Geopolitics Books

Book SynopsisGrowing up during The Troubles, I was determined that I was not going to be forced into Irish unity by terrorist violence or the threat of it. At the time, there was no space to think about a different future. But since then, we have had peace, however imperfect it may be, and we now have the opportunity to freely decide our fate.Why will everyone living on the island of Ireland benefit from Irish unity?How will the referendum be won?Do we need to start preparing now?What will happen when Ireland is reunified?Disillusioned with the state of pro-union politics in Britain and Northern Ireland, scarred by what he and many others see as a detrimental vote for Brexit and determined to heal the wounds inflicted by partition, Ben Collins sets out a multitude of political, social and economic benefits of removing the border on the island of Ireland, once and for all.Written from the viewpoint of an East Belfast-born former UUP campaigner, Irish Unity: Time to Prepare addresses the concerns of unionists in Northern Ireland and sceptics in the Republic and urges everyone on the island of Ireland to escape the crumbling United Kingdom so that we can build a peaceful and prosperous future together, for ourselves and our children.Trade ReviewThe partitioning of Ireland has left a tragic legacy of estrangement especially in Northern Ireland where until the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 conflicting allegiances and identities set the scene for ongoing wasteful conflict and instability. The Agreement put the issue of ending partition on the agenda for medium to long term consideration. Brexit which was not supported by a majority in Northern Ireland and changing demographics have brought the issue of partition closer and closer to centre stage. Many scholarly and political analyses are now adding to the inevitable debate, but few deepen and widen it as Ben Collins’ book does. With exceptional courage he steps outside the predictable tribal politics which have inhibited fresh, radical thinking on all sides including within the unionist tradition which he is steeped in from birth. Here is a plan for building a dynamic and welcoming new home for all who share this beautiful island. A home beyond partition, without partition. This book is precisely the kind of challenging thinking needed at this strange time. I hope it provokes thoughtful and respectful discussion across all the chasms we need to bridge if the future is to honour the promise of peace and partnership most yearn for. – MARY McALEESE, President of Ireland 1997-2011In a timely addition to the growing public debate about Irish unity, Ben Collins examines the feasibility and desirability of such a radical change. And he pulls no punches, convinced that Northern Ireland’s political institutions aren’t fit for purpose and that Irish unity is ‘an idea whose time has come’. Ben Collins grew up as an East Belfast Unionist, describing himself today as ‘an idealist and a pragmatist’ who believes ‘Irish unity is an urgent necessity’, especially after the trauma of Brexit and what he describes as Boris Johnson’s ‘betrayal’ of Northern Ireland. His book is a roadmap towards that end; a clearheaded analysis of the complex issues, grounded in fact, with terrific historical detail. He highlights one of the thorniest issues now facing Northern Ireland; the state created specifically to have Protestant and Unionist majority that will very soon have neither. Anyone interested in the future not just of Northern Ireland, but of these islands, would benefit from this thought-provoking book. – BILL NEELYBen Collins argues a powerful and articulate economic, social and political case for Irish reunification within the European Union. That this is not the work of a life-long republican but from an author originating from a unionist background indicates how the old certainties surrounding the constitutional question are disappearing. The book is particularly strong in observing broader contexts: the increased economic drivers from Brussels with Northern Ireland given the EU Protocol; the continuing strength of the independence movement in Scotland and its growth in Wales. The growth of a centre ground within the North, persuadable for Irish unity, is correctly observed as potentially decisive in deciding the outcome of a border poll. The author outlines how a unity referendum can be won on either side of the border, via a combination of leadership and the allaying of fears, before articulating how a single parliament in Dublin can accommodate unionists.Not everyone will agree with the author’s assertion that Irish unity is probable within a decade. Regardless, this is an important book which ought to be read by those on either side of the constitutional debate – and by those yet to make up their mind. – JON TONGE, Professor of Politics, University of Liverpool.Irish Unity: Time to Prepare details how the unfolding campaign for Scottish independence has helped build momentum for Irish unity and describes the step changes in his own outlook. – LESLEY RIDDOCHTable of ContentsAcknowledgements 9 Foreword 11 Glossary of Terms 13 Timeline of Key Events 15 Preface 23 Introduction 29 Part One: Setting the Scene 41 Preparing the Ground 42 The Economy 64 Symbolism and Cultural Identity 86 Historical Perspective 93 Calling a Border Poll/Unity Referendum 100 Part Two: Winning the Referendum 119 Gaming the Campaign 120 Getting the Irish Republic to Vote for Unity 147 Appealing to Unionism 154 The Power of Sport 181 Part Three: Thriving After the Vote for Unity 187 Governance 188 Legacy Issues – Dealing with the Past 195Lessons from Other Countries 199 Where We Want to End Up 203 Conclusion: A Summary of My Support for Unity 207 Endnotes 209

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Book SynopsisA shocking depiction of one of the world’s most ruthless regimes — and the story of one woman’s fight to survive. I will never forget the camp. I cannot forget the eyes of the prisoners, expecting me to do something for them. They are innocent. I have to tell their story, to tell about the darkness they are in. It is so easy to suffocate us with the demons of powerlessness, shame, and guilt. But we aren’t the ones who should feel ashamed. Born in China’s north-western province, Sayragul Sauytbay trained as a doctor before being appointed a senior civil servant. But her life was upended when the Chinese authorities incarcerated her. Her crime: being Kazakh, one of China’s ethnic minorities. The north-western province borders the largest number of foreign nations and is the point in China that is the closest to Europe. In recent years it has become home to over 1,200 penal camps — modern-day gulags that are estimated to house three million members of the Kazakh and Uyghur minorities. Imprisoned solely due to their ethnicity, inmates are subjected to relentless punishment and torture, including being beaten, raped, and used as subjects for medical experiments. The camps represent the greatest systematic incarceration of an entire people since the Third Reich. In prison, Sauytbay was put to work teaching Chinese language, culture, and politics, in the course of which she gained access to secret information that revealed Beijing’s long-term plans to undermine not only its minorities, but democracies around the world. Upon her escape to Europe she was reunited with her family, but still lives under the constant threat of reprisal. This rare testimony from the biggest surveillance state in the world reveals not only the full, frightening scope of China’s tyrannical ambitions, but also the resilience and courage of its author.Trade Review‘The Chief Witness is a deeply disturbing insight into the dark heart of the Chinese Communist Party and its reign of terror in Xinjiang. It will rank historically along with the great literary exposés of the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps and the Soviet gulag. If you thought another Holocaust could never happen, pick up this book. Told with an aching honesty, Sayragul Sautbay’s account of her experience in China’s concentration camps in Xinjiang wounds the soul.’ -- Clive Hamilton‘An extraordinary testament to Sauytbay’s bravery.’ -- Edward Lucas * The Times *‘A remarkable story of a woman’s pride, suffering, and resilience … It is only through accounts such as this one … that the world can sift the evidence.’ -- Michael Sheridan * The Sunday Times *‘Stunning.’ -- Ed Needham * Strong Words *

