensions on developing countries, and looks at revolution and military intervention in politics. Key issues such as the environment, sustainable development, globalization, corruption, rural and urban poverty, and gender receive particular attention. Throughout, the book also highlights the contribution of different analytical perspectives within political science and development studies. Clearly written and frequently illustrated with examples, Challenges of the Developing World is designed to provide the reader with knowledge of the essential concepts, relationships, and approaches in a way that will be of lasting value.Trade ReviewChallenges of the Developing World is a highly remarkable text. It is what students of development have been waiting for – a thoughtful, comprehensive, critical, and engaging study of issues and challenges in the developing world. In the end, this well-documented, elegantly written, and thought-provoking text is a wonderful introduction to the field. -- Michael Cairo, Transyvlania UniversityAn excellent and comprehensive introduction to the politics of developing nations. -- Angela Wolfe, University of DelawareA sophisticated, thorough introduction to the politics of the developing world that makes good use of current research and is suitable for upper level undergraduate students. -- Brian Kessel, Columbia CollegeTable of Contents1. Understanding Underdevelopment 2. The Political Economy of the Developing World 3. The Surge and Partial Retreat of Democracy 4. Corruption as an Obstacle to Development 5. Religion and Politics 6. Politics of Cultural Pluralism and Ethnic Conflict 7. Gender and Development 8. The Politics of the Rural and Urban Poor 9. Revolutionary Change 10. Soldiers and Politics

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Book SynopsisThe 21st century unleashed unprecedented changes across the globe - to its climate, to the demographic makeup of its nations, and to the very nature of allegiance in the digital age. With its global influence waning, America must reevaluate its approach to globalisation if it wishes to remain a leader. In America’s New Map: Restoring Global Leadership in an Era of Climate Change and Demographic Collapse, Thomas P.M. Barnett, bestselling author of The Pentagon’s New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century and acclaimed geo-strategist, offers seven through lines to frame and redefine the ambitions and posture of these United States, setting our Union on a bold-but-entirely-familiar national trajectory. In these pages, Barnett offers a deep, yet accessible dive into the three shifts that have lead us to this point: As climate change ravages countries closest to the equator, global dynamics are shifting from an East-West emphasis to North-South in the greatest geopolitical transformation our world has yet experienced - and the Western Hemisphere is far better positioned to exploit this radical reorientation than the East. Aging demographics worldwide favour more slowly aging nations, including the US, while challenging rapidly aging nations like China, incentivising countries best to delay that transition by integrating younger, faster-growing populations into their ranks. In combination, these two tectonic forces collide with a third: the exploding consumption of an expanding - and now majority - global middle class, the bulk of whom reside along the increasingly unstable North-South frontier. Taking every variable of these unique circumstances into account, America’s New Map charts a path toward a bigger and better United States. We will all be living in somebody’s world come mid-century - this book tells Americans how to make sure it is one we can recognise as our own.

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Book SynopsisFor the past thirty years or more, the global economy has been run based on three big assumptions: globalisation will continue to increase; trade is the route to growth and development; and economic power is moving from West to East. But what if all these are wrong? From Global to Local shows how the world trading structure has already begun to shift, with irrevocable consequences for the global economy. Volatile oil prices, the pressures of sustainability and the availability of new technologies - such as 3D printing and automation - mean that companies, from General Electric to Apple, are beginning to move production away from distant countries and back home. If robots can make everything, why would companies use Chinese workers? Power is shifting, trade is shrinking and making things is revolutionising. Finbarr Livesey explores the making of this new world economic order, revealing the processes that lie behind it and showing how no one will be left untouched by its arrival.

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Book SynopsisThe indistinct status of the Zainichi has meant that, since the late 1940s, two ethnic Korean associations, the Chongryun (pro-North) and the Mindan (pro-South) have been vying for political loyalty from the Zainichi, with both groups initially opposing their assimilation in Japan. Unlike the Korean diasporas living in Russia, China or the US, the Zainichi have become sharply divided along political lines as a result. Myung Ja Kim examines Japan's changing national policies towards the Zainichi in order to understand why this group has not been fully integrated into Japan. Through the prism of this ethnically Korean community, the book reveals the dynamics of alliances and alignments in East Asia, including the rise of China as an economic superpower, the security threat posed by North Korea and the diminishing alliance between Japan and the US. Taking a post-war historical perspective, the research reveals why the Zainichi are vital to Japan's state policy revisionist aims to increase its power internationally and how they were used to increase the country's geopolitical leverage.With a focus on International Relations, this book provides an important analysis of the mechanisms that lie behind nation-building policy, showing the conditions controlling a host state's treatment of diasporic groups.Table of ContentsIntroduction Alliance Cohesion, Diaspora and Nation-Building Policies Zainichi Diaspora: from the Shadow of Japan’s Colonial Legacy No Alliance and a Strong Historical Legacy—Exclusionary Policies towards the Zainichi in the Post-World War II Era (1945–1964) Alliance Cohesion Matters: Japan’s Policy towards the Zainichi during the Cold War Era (1965–1980s) Does Alliance Cohesion Still Matter in the New Post-Cold War Geopolitical Era (1990–2014)? Conclusion

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Book SynopsisSince the turn of the century bilateral trade between China and Latin America has increased by more than a factor of ten. In 2000, two-way trade stood at £12.17 billion; by 2019, it had reached $307.94 billion. Coupled with this commercial element of China-Latin America relations is a growing assertiveness in diplomatic and military affairs. Yet Beijing is showing caution in its diplomatic engagement, especially with the more left leaning countries of Venezuela and Ecuador. However, Latin America’s enthusiasm in this regard has taken even the Chinese by surprise. What are we to make of these shifting dynamics? In this detailed and up-to-the-minute investigation, Chris Alden, author of the critically acclaimed China in Africa, and Alvaro Mendez, leading expert in the international relations of Latin America, look at the interests, strategies and practices of China’s incoming power. What can be learned by comparing Latin America with other developing regions in which China has had significant economic ties and a growing diplomatic stake? Does Beijing’s approach to Latin America really differ, as is often claimed by Chinese leaders, from its approach to Africa? And more broadly, how should we read the curious and uneven decline of both the US and Europe as actors in the region?Trade ReviewThis book offers a comprehensive reflection not only on the current political context but also leads us through the background history that has shaped the present-day dynamics. Undoubtedly, China and Latin America will be an enjoyable read for students, professionals and the general public with an interest in the complex contemporary political issues presented in Alden and Méndez’s study. * LSE *[A]ddresses topical trends and provides practical, incisive, and clear insights into crucial policy issues that would strongly appeal to a readership of policy makers, economic, media and political analysists, third sector professionals, and the general public. * Global Policy *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Global China, Latin America and the Winds of Change 1. Silver, Railroads and Migrants: Imperial China and the Making of Latin America 2. From Comrades to Capitalists: China’s Cold War in Latin America and Its Rise as a Global Economic Power 3. Chile, Peru and Argentina: Riding the Tiger 4. Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia: Incautious Embrace 5. Brazil: Partnership to Populism 6. Mexico: Competition and Cooperation 7. Central America and the Caribbean: Dollar Diplomacy and Development 8. Global China, the United States and the New Geopolitics of Latin America

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Book SynopsisIn 1920s Shanghai, Zhou Enlai founded the first Chinese communist spy network, operating in the shadows against nationalists, Western powers and the Japanese. The story of Chinese spies has been a global one from the start. Unearthing previously unseen papers and interviewing countless insiders, Roger Faligot's astonishing account reveals nothing less than a century of world events shaped by Chinese spies. Working as scientists, journalists, diplomats, foreign students and businessmen, they’ve been everywhere, from Stalin’s purges to 9/11. This murky world has swept up Ho Chi Minh, the Clintons and everyone in between, with the action moving from Cambodia to Cambridge, and from the Australian outback to the centres of Western power. This fascinating narrative exposes the sprawling tentacles of the world’s largest intelligence service, from the very birth of communist China to Xi Jinping’s absolute rule today.Trade Review'This is an intense book. [Chinese Spies] is the result of huge research but also demonstrates the author’s immense knowledge of the politics, attitudes and identities of the political elite of the People’s Republic of China.' -- Asian Affairs Journal