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Book SynopsisLegally part of Moldova, Transnistria is sandwiched between that country and southern Ukraine. After the USSR broke up, its people's desire not to be governed by Moldova led to a 1992 war in which nearly 1,000 died; since then, it has maintained de facto independence, although it relies significantly on Russian economic, political and military support. Technically, there is still a conflict between Transnistria and Moldova, but this has become frozen and they enjoy reasonably civil relations.Resulting from six years of research, during which the author made nine visits to the territory where he interviewed politicians, judges, public servants, human rights lawyers, diplomats, police officers, academics, students and others this book examines what the best future for Transnistria is and whether de jure independence is a viable solution.

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Book SynopsisWith Indiaâs example, Lindner shows exactly what the world could learn from the countries of the Global South to better tackle tomorrowâs challenges.

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Book SynopsisAfter the shock of the conflict against the Indian Army in Sikkim in 1967 and the loss of almost 400 soldiers, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) pressed for resolving all territorial disputes by discussion only, without using force or firearms against one another.This book analyses the process of bulletless border management by the Indian Army against the PLA, presenting the history of this process over the course of half a century.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisWith the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, warnings about a 'new Cold War' proliferated. In fact, argues Gilbert Achcar in this timely new study, the Cold War has been ongoing since the turn of the century. Racing to solidify its position in the 1990s as the last remaining superpower, the US alienated Russia and China, pushing them closer and rebooting the 'old' Cold War with disastrous implications. Vladimir Putin's consequent rise and imperialist reinvention, along with Xi Jinping's own ascendancy and increasingly autocratic tendencies, would, respectively, culminate in the murderous invasion of Ukraine and mounting tensions over Taiwan and trade. Was all this inevitable? Will these three world powers' permanent readiness to war write the story of the twenty-first century? What comes after Ukraine? What might the contours of a more peaceful world look like? These questions and many others are addressed in this essential book by one of the most astute and seasoned analysts of international relations.

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Book SynopsisThe Sahel is the borderland of 3 million square kilometres between the Sahara Desert and the African savannah and forest lands further south. Much of this huge area is inhospitable. Insurgencies are common, as are migration and smuggling, jobs being as rare here as effective government interventionstate power extends only fitfully, and the region resists attempts to subdue militants, people-traffickers, nomadic herders or anyone excluded from power. The Western Sahel's fragile states face growing popular discontent, complicated by both climate change and military intervention by France and other powers. Mali is the epicentre of the Sahel crisis: Morten Bøås charts the history of Mali and its fragile neighbours, identifying their current frailty as unsettled states, without legitimate social contracts or political consensus. This in turn has generated competing identities and economic interests, which spill over into resource conflicts over grazing, water, mineral reserves or smuggling routes. Such local contests have been manipulated by elites intent on their own preservation, and appropriated by jihadi insurgents eager to integrate into local communities. What will happen if all the ingredients of this perfect storm coalesce? What are the ramifications for the Sahel, its neighbours, Europe and the wider world?

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The story of the Habsburg Empire, which shaped key episodes of European history for several centuries, is one of endurance and finesse. A gripping and insightful work that yields lessons for statecraft in our own time."—Henry A. Kissinger"A compelling and long-overdue analysis."—Richard Bassett, author of For God and Kaiser: The Imperial Austrian Army, 1619–1918"This graceful account of Habsburg diplomacy . . . explains how the empire survived so long."—Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs"Mitchell's emphasis on geography harkens back to the great histories of Mommsen, Gibbon, and Braudel, and the great geopolitical works of Mackinder, Spykman, and Mahan."—Francis P. Sempa, Russell Kirk Center"A stimulating and fascinating book that deserves to be discussed in detail. . . . The fun of Mitchell's book is that it is possible to open it on almost every page and tell students: 'Discuss.' That is no mean achievement."—Lothar Hoebelt, H-Net Reviews

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Book SynopsisThe astonishing drama of Cold War nuclear poker that divided humanity - reissued with a new Postscript to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the wall. During the night of 12–13 August 1961, a barbed-wire entanglement was hastily constructed through the heart of Berlin. It metamorphosed into a structure that would come to symbolise the insanity of the Cold War: the Berlin Wall. Frederick Taylor tells the story of the post-war political conflict that led to a divided Berlin and unleashed an East–West crisis, which lasted until the very people the Wall had been built to imprison breached it on 9 November 1989. Weaving together history, original archive research and personal stories, The Berlin Wall, now published in fifteen languages, is the definitive account of a divided city and its people in a time when humanity seemed to stand permanently on the edge of destruction.Trade ReviewA gripping, impassioned history of the Cold War’s most malevolent symbol * New York Times *Superb, fast-paced and readable history * Evening Standard *Masterful * Guardian *Compulsive reading -- London Review of Books

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Book SynopsisIs the West prepared for a world where power is shared with China? A world in which China asserts the same level of global leadership that the USA currently assumes? And can we learn to embrace Chinese political culture, as China learned to embrace ours?Here, one of the world's leading voices on China, Kerry Brown, takes us past the tired cliches and inside the Chinese leadership - as they lay out a roadmap for working in a world in which China shares dominance with the West. From how, and why, China as a dominant superpower has been inevitable for many years, to how the attempts to fight the old battles are over, Brown digs deeper into the problematic nature of China's current situation - its treatment of dissent, of Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and the severe limitations on its management of relations with other cultures and values. These issues impact the way the West sees China, China sees the West, and how both see themselves. There are obstacles to the West accepting a more prominenTrade ReviewA carefully argued rebuke to the west’s negative reaction to Xi’s push to make his country less open at home and more assertive abroad. -- James Crabtree * Financial Times *In Kerry Brown’s several decades of working in and observing China, he has developed a reputation as one of the more sober and thoughtful observers of the country. [In China Incorporated, Brown’s arguments] are fleshed out and comprehensive. -- Peter Gordon * Asian Review of Books *Whatever your opinion on China -- as a "systemic competitor", "strategic challenge" or just plain old elephant in every room -- it is vital to understand what you are really dealing with. In this book, Kerry Brown does a marvellous job of demythologising China, depicting it convincingly as an "opportunistic, exceptional, more limited power" than is often believed, "driven by self-interest". -- - Bill Emmott, Chair, Japan Society of the UK, and former editor-in-chief of The EconomistBrown’s book is a voice of sanity in a Western world that, on the matter of China, has, in recent times, taken leave of its senses. It urgently needs to regain them. And Brown’s book is a good place to start. He dismisses much of what has recently passed for serious commentary on China as a step back into the darkness of prejudice. He is constantly interesting, always thoughtful, and refreshingly wise and knowing about China. He is also very readable. We can all learn much from this very important contribution to the debate on China. -- Martin Jacques, journalist and author of 'When China Rules the World'At a time when the China debate is characterized by heat rather than light, Kerry Brown gives a sober, highly accessible account of what Chinese power is – and is not. Powerful reading for all interested in geopolitics. -- Rana Mitter, Professor of Chinese History and Politics, University of Oxford, UKTable of ContentsAn Important Note on Terminology Introduction Chapter One: The Three Key Things About China for the Modern World Chapter Two: The Enigma of Chinese Power Chapter Three: China and The Question of Values Chapter Four: What Does the World Want from China? Chapter Five: What Does China Want from the World? Chapter Six: The Dark Side of Chinese Power Chapter Seven: The Great Separation - Part One Chapter Eight: Making the Dual Track World Work Notes Suggested Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2019 'Anyone who wishes to understand why Brexit is so intractable should read this book. I can think of several MPs who ought to.' The Times For the past two decades, you could cross the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic half a dozen times without noticing or, indeed, turning off the road you were travelling. It cuts through fields, winds back-and-forth across roads, and wends from Carlingford Lough to Lough Foyle. It is frictionless - a feat sealed by the Good Friday Agreement. Before that, watchtowers loomed over border communities, military checkpoints dotted the roads, and smugglers slipped between jurisdictions. This is a past that most are happy to have left behind but might it also be the future? The border has been a topic of dispute for over a century, first in Dublin, Belfast and Westminster and, post Brexit referendum, in Brussels. Yet, despite the passions of Nationalists and Unionists in the North, neither found deep wells of support in the countries they identified with politically. British political leaders were often ignorant of the conflict's complexities, rarely visited the border, and privately disliked their erstwhile unionist allies. Southern leaders' anti-partition statements masked relative indifference and unofficial cooperation with British security services. From the 1920 Government of Ireland Act that created the border, the Treaty and its aftermath, through the Civil Rights Movement, Thatcher, the Troubles and the Good Friday Agreement up to the Brexit negotiations, Ferriter reveals the political, economic, social and cultural consequences of the border in Ireland. With the fate of the border uncertain, The Border is a timely intervention by a renowned historian into one of the most contentious and misunderstood political issues of our time.Trade ReviewClear-eyed ... It isn't often that writing on Brexit and Ireland is so uniformly unsparing and devoid of lazy moralism. This is a rare pleasure ... Anyone who wishes to understand why Brexit is so intractable should read this book. I can think of several MPs who ought to. -- Patrick Maguire * Times *A clear and concise history ... Ferriter's judicious book shows that Brexiters' recklessness, such "contemptuous arrogance", is nothing new, and that it has always been the ordinary people of Northern Ireland who have paid its price. They deserve better. -- Christopher Kissane * Guardian *A wide-ranging history of Irish partition ... skilfully condenses a vast amount of research into a coherent narrative packed with striking quotes and acerbic commentaries ... erudite and insightful -- Andrew Lynch * Irish Independent *A timely historical essay * Economist *The Border is an invaluable new addition to the growing canon of Border literature... a very readable book ... it has a chronological precision one expects from a historian, yet its pacy and concise narrative runs to just 144 pages and takes readers up to last week's headlines. One can't help wondering if it has the immediacy of a background executive summary for the next round of on-off Brexit negotiations. -- Darach MacDonald * Irish Times *Richly detailed ... Ferriter is scrupulous in striving for historical objectivity -- Andrew Anthony * Observer *Ferriter is particularly interesting on the origins and early history of the border... his timely book explains all this and more, deftly interweaving history and current affairs. -- Cormac Ó Gráda * BBC History Magazine *The Border could hardly be more timely ... Ferriter is particularly lively on the delusion of hardline Brexiteers ... and equally strong on the implications of a return to a hard border ... the most that can be hoped for now is a taking up of the lessons of history, as Ferriter concludes. This book provides a small step, at least, in that direction. -- Catherine Healy * Sunday Business Post *A rat-a-tat of history, forensic in detail, sober and sobering, its timely publication a riposte to all the blather and bluster written and spoken in recent times about Brexit and backstops and borders. -- Donal O'Donaghue * RTE Guide *Ferriter ends with the hope that the oppressive weight of a century of Anglo-Irish history can be lifted ... Reading this book would be a good starting point for all concerned [with Brexit]. -- Colm Larkin, adviser to Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister, 1998- 2001 * FT *Succinct and engaging ... Ferriter weaves a lively narrative, cutting briskly from angle to angle. -- Garrett Carr * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisCatholic Herald Book Awards 2019 Finalist, Current Affairs "Auzanneau has created a towering telling of a dark and dangerous addiction.”—Nature The story of oil is one of hubris, fortune, betrayal, and destruction. It is the story of a resource that has been undeniably central to the creation of our modern culture, and ever-present during the darkest exploits of empire the world over. For the past 150 years, oil has become the most essential ingredient for economic, military, and political power. And it has brought us to our present moment in which political leaders and the fossil-fuel industry consider extraordinary, and extraordinarily dangerous, policy on a world stage marked by shifting power bases. Upending the conventional wisdom by crafting a “people’s history,” award-winning journalist Matthieu Auzanneau deftly traces how oil became a national and then global addiction, outlines the enormous consequences of that addiction, sheds new light on major historical and contemporary figures, and raises new questions about stories we thought we knew well: What really sparked the oil crises in the 1970s, the shift away from the gold standard at Bretton Woods, or even the financial crash of 2008? How has oil shaped the events that have defined our times: two world wars, the Cold War, the Great Depression, ongoing wars in the Middle East, the advent of neoliberalism, and the Great Recession, among them? With brutal clarity, Oil, Power, and War exposes the heavy hand oil has had in all of our lives—and illustrates how much heavier that hand could get during the increasingly desperate race to control the last of the world’s easily and cheaply extractable reserves. Trade Review"In his scholarly but impassioned book, Matthieu Auzanneau provides a wide-ranging account of the effect oil has had on the minutiae of daily life and the grandest geopolitical narratives.”—Geographical “Beautifully written and marvelously translated, Oil, Power, and War provides a detailed history of oil’s impact on economic and technical advances—and, in turn, their impact on oil—over the past century. Extending its narrative through the events of early 2018, it offers a profound new understanding of oil’s role in war and peace, growth and stagnation; and it casts new light on the foundations of national power and the challenge that lies ahead. A terrific education and an engrossing read.”—Dennis Meadows, coauthor of The Limits to Growth“The definitive history of the rise and eventual fall of oil, brilliantly told. Auzanneau illuminates the history of our time driven by cheap oil and the persistent search for more at all costs. Insightful, authoritative, and essential reading. A dazzling and wise book.”—David Orr, author of Dangerous Years; Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics, Oberlin College“Matthieu Auzanneau’s ambitious new history of oil is a must read for anyone intrigued by the instrumental role of energy in the ebb and flow of modern civilization. This is a richly documented and beautifully written book, which tells a story that has not been fully told—until now. Auzanneau masterfully reveals the vast extent to which the arteries of today’s politics, economics, and culture have been indelibly shaped by the rise—and decline—of the world’s most abundant fossil fuel. In years to come, historians will refer back to Auzanneau’s work as a definitive guide to the real role of oil in some of the most pivotal events in world history.”—Nafeez Ahmed, editor of INSURGE intelligence; visiting research fellow at the Global Sustainability Institute at Anglia Ruskin University“Auzanneau’s Oil, Power, and War is a fascinating and excellent book. It sets out in detail the extraordinary story of oil’s discovery, production, pricing, and control, and throws light on the fears, misapprehensions, power plays, and conflicts that our addiction to this cheap and flexible form of energy has engendered. Auzanneau is particularly good at explaining the importance of oil in the sustenance of modern society, and therefore why the coming constraint to the global oil supply—caused by the current resource-limited plateau (and soon decline) in the global production of conventional oil—is likely to be so difficult. Hopefully lessons learned from our past mistakes, laid out so well in this book, can help guide us through the oil challenges that lie ahead.”—R. W. Bentley, editor of The Oil Age; author of Introduction to Peak Oil“Matthieu Auzanneau’s book is a must for anyone who wants to understand the modern world. Our consumer society is based on cheap energy. Thus if you want to know the sources of the world’s current wealth and how our economy is likely to evolve in the future, you must study the history of world oil since 1859. This book tells that story more fully, fairly, accurately, and entertainingly than any other to date. Indeed, previous accounts of the history of oil are now effectively obsolete.”—Jean Laherrère, petroleum engineer; president of ASPO France“An absolutely great book, and a nearly unbelievable summary of the history of oil. But this is not just the story of oil, it is also the story of humankind during the past two centuries or so, and it shows how almost everything that happened during those centuries links back to oil. Auzanneau presents a treasure trove of information not available anywhere else—at least not in a well-organized and critical form, as most books written on this subject are sponsored or supported, one way or another, by the fossil-fuel industry. Did you know that Mussolini was lured into his disastrous Ethiopian campaign by hopes of finding oil there? Did you know that the British won the Battle of Britain partly because the fuel of their Spitfires had a higher octane number than that of the German Messerschmitts? Did you know that the Marshall Plan to rebuild the European economies was based on the idea of replacing Europe’s dependence on American oil with a dependence on US-controlled Middle East oil? There’s all this and much more in Oil, Power, and War, and the story of oil and humankind is not yet concluded. In the future it will be mostly about getting rid of oil before oil gets rid of us.”—Ugo Bardi, author of ExtractedTable of ContentsForeword Introduction I . . . to 1945 Germination 1 A Seed Is Planted 2 John D. Rockefeller, the Power of Petroleum, and the Spiral of Expansion 3 Sharing the World Market: The First Attempts, at the Cradle of Royal Dutch Shell 4 The Automobile: American Oil Regenerates Capitalism 5 The Tank: American Oil Feeds the Victorious Fighting Machines of the Great War 6 The Roaring 1920s: Consolidating the New Empires 7 Birth of a Petrol-Nation: Iraq 8 The Majors Band Together: A Secretly Planned Industry Weathers the Great Depression Unscathed 9 The Persistent Alliance of Big Oil with Nazi Germany 10 The Enablers of the Second World War II 1945-1970 Spring 11 After Yalta: The United States and Saudi Arabia Seal their Alliance 12 Washington Gives Absolute Power to American Petroleum 13 Big Oil's Planetary Empire and the Rockefellers' Hegemonic Ambitions 14 Big Oil Asserts Itself: A Matrix of Political Power in Washington 15 Saudi Arabia and Gabon: Nations Spoiled by Oil 16 Cartel Against Cartel: OPEC's Painful Emergence 17 The Leapfrog Effect: Algeria, Biafra, and Libya 18 The Golden Childhood of the Oil-Made Man III 1970-1998 Summer 19 OPEC: Scapegoat for a 1973 Oil Crisis Made in the USA? 20 Oil Money: After Neocolonialism, a Perilous Symbiosis 21 The Second Oil Crisis: A Deadly Vortex of Power Is Unleashed Around the Persian Gulf 22 The Long Iran-Iraq War: A Lose-Lose Game Orchestrated by the Reagan Administration? 23 The Oil Countershock: The Frenzy of the Reagan Years, the Collapse of the USSR, and the BCCI Scandal 24 Dear Saddam: The Gulf War, the Fate of the Iraqi People, and the Long-Term Interests of Uncle Sam 25 Planetary Harvest: The Time of Scandals 26 Grandeur and Decadence: The Explosion of Opulence, Misery, and the Human Footprint IV 1998-20?? Autumn 27 Oil's Future Decline Is Announced: The Persian Gulf Returns to the Center of the Chessboard 28 September 11, 2001: A Rogue Pearl Harbor 29 Shocks and Ruptures: The Occupation of Iraq and Crisis of 2008 30 Winter, Tomorrow? Afterword Appendices The Oil Corridor The Price of Crude Oil: 1861-December 2016 World Production of Petroleum and Substitutes: Historical and Projected Production by Region, 1965-2013 The Oil Majors The Persian Gulf Giants Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe United States’ military doctrine, as proclaimed by its Department of Defense, is to attain `full-spectrum dominance… in the air, land, maritime and space domains and information environment… without effective opposition or prohibitive interference.’ This is an agenda for global conquest – for an ever-expanding US empire. As America prepares for conflict with Russia and China, wars continue in the Middle East and North Africa, tens of millions are exiled from their homes whilst many more face famine. But there is not only hope for change in the air, there is active resistance. People all over the world are challenging the status quo by taking nonviolent action. Voices for Peace features some of the world’s leading thinkers, journalists and activists, offering insight, inspiration and solutions to the world’s most critical problems: nuclear war, environmental destruction and refugee flows. In the wealth of material presented here, Kathy Kelly talks about the Afghan Peace Volunteers and Standing Rock protesters in the USA, calling for global unity. Bruce K. Gagnon’s piece on space weapons discusses South Korean activists’ opposition to American weapons in their country. Brian Terrell challenges the legality of drone warfare and outlines the grassroots links being forged between US and Russian citizens. Noam Chomsky discusses US policies towards Russia and Syria, as well as South America, trade, ISIS and Ukraine. John Pilger talks about the Trump-Obama naval build-up around China and exposes Britain’s `deep state’ connections to the Manchester terror attack. Former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney analyses the Charlie Hebdo attacks and the deep state in recent US history. Ilan Pappé offers an exclusive analysis of Israel’s actions to ethnically cleanse Israel of Palestinians. Finally, Robin Ramsay exposes the unconditional support given to the USA by successive UK governments. Seeking to inform and educate, this penetrating anthology is edited and introduced by author T. J. Coles, who gives a broader framework and context to the individual articles.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Bad News, Good News, T. J. Coles – The Coming War, John Pilger – Peace of the Graveyard, Noam Chomsky – Reality and the US-made Famine in Yemen, Kathy Kelly – Preparing for War with Russia and China: The US Quest for Global Domination Depends on Space Technology, Bruce K. Gagnon – A Visit to Russia for 'Life Extension' of the Planet: NATO, Poland and Operation Anakonda, Brian Terrell – Where to Turn: War and Peace in Afghanistan and Standing Rock, Kathy Kelly – Redefining `Imminent': How the US Department of Justice Makes Murder Respectable, Kills the Innocent and Jails their Defenders, Brian Terrell – America Ð and why Britain sucks up to it, Robin Ramsay – The Enemy is Not Trump, it is Ourselves, John Pilger – Historical Perspective of the 2014 Gaza Massacre, Ilan Pappe – Terror in Britain: What did the Prime Minister Know?. John Pilger – 'Je ne sais pas qui je suis': Making Sense of Tragedies like the Charlie Hebdo Incident When the Government Narrative Doesn't Make Sense, Cynthia McKinney