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Book SynopsisSport in the Middle East has become a major issue in global affairs. The contributors to this timely volume discuss the intersection of political and cultural processes related to sport in the region. Eleven chapters trace the historical institutionalisation of sport and the role it has played in negotiating 'Western' culture. Sport is found to be a contested terrain where struggles are being fought over the inclusion of women, over competing definitions of national identity, over preserving social memory, and over press freedom. Also discussed are the implications of mega-sporting events for host countries, and how both elite sport policies and sports industries in the region are being shaped. Sport, Politics and Society in the Middle East draws on academic disciplines from the humanities and social sciences to offer in-depth, theoretically grounded, and richly empirical case studies. It employs diverse research methodologies, from ethnography and in-depth interviews to archival research, to make a lasting contribution to this critical subject.Trade Review'[The book] contains a great deal of interest for both students of sport and students of the Middle East.' -- Times Higher Education‘['Sports, Politics and Society in the Middle East'] provides unprecedented insight [and] is essential reading for students not only of sports and/or media but also for those interested in International Affairs, politics and culture, related to the MENA region.’ -- The Muslim World Book Review‘This is a worthy read for students and scholars of comparative politics, sociology, and athletic studies.’ -- CHOICE'A significant contribution to an as yet understudied but crucial aspect of the world's most troubled region. This wide-ranging volume provides invaluable perspectives, as sports increasingly moves centre stage in the Middle East's multiple conflicts.' -- James Dorsey, Senior Fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University and author of 'The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer''This groundbreaking volume offers ethnographically rich case studies highlighting the multiple, complex intersections between sports and other arenas in the Middle East: domestic and regional politics, business and economic investments, gender and family, youth culture, and education. This is a key contribution to the literature.' -- Andrea Stanton, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Denver'A must read for students and scholars interested in the study and examination of power dynamics around sport in the Middle East. This volume offers rich insights into everything from ethno-political tensions to gender to modernity to the business of sports.' -- Mahfoud Amara, Associate Professor in Sport Management and Policy, Qatar University‘Looks beyond the headlines and explores the role of sports in general, and soccer in particular, in the evolution of the modern Middle East over the last century … a valuable contribution.’

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Book Synopsis'Sectarianism' is one of the most over-discussed yet under-analysed concepts in debates about the Middle East. Despite the deluge of commentary, there is no agreement on what 'sectarianism' is. Is it a social issue, one of dogmatic incompatibility, a historic one or one purely related to modern power politics? Is it something innately felt or politically imposed? Is it a product of modernity or its antithesis? Is it a function of the nation-state or its negation? This book seeks to move the study of modern sectarian dynamics beyond these analytically paralysing dichotomies by shifting the focus away from the meaningless '-ism' towards the root: sectarian identity. How are Sunni and Shi'a identities imagined, experienced and negotiated and how do they relate to and interact with other identities? Looking at the modern history of the Arab world, Haddad seeks to understand sectarian identity not as a monochrome frame of identification but as a multi-layered concept that operates on several dimensions: religious, subnational, national and transnational. Far from a uniquely Middle Eastern, Arab, or Islamic phenomenon, a better understanding of sectarian identity reveals that the many facets of sectarian relations that are misleadingly labelled 'sectarianism' are echoed in inter- group relations worldwide.Trade Review'No one has written with more theoretical and practical insight on Muslim sectarianism than Fanar Haddad. In this volume, he brings together the best of his insights on a topic that remains poorly understood. An essential read for anyone who is serious about understanding "sectarianism" in the Arab world today.' -- Nader Hashemi, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies, University of Denver, and co-author of 'Sectarianization''A clear-sighted and highly readable analysis of the shifting contexts and meanings of sectarian identification in the modern Arab world. Detailed and politically astute, this book makes a critical contribution to the literature on sectarian political identities.' -- Charles Tripp, Professor of Politics, SOAS University of London'A timely book that debunks several myths about the persistent Sunni-Shi'a divide in the Arab world. Haddad inspires us to reconsider common wisdom and offers a theoretically nuanced interpretation of a phenomenon that has dominated analyses of Iraq and beyond in the last decades.' -- Madawi Al-Rasheed, Visiting Professor, Middle East Centre, LSE, and editor of 'Salman's Legacy''A brilliant exploration of sectarianism. Haddad's unmatched combination of theoretical sophistication, historical perspective and political insight makes this one of the best books available on a critically important topic, and an essential read for understanding the real dynamics of religion, identity and political contention.' -- Marc Lynch, Professor of Political Science, George Washington University'A thought-provoking account of Sunni-Shi'a relations in the Arab world that critiques how the term "sectarianism" has often been used.' -- Toby Matthiesen, Senior Research Fellow in the International Relations of the Middle East, St Antony's College, University of Oxford

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Book SynopsisAfter the 1994 Oslo Accords, Palestinians were hopeful that an end to the Israeli occupation was within reach, and that a state would be theirs by 1999. With this promise, international powers became increasingly involved in Palestinian politics, and many shadows of statehood arose in the territories. Today, however, no state has emerged, and the occupation has become more entrenched. Concurrently, the Palestinian Authority has become increasingly authoritarian, and Palestinians ever more polarised and demobilised. Palestine is not unique in this: international involvement, and its disruptive effects, have been a constant across the contemporary Arab world. This book argues that internationally backed authoritarianism has an effect on society itself, not just on regime-level dynamics. It explains how the Oslo paradigm has demobilised Palestinians in a way that direct Israeli occupation, for many years, failed to do. Using a multi-method approach including interviews, historical analysis, and cutting-edge experimental data, Dana El Kurd reveals how international involvement has insulated Palestinian elites from the public, and strengthened their ability to engage in authoritarian practices. In turn, those practices have had profound effects on society, including crippling levels of polarisation and a weakened capacity for collective action.Trade Review‘A rigorous and impressively researched work, and a valuable and thought-provoking read for students of authoritarianism and Arab politics.’ -- CHOICE'A well-researched analysis of the disempowering legacy of the Oslo Accords... ['Polarized and Demobilized'] is also an engaging read that sheds light on the past, present and future of popular (non-PA sponsored) resistance to the occupation.' -- Morning Star‘Polarized and Demobilized provides such a sophisticated account that any sort of summary or short review would fail to do it justice. … Over and above, it is a truly enjoyable read: one of the very few academic works that combines theoretical sophistication with a smooth, seamless and beautifully articulated narrative.’ -- LSE Review of Books'Addresses an important question in a systematic and innovative way.''A strong and compelling book. El Kurd demonstrates how international involvement in Palestine has led to deeper polarization between the PA and its people, with serious implications for Palestinian society, the peace process and the future Palestinian state.' -- Amaney A. Jamal, Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Politics, Princeton University'This critical volume explains the transnational origins behind political polarization and institutional weakness in post-Oslo Palestine. El Kurd's work is theoretically sophisticated and empirically innovative--a must-read for any observer of the region.' -- Sean Yom, Associate Professor of Political Science, Temple University'How did the PA manage to demobilize Palestinian society, when years of direct Israeli occupation failed to do so? El Kurd brings novel data to bear on this provocative question, highlighting how internationally backed, "indigenous" authoritarian regimes can be particularly detrimental for political cooperation and resistance.' -- Diana B. Greenwald, Assistant Professor of Political Science, The City College of New York, CUNY'Palestinians have complained over the last generation about increasing authoritarianism and declining solidarity and activism, even as international donors spoke of democratic institution-building. El Kurd's rigorous empirical research shows not only that such complaints are valid but also how and why.' -- Nathan Brown, Professor of Political Science, George Washington University'A major contribution to understanding the dialectic between politically driven foreign aid and authoritarianism. El Kurd's rigorous and illuminating research shows a causal link between this process and social polarization, demobilization and the decline of collective action under the PA.' -- Azmi Bishara, General Director of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies

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Book SynopsisFor much of recorded history, China was a leading science and technology power. But just as the West rose, China turned in on itself, and missed the Industrial Revolution. The result was the ‘Hundred Years of Humiliation’, and a long struggle for a modern, yet distinctly Chinese, civilisational identity. Today, technological innovation has returned to the core of national pride and ambition. Since the 1980s, reforms have transformed China into the world’s second largest economy and a major global power. Cyber space and other advanced technologies have become a battleground for international dominance; but today’s world relies on global supply chains and interstate collaboration—at least, for now. Growing tension between the USA and China could result in the two superpowers decoupling their technology—with significant consequences for humanity’s future. The Great Decoupling shows that this technology contest, and how it plays out, will shape the geopolitics of the twenty-first century.Trade Review'[Inkster] reinforces a sense that the US-led west and China are locked in a desperate struggle not only for technological supremacy but also -- in the case of the west -- to preserve its liberal system. ... [he] does not appear at all certain that the west will prevail in the contest that he describes.' -- Financial Times‘The [book’s] central message – that [China,] this profoundly regimented and authoritarian country, is about to achieve global economic and military hegemony – is sound, well-documented and a disturbing challenge to the West as it emerges, battered, from the Covid nightmare.’ -- The Herald‘A broadly scoped, ambitious work ... Essential reading for anyone who wants a tour d’horizon of China’s ambitions explained through the lens of its history, and for those who want to know how China and the United States resumed butting heads, and why they will continue to butt heads.' -- Pacific Affairs'Technology is at the heart of the contest between the United States and China for global supremacy. This book is notable for combining a sharp understanding of the technological question with the knowledge of its historical and political context. If the contest ends up creating a world divided into two separate spheres, our most cherished beliefs about progress and globalisation will be shattered. Is this inevitable? Nigel Inkster will guide you through this essential question.' -- Bruno Macaes, formerly Portugal’s Europe minister (2013-15) and author of 'Belt and Road: A Chinese World Order' and 'History Has Begun''A lucid, pragmatic and succinct overview of where the world's second largest economy currently stands, and what it might look like as it moves towards number one status. Inkster draws on his long experience, both in dealing with China, and as a diplomatic practitioner, to give authoritative judgements of what this world where China plays an increasingly dominant role might look like, and what the key challenges for the outside will be.' -- Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute, King's College London'This is a superbly written, cogently argued, and insightful discussion of China's digital rise by a British intelligence insider. It needs to be read by all concerned about the deepening rivalry between China and the USA.' -- Hans van de Ven, Professor of Modern Chinese History, University of Cambridge'Nigel Inkster has written a timely, sane and compelling account of the techno-strategic contest that will shape the world of the 2020s and beyond. Beyond its insightful analysis, The Great Decoupling also traces the policy contours of great-power coexistence as the alternative to a 21st century Great War.' -- Professor Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College, Australian National University, and author of Indo-Pacific Empire'Linking his knowledge of China past and present to fascinating detail of China's achievements and aspirations in advanced technology, Nigel Inkster provides a powerful and compelling narrative of the decoupling of China and the United States. You will learn much of importance from this book.' -- Lord Mervyn King, former Governor of the Bank of England'Former senior official and Mandarin speaker Nigel Inkster proves a sure-footed guide to the consequences of the collision between the US as global superpower with a re-emergent and emboldened China His book provides a compelling account of how the Chinese now think about themselves and their rediscovery of their technological tradition, and what it is about the Chinese state-directed internet and its use to control their vast population that leaves Western liberal democracy at serious risk from "the great decoupling". Highly recommended.' -- Professor Sir David Omand, GCB, Visiting Professor, Department of War Studies, King's College London

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Book SynopsisIn 1960, the GDP per capita of Southeast Asian countries was nearly half of that of Africa. By 1986 the gap had closed and today the trend is reversed, with more than half of the world's poorest now living in sub­ Saharan Africa. Why has Asia developed while Africa lagged? The Asian Aspiration chronicles the stories of explosive growth and changing fortunes: the leaders, events and policy choices that lifted a billion people out of abject poverty within a single generation, the largest such shift in human history. The relevance of Asia's example comes as Africa is facing a population boom, which can either lead to crisis or prosperity, and as Asia is again transforming, this time out of low-cost manufacturing into hi-tech, leaving a void that is Africa's for the taking. Far from the optimistic determinism of 'Africa Rising', this book calls for unprecedented pragmatism in the pursuit of African success.Trade Review‘Unlike most of the recent books vaunting the economic success of East Asia relative to Africa, this one does not limit its Asian examples to China, South Korea, and Taiwan; the authors also discuss poorer countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, whose history and pas economic policy failures make their recent successes more instructive for African countries.’ -- Foreign Affairs

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Book SynopsisDuring the June 2020 territorial dispute over Kalapani, India blamed tensions on a newly assertive Nepal’s deepening relations with China. But beyond the accusations and grandstanding, this reflects a new reality: the power equations in South Asia have been redrawn, to make space for China. Nepal did not turn northwards overnight. Its ties with China have deep historical roots built on Buddhism, dating to the early first millennium. While India’s unofficial 2015 blockade provided momentum to the rift with Delhi, Nepal has long wanted deeper ties with Beijing, to counteract India’s oppressive intimacy. With China’s growing South Asian and global ambitions, Nepal now has a new primary bilateral partner–and Nepalis are forging a path towards modernity with its help, both in the remote borderlands and in the cities. All Roads Lead North offers a long view of Nepal’s foreign relations, today underpinned by China’s world-power status. Sharing never- before-told stories about Tibetan guerrilla fighters, failed coup leaders and trans- Himalayan traders, Nepal analyst Amish Raj Mulmi examines the histories binding mountain communities together across the Sino-Nepali border. Part history, part journalistic account, Mulmi’s is a complex, compelling and rigorously researched study of a small country caught between two neighbourhood giants.Trade Review'Mulmi’s detailed look at Nepal’s long encounter with Tibet and China is leavened with personal experiences but the message is clear: Modi’s bullish nationalism does not play well in Himalayan capitals.' -- The Guardian‘[A] well-researched account … [this] book presents perhaps the most up-to-date version of the Nepal–China bilateral relationship.’ -- International Affairs'A concise modern history of the complicated triangle of Nepal, China and India relations and how a focus on one of Nepal's neighbours always needs to factor in the other. As informative as this big picture history is, it serves to highlight Mulmi's skill at focusing on individuals.' -- Maximillian Morch, Asian Review of Books'A journalist's scholarly research takes the long view on a small country's foreign relations, even as it often finds itself caught between two neighbourhood giants. ... What remains unclear is how Nepal will navigate the future as it is caught between the past and the future when China is likely to be assertive and at times an adventurous interventionist. Mulmi has written a book with a long shelf life.' -- Kallol Bhattacherjee, The Hindu'In All Roads Lead North, Amish Mulmi examines the rich history of Nepal's global engagement through its northern border, marked as it is by trade, cultural exchange, political manoeuvring, and occasional conflict, even war. Whether he be writing about Kathmandu's Lhasa traders or the ordinary inhabitants of the remote Himalayan borderlands, Mulmi fuses meticulous on-the-ground reportage with his vast knowledge of history. As such, he corrects the common understanding of Nepal as a satellite of India, and places the nation in its proper geopolitical context. This book introduces readers to Nepal anew.' -- Manjushree Thapa, author of Forget Kathmandu'By a deft combination of long-range historical perspective and scrupulous reportage, Mulmi turns the searchlight on Nepal's ties with Tibet and China. His tightly crafted narrative and argument revises much of the received wisdom on the recent trajectory of Nepal's foreign relations. This book should be required reading for everyone in New Delhi dealing with Nepal and for anyone interested in understanding China's growing footprint in the subcontinent.' -- Srinath Raghavan, author of The Most Dangerous Place: A History of the United States in South Asia