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Book SynopsisA bold call for the American Left to extend their politics to the issues of Israel-Palestine In this major work of daring criticism and analysis, scholar and political commentator Marc Lamont Hill and Israel-Palestine expert Mitchell Plitnick spotlight how one-sided pro-Israel policies reflect the truth-bending grip of authoritarianism on both Israel and the United States. Except for Palestine argues that progressives and liberals who oppose regressive policies on immigration, racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and other issues must extend these core principles to the oppression of Palestinians. In doing so, the authors take seriously the political concerns and well-being of both Israelis and Palestinians, demonstrating the extent to which U.S. policy has made peace harder to attain. They also unravel the conflation of advocacy for Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel. Hill and Plitnick provide a timely and essential intervention by examining multiple dimensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conversation, including Israel’s growing disdain for democracy, the effects of occupation on Palestine, the siege of Gaza, diminishing American funding for Palestinian relief, and the campaign to stigmatize any critique of Israeli occupation. Except for Palestine is a searing polemic and a cri de coeur for elected officials, activists, and everyday citizens alike to align their beliefs and politics with their values.Trade ReviewPraise for Except for Palestine:Winner of the Palestine Book Awards” Counter Current Award“A remarkable little book. . . . Except for Palestine should be read by anyone interested in events in Israel/Palestine—and obviously in particular, anyone claiming to be progressive and liberal.”—Palestine Chronicle “[A] principled cri de coeur to progressives everywhere. . . . Except for Palestine is a crucial and ultimately hopeful tool that better equips progressives to combat injustices within their own political circles.”—Mondoweiss“For too long, many have championed the rights and liberties of oppressed peoples here and abroad, but remained silent on Palestinian freedom, or even worse, supported U.S. policies that render Palestinian humanity and suffering invisible. This clear and courageous book is a clarion call for moral integrity and political consistency.”—Cornel West, Union Theological Seminary“Hill and Plitnick deliver a thoughtful and incisive analysis of how progressive commitments to racial and social justice are undermined by the ‘Palestinian exception.’ Building the civil rights movement for the twenty-first century in America requires an international intersectionality that necessarily includes advocating for the rights and dignity of Palestinians and Israelis alike. Except for Palestine is timely and vital.”—Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Michigan’s 13th Congressional District“Except for Palestine calls on progressives to apply the same principles to Israel-Palestine that they apply to the U.S. It’s a simple, radical, and deeply important argument, which anyone who cherishes justice should not ignore.”—Peter Beinart, author of The Crisis of Zionism “Hill and Plitnick have produced a timely and powerful indictment of decades of U.S. policy exceptionalizing Israel at the expense of progressive values. Their thorough examination of American progressives’ intellectual and moral hypocrisy when it comes to defending Palestinians’ human rights, civil rights, and right to challenge Israeli occupation is a valuable resource.”—Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace“This book explores some of the most fundamental contradictions confronting liberal spaces in the U.S. and makes a powerful case for the progressive core values of humanity, justice, and dignity to finally include the Palestinian people.”—Ahmad Abuznaid, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights“Except for Palestine cogently explores the reasons for the silence of so many progressives and liberals when it comes to the unceasing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people. Hill and Plitnick dismantle one by one the arguments used to justify this shameful silence, and in doing so provide an eloquent, balanced, and hard-hitting analysis of why ending an egregious exception to accepted norms of justice and equality is so imperative.”—Rashid Khalidi, author of Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East“A timely and compelling treatise on the moral failings of U.S. policy and American politics in relation to Israel/Palestine.”—Khaled Elgindy, Responsible Statecraft “An accessible, in-depth analysis that takes U.S. politics to task for normalising both Israel’s colonial violence and, as a result, the oppression of the Palestinian people.”—Middle East Monitor