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 2020, China and India came near to war. The nuclear-armed adversaries both massed troops and equipment along their disputed border in eastern Ladakh. The two sides slugged it out with fists, stones and clubs, next to a fast-flowing Himalayan stream, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries, many from hypothermia. The entire 4,000-kilometre Sino-Indian boundary is disputed. In 1962, the two countries fought a short and vicious war that went badly for India, and from which Nehru never recovered. The border, called the Line of Actual Control, is not marked on any map agreed upon by the two sides; it runs through the largely unpopulated and inhospitable high mountains of the Himalayas. From the 1990s, as Beijing and New Delhi sought to resolve their seemingly intractable border dispute, an elaborate system of agreements kept the situation akin to a kettle on a slow boil. But the kettle is now boiling over. The two rising Asian giants, both led by strongly nationalistic regimes, neither of which wishes to blink first, are seeking geopolitical and strategic advantage. This timely book explains what is happening on ‘the roof of the world’; and why that matters for us all.Trade Review'This book is as impressive as the mountains it describes.' -- Asian Affairs'An impressive, masterly study with an epic sweep that straddles the complex landscape of contemporary India–China relations and that brings into sharp focus the intricate, multi-faceted nature of the subject. Joshi's investigative outlook, his deep knowledge of the issues involved and their strategic nature, together with his objectivity and clarity of assessment, combine to make for a work of outstanding scholarship.' -- Nirupama Rao, former Indian Foreign Secretary, and author of The Fractured Himalaya: India, Tibet, China, 1949–1962'At last, an accessible, accurate and up-to-date account of the India–China border. Steeped in Joshi's deep knowledge and long experience, this timely and topical book places the India–China border within the larger context of relations between the two countries, and of Asian and global politics. Coming when India–China relations are poised at the crossroads and could go either way, this book is an essential read.' -- Shivshankar Menon, former National Security Adviser, Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to China, and author of Indian and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present'In a field already crowded with several works on the India–China border issue, this finely crafted book stands out for its meticulous research, sharp analysis and outstanding insights. Joshi has skilfully used the prism of the border issue to explore the possible trajectory of India–China relations in a vastly altered geopolitical landscape, lending to the book's contemporary relevance.' -- Shyam Saran, former Indian Foreign Secretary, Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Nuclear Affairs and Climate Change and author of How India Sees the World: Kautilya to the 21st century'The territorial dispute between China and India is one of the world's largest and most consequential. In clear, lucid and engaging prose, Joshi offers an accessible and definitive account of the dispute's complex history and how the stability created along the border in the early 1990s has steadily eroded. A terrific accomplishment and must-read for anyone interested in the past, present and future of India–China relations.' -- M. Taylor Fravel, Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science, and Director, Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology'Having covered India's unsuccessful struggle to resolve the boundary dispute with China over the last three decades and more--as a reporter, editor, analyst and scholar--Joshi offers deep insights into the tragic tale of unaligned interests and unrealisable expectations of each other in Delhi and Beijing.' -- C. Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore

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Book SynopsisWhat does liberal order actually amount to outside the West, where it has been most institutionalised? Contrary to the Atlantic or Pacific, liberal hegemony is thin in the Indian Ocean World; there are no equivalents of NATO, the EU or the US-Japan defence relationship. Yet what this book calls the ‘Global Indian Ocean’ was the beating heart of earlier epochs of globalisation, where experiments in international order, market integration and cosmopolitanisms were pioneered. Moreover, it is in this macro-region that today’s challenges will face their defining hour: climate change, pandemics, and the geopolitical contest pitting China and Pakistan against the USA and India. The Global Indian Ocean states represent the greatest range of political systems and ideologies in any region, from Hindu-nationalist India and nascent democracy in Indonesia and South Africa, to the Gulf’s mixture of tribal monarchy and high modernism. These essays by leading scholars examine key aspects of political order, and their roots in the colonial and pre-colonial past, through the lenses of state-building, nationalism, international security, religious identity and economic development. The emergent lessons are of great importance for the world, as the ‘global’ liberal order fades and new alternatives struggle to be born.Trade Review‘Beyond Liberal Order persuasively makes the case that the “Global Indian Ocean,” which has been a longstanding site for imperial projections, experiments in state-building, and unprecedented circulations of peoples, goods and ideas, is critical to understanding the historical and contemporary infrastructures of liberal world order. The essays illustrate that far from a North Atlantic project that extends out to the rest of the world, the liberal order was made and remade in the so called peripheries. This volume’s method of tacking back and forth between the macro-region of the Indian Ocean and the global order is an exemplary model for the on-going effort to pluralize and globalize the field of international relations.’ -- Adom Getachew, author of 'Worldmaking after Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination'‘The “Global Indian Ocean” is a crucible for defining twenty-first-century political trends. The depth of talent among the contributors to this volume is exactly what is needed to do justice to the complexity of the region itself, and to peer into possible futures.’ -- Jason Sharman, Professor of International Relations, University of Cambridge'With contributions from some of the most knowledgeable observers of regional change, this book provides a helpful antidote to prevalent simplistic policy analysis, and paints a picture of the diverse forces operating in the countries and societies around the Indian Ocean.' -- Stefan Dercon, Professor of Economic Policy, University of Oxford'A fascinating overview of the Indian Ocean region and its role in international affairs. Given the increasing significance of the area, this should be on the reading list of anyone interested in Asia’s global future.' -- Odd Arne Westad, Director of International Security Studies, Yale University'The authors reveal innovative ways of envisioning not only how the different political and economic forms in and across this macro-region were adapted as the illiberal ground of the liberal order, but also how these formations persist, evolve and challenge the liberal order.' -- Prasenjit Duara, Oscar Tang Chair Professor of East Asian Studies, Duke University

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Book SynopsisWe no longer inhabit a world governed by international coordination, a unified NATO bloc, or an American hegemon. Traditionally, the decline of one empire leads to a restoration in the balance of power, via a struggle among rival systems of order. Yet this dynamic is surprisingly absent today; instead, the superpowers have all, at times, sought to promote what Jason Pack terms the 'Enduring Disorder'. He contends that Libya's ongoing conflict--more so than the civil wars in Yemen, Syria, Venezuela or Ukraine--constitutes the ideal microcosm in which to identify the salient features of this new era of geopolitics. The country's post-Qadhafi trajectory has been moulded by the stark absence of coherent international diplomacy; while Libya's incremental implosion has precipitated cross-border contagion, further corroding global institutions and international partnership. Pack draws on over two decades of research in and on Libya and Syria to highlight the Kafkaesque aspects of today's global affairs. He shows how even the threats posed by the Arab Spring, and the Benghazi assassination of US Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, couldn't occasion a unified Western response. Rather, they have further undercut global collaboration, demonstrating the self-reinforcing nature of the progressively collapsing world order.Trade Review‘This book contains fresh thinking, real insight, and gems of knowledge throughout… Pack’s per­ceptive analysis raises valid questions about the nature of the contemporary international era and the ability of the world to resolve the issues faced.’ -- The Middle East Journal'Provides invaluable insights not only into the specificity of Libya, but also larger trends across the MENA region.' -- Inside Arabia‘Incisive, academic, and witty, Jason Pack pulls no punches in his sharp critique of the so-called “international community”.’ -- Stephanie Williams, former acting UN Envoy for Libya‘Libya and the Global Enduring Disorder is your authoritative guide through the dense complexity of post-Qadhafi Libya, as well as the intricate, self-serving world of Libya policy in Washington. ... A must-read for anyone in Western capitals serious about understanding Libya.’ -- Julian Borger, World Affairs Editor, The Guardian‘Candid, opinionated, by turns gossipy and scholarly, Jason Pack delivers a lively and provocative assessment of the state of the current global system. Pack’s ... portrayal of the consequences of today’s global disorder on Libya is a powerful illustration of his argument–and a devastating indictment of the “international community”.’ -- Lisa Anderson, former president of The American University of Cairo‘Essential reading, not only for scholars of the Middle East, but for all those who are interested in understanding today’s changing international system.’ -- Peter Millett, former British ambassador to Libya (2015–18)‘A must-read book for anyone interested in understanding how global organisations have become paralysed in the twenty-first century.’ -- Rupert Wieloch, Senior British Military Commander in Libya (2011–12)‘Brilliantly enriched by the author’s reflections on his many direct experiences transacting business and undertaking research in key areas of the geopolitical chessboard–thus adding a high degree of originality, nuance, and readability.’ -- Karim Mezran, Director of the North Africa Initiative and Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council‘An essential contribution to the literature on post-revolutionary Libya.’ -- Tim Eaton, Senior Research Fellow, Chatham House

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Book Synopsis'These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world,' said Charlie Wilson, of America's role backing the anti-Soviet mujahideen. 'And then we fucked up the endgame.' With no support for Afghanistan after that war, the vacuum was filled by the Taliban and bin Laden. 'The Ledger' assesses the West's similarly failed approach to Afghanistan after 9/11--in military, diplomatic, political and developmental terms. Dr David Kilcullen and Dr Greg Mills are uniquely placed to reflect backwards and forwards on the Afghan conflict: they worked with the international mission both as advisers and within the Arg, and they have considerable experience of counterinsurgency and stabilisation operations elsewhere in the world. Here these two experts show that there is plenty of blame to go around when explaining the failure to bring peace to Afghanistan after 9/11. The signs of collapse were conveniently ignored, in favour of political narratives of progress and success. Yet for Afghans, the war and its geopolitical effects are not over because NATO is gone--Afghanistan remains globally connected through digital communications and networks. This vital book explains why and where failings in Afghanistan happened, warning against exceptionalist approaches to future peacebuilding missions around the globe.Trade Review'[The Ledger] is a clear-eyed analysis made with the surgical precision of two insiders who saw, firsthand, the legion of small ways that the war was lost when it could have been won.' -- The Sunday Times‘A failure to understand the ties that bind Afghanistan and its people underpins the west’s 20-year struggle there, a history whose first draft is masterfully captured in The Ledger.’ -- Financial Times'The Ledger is not a book of dread and sensationalism. It is a cool and forensic dissection of what a disaster the search for Al-Qaeda following the attack on their Afghan hosts, the Taliban, was to become. […] More than a mere polemic, this is a fine book.' -- The Scotsman'[Written] by authors with deep knowledge and great expertise in their subjects, The Ledger [is] very useful in understanding how we got where we are.' -- The Independent

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Book SynopsisThe last four decades have been shaped by the rise of Islamist politics across significant swathes of the globe. Whether by gun or by ballot box, various Islamist movements--from as far and wide as the Malian desert and Indonesia’s archipelagos--have sought to obtain power and govern territories, in a bid to revive an Islamic ancien régime. With the regional privations produced by the ‘War on Terror’ and the political unrest following 2011’s Arab uprisings, the global march of Islamism has only accelerated in the twenty-first century. Building on an established literature on rebel governance, 'The Rule is for None but Allah' examines fifteen cases from around the world to consider the different ways Islamists have approached and implemented governance; the challenges they have faced; and how they have responded to obstacles. It brings new detail and insights on a wide range of themes, including legitimacy, constitutionality and social-welfare activism. From the rise and fall of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, to Islamic State’s attempts to create its own currency, to the dramatic return of the Taliban in Afghanistan, this edited volume from two leading scholars of contemporary terrorism assembles an enviable array of international experts to explore these pressing issues.Trade Review'A valuable contribution to the broader debate on Islam and politics as well as to the study of governance.' -- Manara Magazine'"The Rule is for None but Allah" focusses on one of the most relevant issues in terrorism and Middle Eastern studies: governance. The contributors are a refreshingly interesting and heterogenous mix. I cannot think of another book that covers so much ground.' -- Lorenzo Vidino, Director of the Program on Extremism, George Washington University, and author of 'The New Muslim Brotherhood in the West''One of the most comprehensive and informative studies of Islamist governance to date, with fifteen rich case studies from around the world. The diverse authors persuasively demonstrate the importance of social welfare and justice for the legitimacy of state and non-state actors.' -- Mara Revkin, Associate Professor of Law, Duke University'Containing numerous compelling and fascinating case studies, this is an important contribution to the study of Islamist governance. Engaging, ambitious and well written.' -- Raphaël Lefèvre, Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford, and author of 'Jihad in the City''A fresh take on Islamist perspectives, this volume brings together case studies ranging from the Taliban to the Muslim Brotherhood. By looking at how groups emerge and pursue constitutional means, it provides innovative knowledge on Islamists' evolving strategic aims.' -- Gillian Kennedy, Lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Southampton, and author of 'From Independence to Revolution: Egypt's Islamists and the Contest for Power'

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a comprehensive, detailed analysis of the establishment, evolution and current significance of different institutions in today's Islamic Republic of Iran. The volume draws on the insights of a number of Iran experts to examine their establishment, functions and evolution, as a means of understanding Iranian politics and society. 'The Sacred Republic's' specific focus is on the key formal institutions of the state through which the Islamic Republic exercises power, namely the 'velayat-e faqih': the judiciary, the presidency, the parliament, elections, the Revolutionary Guards, and the foreign policy establishment. Despite significant work on Iranian politics in recent decades, few studies have focused on state institutions, their resilience, or the reasons for and manner of institutional change. Through historical institutionalism and comparative historical analysis, the contributors to this book together fill a glaring gap in the study of Iran's political institutions, offering significant insights for the theoretical literature on comparative politics, Middle Eastern politics, and Iranian Studies.Trade Review'An outstanding collection of studies by first-rate scholars, and a must-read for anyone who wants to unpack the political life of the Islamic Republic. Well-written and engaging, each chapter offers unique insights into how today's Iran is governed.' -- Alex Vatanka, Director of the Iran Program, Middle East Institute'Focusing on a thus far rather neglected topic, Mehran Kamrava has brought together an impressive array of experts and this magnificent book represents the best scholarship in a new and important field.' -- Stephanie Cronin, Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Research Fellow, University of Oxford'This important volume ably deciphers how the interplay of elite fragmentation, political participation and external pressure has shaped the increasing tilt toward centralisation of power in post-revolution Iran.' -- Farideh Farhi, Independent Scholar'Delving into the origins and dynamics of the Islamic Republic's complex constellation of state institutions, this is required reading for students and specialists of not just Iranian and area studies, but also revolution, state-building and institutionalism more broadly.' -- Eric Lob, Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations, Florida International University

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Book SynopsisVladimir Putin's first invasion of Ukraine, in 2014, set off a global economic clash, as the West used its clout with international markets to deter and penalise the Kremlin. The battlelines of this 'war by other means' traversed a series of deep economic connections, built up during Russia's oil, gas and commodities boom: global equity and capital markets, and transnational kleptocracy. Maximilian Hess's startling book lifts the lid on Russia's response to Western sanctions, and the ensuing skirmishes in London's courts, on Swiss trading desks and in boardrooms in New Delhi. He explores how pipelines, mines, loans and crypto-markets were weaponised. This narrative sets the stage for Putin's all-out assault on Kyiv in February 2022, which turned financial, food and fuel markets into bona fide battlefields, bringing the fight into everyone's home, from Pennsylvania to Pakistan. Rather than a 'new Cold War', we are witnessing a conflict over finance, energy and capital markets. How such economic warfare turns out will determine the future of liberalism and democracy; it will also set a precedent for economic relations between the West and China, as the two diverge into rival spheres of influence and power.Trade Review'Hess examines how Russia’s response to the west’s economic sanctions following the first invasion of Ukraine in 2014 helped to set the stage for [the current] conflict.' * Financial Times *‘Much has been said about Putin’s background in the KGB, but Hess makes a convincing case that his days in the St. Petersburg government, when he served as a liaison between the city, foreign business and, occasionally, criminal underworld, were just as formative.’ -- The Washington Post'Timely.' -- Diplomatic Courier, '15 Books to Look Forward to in 2023'‘An accessible but detailed account of the economic war between Russia and the West.’ -- Informed Comment‘A welcome addition to a growing body of research on Russia’s invasions of Ukraine.’ -- CHOICE'An outstanding account, filled with insights and details. If you want to understand why we are already in an age of Global Conflict, there is no better place to start.' -- Peter Frankopan, author of 'The Silk Roads' and 'The Earth Transformed''A critical book for understanding Russia's war against Ukraine and the West's response. Tracing Russia's tactics of economic warfare across the world, from Beijing to Istanbul, from Caracas to London's bond markets, this is the most detailed and far-reaching analysis of the economic war with Russia yet.' -- Chris Miller, author of 'Chip War''Economic War shows how trade, finance, and information are the new battlegrounds in a world where traditional warfare is becoming obsolete. A unique perspective on the largest crisis in Europe since the Cold War, this is a must-read for anyone seeking a better understanding of the conflict, and its implications for global politics.' -- Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, former Chief International Correspondent, CNBC'From sanctions to bonds of war, Economic War is an essential guide to how a decade of conflict between Russia and Ukraine has redrawn the global economic order.' -- Jack Farchy, co-author of 'The World for Sale'