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Book SynopsisGlobalization is dead. Nation states are resurgent, international trade has enriched the few rather than the promised many, and democratic values are on the retreat. The shining-eyed optimism of more open, more equal societies has given way to demagoguery and nationalism. As the problems of immigration, extremism and the economy cause the world's nations to rethink their relationships, John Ralston Saul's brilliantly insightful The Collapse of Globalism lights the way to where we go from here.Trade ReviewInformative, engaging and, above all, bitingly critical... An eminently readable book. -- Martin Jacques * Guardian *This is the start of a new debate. -- Michael Maiello * Forbes *Saul's arguments make original reading. * James Harkin for the Independent *Elegantly written and deeply important... Saul has provided a vital analysis of why globalization was never inevitable and always destined to fail, and what will come in its place. -- Sebastian Bosher * Ecologist *Saul brings a great breadth of literary and cultural knowledge to his task... and there is much evidence to support Saul's contention that things are going badly wrong with our planet. -- Paul Kennedy * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisNorth Korea is like no other tyranny on earth. It is Orwell's 1984 made reality.The regime controls the flow of information to its citizens, pouring relentless propaganda through omnipresent loud speakers. Free speech is an illusion: one word out of line and the gulag awaits. State spies are everywhere, ready to punish disloyalty and the slightest sign of discontent.You must bow to Kim Il Sung, the Eternal Leader and to his son, Generalissimo Kim Jong Il. Worship the dead and then hail the living, the Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.North Koreans are told their home is the greatest nation on earth. Big Brother is always watching.Posing as a university professor, award-winning BBC journalist John Sweeney travelled undercover to gain unprecedented access to the world's most secret state. Drawing on his own experiences and his extensive interviews with defectors and other key witnesses, North Korea Undercover pulls back the Trade ReviewSweeney's book is a spark in the dark of North Korea. * The Times *The recent UN report on North Korea under-lined the importance of Sweeney's book. There is much to learn from North Korea Undercover. * Literary Review *Harrowing... creepy and poignant; and, in turn, tragic and obscene. North Korea Undercover asserts that the West should be more concerned about labour camps than nuclear weapons. -- Tom Farrell * Sunday Business Post *Explosive and entertaining... Sweeney provides a remarkably vivid look at this hidden country. An investigative must-read. * Booklist *A tremendous piece of reporting. This book is one that we should all read and absorb. * Army Rumour Service *