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Penang Book Prize 2019 Nusantaria – often referred to as ‘Maritime Southeast Asia’ – is the world’s largest archipelago and has, for centuries, been a vital cultural and trading hub. Nusantara, a Sanskrit, then Malay, word referring to an island realm, is here adapted to become Nusantaria - denoting a slightly wider world but one with a single linguistic, cultural and trading base. Nusantaria encompasses the lands and shores created by the melting of the ice following the last Ice Age. These have long been primarily the domain of the Austronesian-speaking peoples and their seafaring traditions. The surrounding waters have always been uniquely important as a corridor connecting East Asia to India, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. In this book, Philip Bowring provides a history of the world’s largest and most important archipelago and its adjacent coasts. He tells the story of the peoples and lands located at this crucial maritime and cultural crossroads, from its birth following the last Ice Age to today.Trade ReviewThis fast-paced book by a respected journalist describes how the islands and coastal territories of Southeast Asia have consistently been a crucial element in world history … The book is a good corrective to global histories that tend to study the world from a European- or Sino-centered perspective … [It] brings forward a lively story about how trade, religion, and culture crossed many boundaries, including oceans, from earliest recorded history, centrally involving the islands and coastal territories of Southeast Asia. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *Bowring, in a remarkable display of taut writing, whisks us through the archipelago’s geological eruption and mythic floods to the rise and fall of multiple port states and emerging regional dynasties and into the modern era of disruption, decay and dismemberment in less than 300 pages. At the same time, he does a wonderful demolition job on Beijing’s self-serving take on Asian history. * South China Morning Post *[Bowring] writes this rich and rambling history as in fact a narrative of change and renewal … It is not easy to convince policymakers that history might be the place to look for solutions, yet we have nowhere else to turn to imagine what might yet be possible. * Literary Review *Beautifully presented with numerous informative maps, excellent illustrations and a very useful glossary, it is both a fascinating read and a very valuable history of one of the world’s most important regions. * Baird Maritime *A fascinating book ... packed with names, dates and events as Asia's Great Archipelago is packed with islands—well over 30,000 on anyone's count ... An important and timely book ... [For the general reader] who is looking to better understand a complex and pivotal region of the modern world, Empire of the Winds is a must-read. * Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society *Rich in detail, and laced with vivid anecdotes ... Bowring notes that Nusantaria is just as vulnerable to climate change as it was after the Ice Age ... will the book's excellent maps of Nusantaria have to be drawn again? * The Correspondent *This hardcover book is handsomely produced with a beautiful dust jacket showing fine Nusantarian galleys in the Moluccas, recorded during the Louis de Freycinet expedition of 1817–20. It’s a volume that offers readers a deeper understanding of the vibrant maritime peoples and events that unfolded literally on Australia’s tropical northern doorstep, to better appreciate the complex development of the human, political and economic region that we inhabit. -- Jeffrey Mellefont * New Mandela *In contrast and happy opposition to the national frameworks that nowadays limit most historical understandings of the diverse islands and coastlines that make up Southeast Asia—or Nusantaria, as he calls it, Bowring weaves a bright tapestry stretching across the centuries and the oceans to capture our eyes and minds, and remind us of the significance and richness of this often misunderstood corner of the world. * Ooi Kee Beng, Penang Institute (Malaysia) *Philip Bowring has produced an absorbing and timely history of maritime Southeast Asia. Ranging from prehistoric times to the present, he deftly harnesses an impressive range of sources into a compelling and fast-paced narrative. Bowring has important things to say about how disparate elements – of geography, culture, economic relations and political dynamics – have shaped a complex region that has long been central to global history. * Gareth Richards, Judge, Penang Book Prize 2019, founder of Gerakbudaya Bookshop Penang and Hikayat *Table of ContentsList of Maps and Illustrations Glossary Preface Introduction 1. Child of a Drowned Parent 2. Nusantaria’s Defining Features and Early People 3. To Babylon and Back 4. Ghosts of Early Empires 5. Culture from India, Goods from China 6. Srivijaya: Vanished Great Mandala 7. Java Takes Centre Stage 8. Tamil Tigers of Trade 9. Champa: Master of the East Sea 10. Malagasy Genes and African Echoes 11. China Raises its Head 12. The Majapahit Good Life 13. Tremble and Obey: the Zheng He Voyages 14. Nails, Dowels and Improbable Ships 15. Malay Melaka’s Lasting Legacy 16. The Northern Outliers 17. Islam’s Great Leap East 18. Nusantaria: Holed near the Waterline 19. Barangays and Baybayin 20. Makassar, Bugis and Freedom of the Seas 21. Where Kings Reign but Priests Rule 22. The Sulu Factor: Trading, Raiding, Slaving 23. Nusantaria’s Existential Crisis 24. Labour, Capital, Kongsi: The Power of the Chinese 25. High Noon of Occupation 26. Empty Lands No Longer 27. Freedom, Fears and the Future Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisInsecure Gulf examines how the concept of Arabian/Persian Gulf 'security' is evolving in response to new challenges that are increasingly non-military and longer-term. Food, water and energy security, managing and mitigating the impact of environmental degradation and climate change, addressing demographic pressures and the youth bulge and reformulating structural economic deficiencies, in addition to dealing with the fallout from progressive state failure in Yemen, require a broad, global and multi-dimensional approach to Gulf security. While 'traditional' threats from Iraq, Iran, nuclear proliferation and trans-national terrorism remain robust, these new challenges to Gulf security have the potential to strike at the heart of the social contract and redistributive mechanisms that bind state and society in the Arab oil monarchies. Consequently, Insecure Gulf explores the relationship between 'traditional' and 'new' security challenges and situates it within the changing political economy of the GCC states as they move at varying speeds toward post-oil structures of governance. It describes how regimes are anticipating and reacting to the shifting security paradigm, and contextualises these changes within the broader political, economic, social and demographic framework. It also argues that a holistic approach to security is necessary for regimes to renew their sources of legitimacy in a globalising world.Trade Review'Insecure Gulf' provides the first detailed assessment of the developments in the Persian Gulf sub-region in the post-oil era. It is the one of the few books of its kind not to be obsessed with the sub-region's energy riches, and in looking to highlight the uncertainties of a future from which oil income may not provide sufficient protection, warns of the sub-region's impending demographic, economic and environmental crises. Sympathetically written and meticulously researched, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen draws our attention to the dangers of a perfect storm forming in the Gulf Arab countries in which domestic challenges could combine with externally-induced security or economic shocks to expose these societies to crises of such magnitude that could test their very socio-political foundations. This is a must read. -- Anoush Ehteshami, Professor of International Relations at Durham UniversityKristian Coates Ulrichsen's absorbing book is rich in detail and profoundly incisive. It is brilliant in its analysis and masterful in scope, tackling the most important and toughest questions on security in the Gulf region. Fascinating, fluently written and insightful, 'Insecure Gulf' offers a genuinely original perspective on this important subject. This is compulsory and highly engaging reading. -- Dr Steven Wright, Department of International Affairs, Qatar University'Insecure Gulf' offers a broad-ranging yet consistently cogent survey of the major trends that threaten the stability of the Arab Gulf states at the present moment and in the foreseeable future. It highlights not only the concrete, material challenges that confront regimes in this part of the world but also the ideational dynamics that shape how strategic realities get interpreted and prioritized. And the book accomplishes this while remaining accessible to non-specialists. An enlightening tour d'horizon. -- Fred H. Lawson, Professor of Government, Mills College