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Book SynopsisGetting to grips with the overlapping geopolitical, economic, and political crises faced by Western democratic societies in the 2020s. The 21st century has brought a powerful tide of geopolitical, economic, and democratic shocks. Their fallout has led central banks to create over $25 trillion of new money, brought about a new age of geopolitical competition, destabilised the Middle East, ruptured the European Union, and exposed old political fault lines in the United States.Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century is a long history of this present political moment. It recounts three histories - one about geopolitics, one about the world economy, and one about western democracies - and explains how in the years of political disorder prior to the pandemic the disruption in each became one big story. It shows how much of this turbulence originated in problems generated by fossil-fuel energies, and it explains why as the green transition takes place the long-standing predicaments energy inTrade ReviewBrilliant * Steven Poole, The Guardian *majestic * Neal Lawson, The Observer *Thompson's analysis of the West is complete, compact and an indispensable reference for International Relations scholars and those with an interest in the political tensions of the modern system. The book offers a unique detailed review of the current circumstances rather than a prescriptive text. Thompson's work exhibits the best traditions of British academic historical inquiry: observation without doctrinal attachments, description without meandering thematic focus and a dry warning of dire consequences. * Shane McLorrain, American University of Paris, France, International Affairs *The best eight politics books of the year - "Helen Thompson expertly joins the dots between debt, energy prices, inflation and political instability." * Eoin O'Malley *Startlingly Relevant * Michael Laver, Society *Helen Thompson's book stands tallest among the recent titles that attempt to make sense of our age of crises. Disorder is a singular work owing to the skill with which Thompson maps the intersecting relationships between energy, global monetary policy, and the state of liberal democracy. * New Statesman *Excellent * Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Mail *Fascinating * Simon Nixon, The Times *A stimulating read. * Howard Davies, Literary Review *Exceptional * Gavin Jacobson, New Statesman *Excellent. * Peter Franklin, Unherd *Bold and brilliant, studded with insights...one of the year's most essential books. * Christopher Bray, The Tablet *A powerful guide to modern Hard Times...any reader will finish it with a deeper understanding of our contemporary challenges. * Paschal Donohoe, Irish Times *Most of us struggle to keep up [with the news], but not Helen Thompson - she doesn't merely grip each strand, but ties them together. * Tom Clark, Prospect *Bursting with ideas. * James Barr, The Critic *[Disorder is] as disturbing as it is thought-provoking. * Martin Wolf, Financial Times, Summer Books 2022: Economics *If you are looking for a well-developed and convincing theory of our time, I advise you to start here. * Gilles Gressani, Le Grand Continent, 'What to read this summer' *Stimulating * Luuk van Middelaar, NRC Handelsblad *We are on the verge of a fascinating epoch that Thompson might write about in a second volume, but that doesnt invalidate her first. Instead, it underscores her larger point that energy and finance are often at the heart of geopolitics. * Tony Yates,Chatham House *Disorder is a brilliant extended essay on the troubles of the era in terms of energy, global finance, governance and democracy...So much of this tortuously fascinating book gives the background to the global crisis now upon us, specifically in energy and governance. * Robert Fox, Reaction *If you want to understand why Russia invaded Ukraine then this book will help. * Richard Lofthouse, QUAD *Readers will understand the world better once they have finished reading Disorder. * Michael Laver, Society *Deftly weaving together the history of energy, economics, and politics, Disorder restores depth to contemporary history. Refusing familiar stereotypes, Thompson offers a truly eye-opening account of our current predicament and points the way to a deeper understanding of the energy transition that lies ahead. Challenging and essential reading. * Adam Tooze, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of History, Director of the European Institute, Columbia University *A remarkable history of the complex ways in which the global energy economy has shaped the wealth and politics of nations. Helen Thompson's command of her subject is second to none. Disorder is revelatory, sobering, and indispensable. * Gary Gerstle, author of The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order: America and the World during the Free Market Era *To read Thompson on the history of the past century is to see it in a sudden sharp definition. It is akin to looking through glass after the window-cleaner has been. * Tom Holland, bestselling author and co-host of The Rest is History podcast *There could be no better guide than Helen Thompson to the turbulence of the 21st century, with its successive disruptions, from financial crisis to energy transition, from Brexit to emerging geopolitical conflicts. When history seems to have come for us with a vengeance since the turn of the millennium, this magisterial book brings into focus the key structural forces driving, not only recent events, but also the inevitable changes still to come. * Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy, University of Cambridge *In this absorbing and wide-ranging study Helen Thompson unravels the complex intersections of oil, money, and democracy for understanding the politics of the last century. She provides an indispensable and illuminating guide to our current predicaments. * Andrew Gamble, Professor of Politics, University of Sheffield *Thompson's conceptual work is...elaborate...full of revelations. * Thomas König, Austrian Journal of Political Science *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Disruption I: Geopolitics 1: Eurasian limits 2: The impossible oil guarantee 3: Eurasia remade II: Economy 4: Our currencies, your problem 5: Made in China, need dollars 6: We are not in Kansas any more III: Democratic politics 7: Democratic time 8: The democratic tax state 9: Whither reform Conclusions: The more things change Index