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Book SynopsisThe republics of Central Asia re-emerged as independent actors in the global interstate system in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, their varied histories and geographies offering many different possible opportunities and course of action. In order to explain their often confusing and complicated foreign policy alignments, many analysts have turned again to the theories of Sir Halford Mackinder (1861-1947), the British geographer who is widely regarded as the founding father of geopolitics. This book brings together historical geographers and political scientists to explore this remarkable renaissance of Mackinder's thinking. It charts his own engagement with the region, in both his writings and his visit to Central Asia as a British envoy in the aftermath of World War I. It outlines and evaluates how his ideas have been used by Central Asian, Russian, and American scholars to explain the region's international relations, and it traces how his writings actually reached Central Asia and the manner in which they have been dynamically reworked by scholars 'in transit'. The book is thus an important contribution not only to theorising the international relations of Central Asia, but also to our understanding of the historical geography of how ideas are ex- changed and reworked in the process.Trade Review'Nick Megoran and Sevara Sharapova's edited collection is a welcome and wide-ranging exploration of [Halford Mackinder's] thought and its relevance for Central Asia.' * International Affairs *'This is an excellent and engaging piece of work, which takes an innovative and ground-breaking approach to Mackinder's theories. It is a must-read for anyone with an interest in Mackinder's contribution to geopolitics and its contemporary readings. The kind of academic work to which so many aspire.' * Christopher Wyatt, author of Afghanistan and the Defence of Empire *'Approaching Central Asia through the theories of the imperial scholar-strategist Halford Mackinder (1861-1947), this book offers an impressive guide to multilingual universes of power, intrigue and geopolitics. And if you think you know Mackinder already, prepare to be astonished and to reappraise.' * James D. Sidaway, Professor of Political Geography, National University of Singapore *'A challenging and insightful book representing serious analysis of Central Asian geopolitics.' * Alisher Faizullaev, D.Sc., Professor at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Uzbekistan, and former Ambassador to the United Kingdom *'Halford Mackinder's "heartland" is invariably invoked in discussions about Central Asia. This distinctive, welcome collection by regional and international scholars provides a must-read systematic and perceptive assessment of how Mackinder's ideas have been interpreted within and adapted to the complexities of Central Asia's local contexts.' * Sally N. Cummings, Professor of International Relations University of St Andrews, and author of Understanding Central Asia *

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Book SynopsisVladimir Putin has almost by stealth trans- formed himself into an historic Russian figure. His undeniable political dominance was reflected in his return to presidential control after the March 2012 elections, having placed an obedient President Dmitry Medvedev in a stop-gap presidency. Since 1999 Putin's growing power transposed itself in foreign affairs and nowhere did Russia's reemergence on the world stage have more impact than in the Middle East. Russia's new role and identity had its roots in the late Yeltsin era but Putin has subtly deflated the balloon of US power by cleverly manipulating developments in the Middle East including Iraq, Lebanon, the Palestinian- Israeli conflict, the Syrian revolution and other regional issues. Yet twenty years earlier Russia was a very different place, and as it took its first fragile steps in a world full of dangers, the Middle East was not a top priority. This book charts the remarkable conversion in Russian Middle East policy that developed after the turning point in 2005-2006, which mirrored Putin's turn to unbridled authoritarianism. It remains to be seen whether Putin's increasingly pugnacious Middle East policies can be reconciled with Russia's long term interests economically and strategically.Trade Review'It is impossible to understand the contemporary Middle East without understanding the interests and role of the Russian Federation. Nizameddin provides an innovative analysis of the foreign policies pursued under Putin's presidencies in this explosive region. If you read just one book on Russia and the Middle East, read this one.' * Peter J.S. Duncan, Senior Lecturer in Russian Politics and Society, School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London *'Talal Nizameddin has written a fascinating book on an important topic. This is a most useful guide to anyone trying to understand Putin's overall strategy in the Middle East as well as providing some answers to those of us wondering why Russia continues to support the Assad regime in Syria.' * Mike Bowker, Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of East Anglia, UK, and author of Russia, America and the Islamic World *'Talal Nizameddin is a masterful guide to the complexities of Russian policy in the Middle East - a region crucial to Russia's comeback as a powerful actor on the world stage. In this seminal work, he manages the Herculean task of explaining how Putin consolidated a pragmatic and realistic policy by balancing Russian relations with a variety of different actors.' * Bente Scheller, Director, Heinrich-Boll-Stiftung, and author of The Wisdom of Syria's Waiting Game: Foreign Policy Under the Assads *

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Book SynopsisThe Arab Spring occurred within the context of the unraveling of the dominant 'ruling bargain' that emerged across the Middle East in the 1950s. This is being replaced by a new and in- choate system that redefines sources of author- ity and legitimacy through various devices (such as constitutions), experiences, and processes (mass protests, civil wars, and elections), by reassessing the roles, functions, and at times the structures of institutions (political parties and organisations, the armed forces, the executive); and by the initiative of key personalities and actors (agency). Across the Arab world and the Middle East, 'authority' and 'political legitimacy' are in flux. Where power will ultimately reside depends largely on the shape, voracity, and staying power of these new, emerging conceptions of authority. The contributors to this book examine the nature and evolution of ruling bargains, the politi- cal systems to which they gave rise, the steady unraveling of the old systems and the structural consequences thereof, and the uprisings that have engulfed much of the Middle East since December 2010.Trade ReviewThe authors of this wide-ranging collection - deeply steeped in history and skilled in political analysis - walk us through the past 'bargains' imposed by rulers of the Middle East on their own peoples. In doing so, they expertly convey how those bargains are now being renegotiated in a process that is sometimes exhilarating but also contentious (even violent), confusing, and prone to breakdown, distrust, and even bad faith. -- Nathan Brown, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs'Beyond the Arab Spring' adds new dimensions and considerable depth to our understanding of the extraordinary events in the region since the first days of 2011. From the exploration of an array of institutions and social forces underpinning the uprisings to the examination of particularities of country cases, this volume covers a lot of ground while providing readers with much to think about. An important contribution to the literature. -- Miriam R. Lowi, Department of Political Science, The College of New Jersey and author of 'Oil Wealth and the Poverty of Politics: Algeria Compared'

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Book SynopsisTibet's enduring myth, animated by the tales of Himalayan adventurers, British military expeditions, and the novel, Lost Horizon, remains an inspirational fantasy, a modern morality play about the failure of brutality to subdue the human spirit. Tibet also exercises immense 'soft power' as one of the lenses through which the world views China. This book traces the origins and manifestations of the Tibetan myth, as propagated by Younghusband, Madam Blavatsky, Himmler, Acheson and Roosevelt. The authors discuss how, after WW2, Tibet - isolated, misunderstood and with a tiny elite unschooled in political-military realities - - misread the diplomacy between its two giant neighbours, India and China, forlornly hoping London or Washington might intervene. The PLA sought nothing less than to deconstruct traditional Tibet, unseat the Dalai Lama and 'absorb' this vast region into the People's Republic, and Lhasa succumbed to China's invasion in 1950. Drawing on declassified CIA and Chinese documents, the authors reveal Mao's collusion with Stalin to subdue Tibet, double-dealing by Nehru, the brilliant diplomacy of Chou en Lai and how Washington see-sawed between the China lobby, who insisted there be no backing for an independent Tibet, and Presidents Truman and later Eisenhower, who initiated a covert CIA programme to support the Dalai Lama and resist Chinese occupation. It is an ignoble saga with few, if any, heroes, other than ordinary Tibetans.Trade Review'In Tibet, Lezlee Brown Halper and Stefan Halper look behind a tragic past and uncertain future... The book, based on recently declassified documents, is as gripping as a spy thriller, with vivid details and fully drawn characters in all their heroism and foibles.' * Financial Times *'The great strength of this book, a tour de force of original research, lies in its fresh exploration of America's secret assault on China through Tibet. The authors have interviewed participants on several continents, perused hitherto classified documents and even somehow penetrated the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. Their description of the difficulties encountered by the CIA in training its Tibetan operatives is especially enthralling... This absorbing book illustrates a tragically familiar situation: the weak being devoured by the strong.' * Literary Review *'Since World War II few peoples have been more badly served than the Tibetans - abandoned to their fate at the hands of the Han Chinese by their so-called friends and admirers. Yet the Tibetan myth, a cultural state of mind and belief, lives on. This excellent book explains its fate and its extraordinary durability, and suggests that the myth may yet prove to have more soft power and greater longevity than the Chinese Communist Party itself - a wonderfully seditious idea which should set alarms ringing in Beijing.' * Sir Richard Dearlove KCMG OBE, formerly Chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service *'The West is - understandably - deeply impressed with the spiritual energy and depth of the Dalai Lama; but we have long needed a judicious and comprehensive overview of how the current indefensible situation in Tibet arose that will take us beyond vague sympathy. This book offers just such an overview, spelling out how short-term needs of the Cold War and the tunnel-vision of pro-Taiwanese lobbyists in the USA combined with the political and moral radar of the world. It is a tragic and shameful story, told here with clarity and challenge.' * Lord Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and former Archbishop of Canterbury *'Lezlee and Stefan Halper are unique; a literary partnership at home in the rigorous disciplines of research and scholarship, with deep experience in high level public service, yet able to enthral the reader with a thrilling story. In Tibet, they have drawn on all these talents to illuminate the adventure, mythology, violence and geopolitics of Tibet in a way never before achieved. They have unearthed new secrets through diligent research and unique access while never losing a grasp of the arc of the romantic tragedy that is the fabled "Shangri-la."' * John Lehman, former Secretary of the Navy, member of the 9/11 Commission and the author of Command of the Seas *'This book reshapes the way we look at Tibet. A challenging, fascinating and provocative work that anyone interested in the society and its fate should buy.' * Christopher Coker, Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics *'This book evokes a romantic yet informative vision of Tibet based on extensive research into the official record. Many episodes and details will be new and surprising even to veteran scholars of modern Tibetan history, let alone the general reader.' * Krishnan Srinivasan, former Indian foreign secretary *'In Tibet: An Unfinished Story, Lezlee and Stefan Halper provide the most readable and insightful account of Tibet's history during the Cold War to date. This is the remarkable story of how Tibet, weak militarily, without genuine allies, and surrounded by powerful states, was frequently traduced. It was unable to gain the independence it wanted at a time of decolonization across Asia. But the book is also the story of the emergence of a Tibetan myth that has become fundamental to its unique position in the world today. Anyone who wants to to understand the Cold War in East Asia, the problem that Tibet will pose for the People's Republic of China as it progresses on its 'peaceful rise', and the continuing sympathy for Tibet in the West must read this book. Written in a lively and accessible style by authors who care about the subject and know it inside out, this book is a genuine achievement.' - * Hans van de Ven, Professor of Modern Chinese History, Cambridge University *'This is a powerful account of the West's fascination with Tibet and the hard truths of realpolitik that have shaped policy towards the country, from the advent of Cold War to the present day. Based on personal interviews with some of the key players and on archival sources, the authors uncover the dilemma faced by the Western powers in their need to accommodate China at the expense of Tibet's desire for independence. An important book.' * Tsering Shakya, Canadian Research Chair in Religion and Contemporary Society in Asia, University of British Columbia, and author of The Dragon in the Land of Snows: A History of Modern Tibet Since 1947 *'The authors bring much insight into why the often spurious accounts [of Tibet] and the enduring sympathy they created ... did nothing to save the real country and its people from the tragedies it has endured in the past 60 years. ...Drawing on recently declassified archives and extensive official contacts [the authors] bring an illuminating level of detail to their account.' * International Affairs *'The authors have researched their subject with meticulous attention to detail and they pose the intriguing question of whether Tibet may come to outlive the present regime in Beijing.' * Geographical *'The authors' in-depth explanation of the inner workings of the American security establishment is fascinating for anyone interested in the twists and turns of diplomatic decision-making. Viewing Tibet from an American perspective allows the authors to situate Tibet's struggle for independence among the big themes of modern history... their meticulous research is evident and the wealth of anecdotes and asides make for an account as lively as it is thorough.' * Asian Review *

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Book SynopsisWhy is Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, involved in a costly and merciless war against its mountainous southern neighbour Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East? When the Saudis attacked the hitherto obscure Houthi militia, which they believed had Iranian backing, to oust Yemen's government in 2015, they expected an easy victory. They appealed for Western help and bought weapons worth billions of dollars from Britain and America; yet two years later the Houthis, a unique Shia sect, have the upper hand.In her revealing portrait of modern Yemen, Ginny Hill delves into its recent history, dominated by the enduring and pernicious influence of career dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh, who ruled for three decades before being forced out by street protests in 2011. Saleh masterminded patronage networks that kept the state weak, allowing conflict, social inequality and terrorism to flourish.In the chaos that follows his departure, civil war and regional interference plague the country while separatist groups, Al-Qaeda and ISIS compete to exploit the broken state. And yet, Yemen endures.Trade Review'[A] vivid and balanced account.''Yemen - a country of multiple realities, complex, layered, and explosive, where some of the hungriest people in the world strive to live. Ginny Hill is a rare outsider who has lived the country, she is superbly seasoned in its physical and political terrain. Her book is a revelation.' -- Jon Snow, Channel 4‘Highly engaging and well written.’ -- Bustan: The Middle East Book Review‘A compelling and detailed account . . . combining a journalist’s flair with the deep expertise from more than a decade of living in, working on and writing about Yemen, Hill weaves together the stories of Yemenis from several hundred interviews in a style that is both engaging and accessible.’ 'This is an extremely fine journalistic account of the turbulence in contemporary Yemen . . . provides a distinct perspective on the factors that allow Yemen to continue to exist . . . a fine read for anyone unfamiliar with Yemen to get up to speed in understanding the country.''Written with the fluid cadence of a former journalist, it offers a highly accessible and important entry point for readers new to the history and politics of Yemen but also includes content that will help more seasoned readers better under- stand some long-standing puzzles . . . a well-written work of wide scope on questions of great urgency.’ '[Hill] use[s] her deep knowledge and experience of Yemen to not only explain the complexities of the current conflict, but also places them in an historical and social context . . . deeply emotive and engaging . . . Telling the story of Yemen and the wider region through this powerful yet still journalistic prose makes for a genuine page turner.''Ginny Hill's detailed and highly readable account [...] is indispensable to understanding the story so far. [...] Hill is impressive proof that academic rigour, patient and persistent reporting, good contacts and fine writing are not mutually exclusive. Her book is full of vivid insights enriched by far deeper knowledge than can be accumulated during a brief visit.' -- Ian Black, LSE blog'Yemen Endures is an invaluable guide to the crisis that has engulfed Yemen, combining history, analysis and vivid first-person testimony -- a must-read for anyone who wants to understand this bewilderingly multi-faceted conflict.' -- Robin Lustig, former presenter of The World Tonight on BBC Radio 4 and Newshour on BBC World Service'The most authoritative account of the Yemen tragedy so far. Yemen Endures succeeds where others have failed in giving voice to the Yemeni people. Highly recommended.' -- Christopher Davidson, author of Shadow Wars: The Secret Struggle for the Middle East'There are all too few books written on Yemen, fewer still that get it right. Hill's expert guide through the quagmire is both timely and essential. This book achieves that through the author's rare balance of insight, candour and direct experience to produce a work that will be a marker of how modern Yemen ended up in war and collapse.' -- Iona Craig, former Times (of London) Yemen correspondent, winner of the Orwell Prize and the Martha Gellhorn Award'An eminently readable and highly insightful portrayal of a country in chaos. Hill's account of Yemen's history and torturous politics is vividly coloured by her own personal experiences.' -- Mehran Kamrava, author of The Modern Middle East: A Political History Since World War I

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