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Book SynopsisWhy our democracies need urgent reform, before it''s too lateA generation after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the world is once again on the edge of chaos. Demonstrations have broken out from Belgium to Brazil led by angry citizens demanding a greater say in their political and economic future, better education, heathcare and living standards. The bottom line of this outrage is the same; people are demanding their governments do more to improve their lives faster, something which policymakers are unable to deliver under conditions of anaemic growth. Rising income inequality and a stagnant economy are threats to both the developed and the developing world, and leaders can no longer afford to ignore this gathering storm.In Edge of Chaos, Dambisa Moyo sets out the new political and economic challenges facing the world, and the specific, radical solutions needed to resolve these issues and reignite global growth. Dambisa enumerates the four headwinds of demoTrade ReviewEdge of Chaos is intensely focused in its purpose and forthright in its findings. It has narrative drive; it is not self-indulgent or too long; and it uses statistics and other factual evidence from wide-ranging sources to powerful polemical effect * Literary Review *Moyo's familiarity with the dismal science radiates through her provocative new work, Edge of Chaos, as she argues compellingly that the global failure to achieve sustained, inclusive growth underpins the rampant political turmoil * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisNils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, uncovers a systematic campaign to persecute Assange. He reveals that Assange has faced grave and systematic due process violations, judicial bias, collusion and manipulated evidence. He has been the victim of constant surveillance, defamation and threats. Melzer also gathered together consolidated medical evidence that proves that the prison has suffered prolonged psychological torture. Melzer's compelling investigation puts the UK and US state into the dock, showing how, through secrecy, impunity and, crucially, public indifference, unchecked power reveals a deeply undemocratic system. Furthermore, the Assange case sets a dangerous precedent: once telling the truth becomes a crime, censorship and tyranny will inevitably follow.Trade ReviewThis is a landmark book, the first by a senior international official to call out the criminality of Western governments, and their craven media echoes, in the persecution of Julian Assange. Mark the word, persecution, says Nils Melzer, as well as "our" responsibility for the ravages inflicted on an heroic man for telling forbidden truths and on democracy itself. -- John PilgerMelzer, a brave and honest man, tells the whole truth about the brutality and illegality of what is being done to Julian Assange. Read this book. -- Brian EnoThis is a harrowing account of a corruption of justice that crosses not only borders, but the United Nations itself. Melzer's work is an urgent corrective to a false history - and an act of public service. -- Edward SnowdenPolitically motivated and unjustified, the prosecution of Julian Assange by a mature democracy threatens and undermines press freedom, the rule of law, and the prohibition of torture. By painstakingly and rigorously documenting the facts, Nilz Melzer reveals the full disturbing account of how the human rights of Julian Assange have been violated over years. It's a story that must be told and from which we all must learn. -- Agnes Callamard, Secretary-General, Amnesty International, former UN Rapporteur on TortureA stunning account on how official secrecy, corruption and impunity suffocate the truth and poison the rule of law. The present-day prosecution of Julian Assange aims to complete what Richard Nixon tried and failed to do in the Pentagon Papers case fifty years ago: rescind the foundation of our republic, the First Amendment protection of freedom of the press. As Melzer argues compellingly, nothing less than our continued status as a democracy is at stake in the need to block Assange's extradition, drop the unconstitutional charges against him, or if necessary, win his acquittal. It is the legal scandal of the century. -- Daniel Ellsberg, whistleblower, the Pentagon PapersIt is as if all the Anglo-American frustrations over the disasters of Iraq, Trump and a teetering Washington political system have become concentrated in official hatred of one man: Julian Assange. This dissident faces a 175 year sentence but the soldiers who shot dead innocent Iraqi civilians- the war crime he exposed and is facing extradition for- are escaping even an investigation. The ferocious cruelty summoned for pursuit of Assange is anatomised here by Nils Melzer who implies a question that should chill us: Assange now, who next? -- Bob Carr, former Australian foreign minister and longest serving Premier of New South WalesA powerful investigation into the heart of darkness of our legal and political systems. Once you read this breath-taking book by Nils Melzer, you will know why Julian Assange is being tortured so terribly and why he should be celebrated as a true hero of the 21st century -- Srecko Horvat, author of Poetry From the FutureThe most compelling case yet made for Assange's defence and a swingeing indictment of politicians, security services and judicial authorities ... [Melzer] marshal[s] a wealth of detail and legal evidence to make his case. -- Mary Dejevsky * Independent *The most methodical and detailed recounting of the long persecution by the United States and the British government of Assange -- Chris Hedges * New Age *Enlightening ... The material Melzer has gathered over his two-year investigation is riveting, and his motivation is clear. -- Andrew Hankinson * Spectator *A remarkable book by a remarkable man ... The research, knowledge and considered thought Melzer has given to Assange's case is powerful and unanswerable. * Morning Star *Nils Melzer has given us an invaluable record of the whole judicial witch-hunt. His evolution from sceptic to truth-seeker is particularly admirable. -- Peter Whittaker * New Internationalist *

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Book SynopsisA sharp vision of our changing world order as Covid and climate breakdown usher in a new ‘survival of the fittest’. How well have different cultures and societies responded, and could this become a turning point in the flow of history? Before Covid, a new competition was already arising between alternative geopolitical models–but the context of this clash wasn’t yet clear. What if it takes place on neutral ground? In a state of nature, with few or no political rules, amid quickly evolving chaos? When the greatest threat to national security is no longer other states, but the environment itself, which countries might rise to the top? This book explores how Covid-19 has already transformed the global system, and how it serves as a prelude to a planet afflicted by climate change. Bruno Maçães is one of the first to see the pandemic as the dawn of a new strategic era, heralding a profoundly changed world-political landscape. Cover image: Ludwig Meidner, ‘Apocalyptic City’, 1913. © Ludwig Meidner-Archiv, Jüdisches Museum der Stadt Frankfurt am MainTrade Review'Perceptive.' -- The Economist'Refreshing.' -- Simon Jenkins, New Statesman'Provocative and original.' -- Gideon Rachman, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Financial Times'Endlessly inventive, restlessly cosmopolitan, Bruno Macaes has written an essential book with which to think about the Covid crisis and its implications for our future.' -- Professor Adam Tooze, historian and author of 'Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World''With typical panache, Macaes set out the story of what went wrong when Covid-19 spread around the world--and why. Gripping, terrifying and revealing in equal measures.' -- Professor Peter Frankopan, author of 'The Silk Roads: A New History of the World''2020 was the true start of the twenty-first century, marking the death of an old world, and a recognition that new ideas in culture, politics, science and technology have become possible. Macaes does an excellent job of taking us through some core themes of the world to come.' -- Vitalik Buterin, founder of Ethereum and Bitcoin Magazine'Travelling through Covid exposes the reality of our leaders and lives. Maçães shows us why that matters not just for the pandemic but for life itself. This is a compelling polemic worth reading slowly, during another lockdown, perhaps.' -- Tom Tugendhat, Conservative MP for Tonbridge and Malling'An important book. Bruno Macaes once again asks the crucial questions.' -- Ece Temelkuran, journalist, novelist, political commentator and author of 'How to Lose a Country: The 7 Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship'

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Book SynopsisHow did Vladimir Putin win Russians’ support for his genocidal war in Ukraine and why are so many of them willing to embrace fascism? This vivid, bottom-up narrative reveals the dark realities of youth fascism in Russia—and the darker future awaiting the country if that hold cannot be broken. Wartime Russia is drowning in fascist symbols. Zealous patriots attack journalists, opposition activists, and anyone suspected of betraying the motherland. Hordes of online trolls and sleek videos of angry young men urge citizens to join the cause. State television terrifies viewers with false tales of anti-Russian conspiracies and genocidal yearnings. Child soldiers proudly parade across Red Square. This is Russia in the 2020s: a land of performative rage and nationalist untruth, where pretence and broken promises are a way of life, and an apocalyptic mindset is seizing tomorrow’s Russians. As compelling as it is chilling, Z Generation shows how Russia has ended up here, and where its young people may be headed: a fascist generation more violent and ideological than anything the country has seen before.Trade Review'A chilling investigation into the widespread support for the violence and ideology of fascism among Russia’s youth — and how Putin has used this to his advantage.' * Financial Times *'An incandescent indictment of [Putin's] regime... Garner writes with dash and panache, and pulls no punches as he rips through the evolution of the Putin regime.' -- The Sunday Times'A brilliantly detailed portrait of the ideological and cultural atmosphere engineered by the Russian state, media and Church... a chilling and essential book.' -- Times Literary Supplement'A chilling and eye-opening primer on how the Kremlin is cultivating a new generation of foot soldiers who will ensure that its ugly ideology survives even if the current regime falls.' -- The Moscow Times‘[A] chilling exposé.’ -- Airmail'Astutely examines Russian youth's growing embrace of fascism.' -- Prospect'Dissects the state's efforts to reshape the minds of Russia's young people.' -- New Lines Magazine‘A readable and disturbing account of the militarisation of Russia’s youth.’ -- The House Magazine'['Z Generation'] is invaluable to understanding how the conflict may well progress.' -- Diplomatic Courier, '15 Books to Look Forward to in 2023''Ian Garner has produced a brilliant and chilling investigation. He meticulously details how extraordinary levels of hate permeate a large section of the under-30s, who came of age under Putin's tutelage. No one can finish this book and still believe the invasion of Ukraine was just the fault of one bad guy in the Kremlin. As Garner so expertly shows, whatever happens in the war, we will be dealing with the consequences of Russian fascism for years to come.' -- Nick Cohen, Observer columnist and author‘A deeply disturbing, anecdotal exploration of the rise of fascism in Russia.’ -- Diplomatic Courier'Z Generation provides an excellent survey of the hateful content and deluded worldview of an increasingly mainstream fascism in Russia.' -- CHOICE'A forensic and grippingly-told examination of the descent of Russian youth into state-encouraged violent fascism. Garner makes the reader understand both the scale of the problem, and that it is one we will be facing for decades to come.' -- David Patrikarakos, author of 'War in 140 Characters: How Social Media Is Reshaping Conflict in the Twenty-First Century''An unflinching and essential portrayal of the Putler Jugend with all its paradoxes and sadism.' -- Peter Pomerantsev, author of 'Nothing is True and Everything is Possible: Adventures in Modern Russia''If you thought Putin's Russia was an ideology-free kleptocracy and most Russians are ashamed of or opposed to the invasion of Ukraine, read Ian Garner's gripping historical-cultural analysis of the descent of a portion of Russia's youth into fascist euphoria in support of their country's illegal invasion of Ukraine.' -- Maria Popova, Associate Professor of Political Science and Jean Monnet Chair, McGill University'What do young Russians think about their country, Putin and the world? Why do many tech-savvy, successful and well-educated young Russians support their country's invasion of Ukraine? Combining personal observations and academic research, this provocative book addresses questions crucial for understanding Russia's past, present and future.' -- Eugene Finkel, Kenneth H. Keller Associate Professor of International Affairs, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and editor of 'Coloured Revolutions and Authoritarian Reactions''Ian Garner's exceptional book deals with its subject matter--the growth of Russian fascism--in a way that is multifaceted and nuanced, but also clear-sighted about the threat it poses to Russia's neighbours, the liberal international order and Russia itself.' -- Mart Kuldkepp, Associate Professor of Scandinavian History and Politics, University College London

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Book SynopsisCharles Maier offers a new narrative of the long twentieth century, focused on institutions that shaped politics and societies: project-states, driven by democratic or authoritarian ideologies; capital; and advocates of apolitical values, such as health, human rights, and international law. In this we discern the unfolding of our own troubled time.Trade ReviewMaier offers an alternative account of the last century, looking at how a wide range of actors tried to harness industrial modernity in the pursuit of power and material interests…[He] weaves a narrative about the explosive interplay of economic privilege and political grievance. -- G. John Ikenberry * Foreign Affairs *Ambitious…It is Maier’s open worry about the fragility of our democratic order and about the considerable strength of the antidemocratic impulses in this third decade of the 21st century that makes The Project-State and Its Rivals a book that will last. -- Paul Kennedy * Wall Street Journal *Extraordinarily erudite and brimming with insight…[Maier] leaves open the question of whether the project-state will escape the dustbin of history and be revivified and redeployed, democratically, for the common good. -- Jonathan Ira Levy * Project Syndicate *Through his decades of scholarship and teaching on both sides of the Atlantic, Charles S. Maier has focused on one basic question, formulating and refining his answers with each successive book and monograph. His goal has been to understand and explain the ways in which advanced capitalist states evolved over the past century in response to world war, colonial war, cold war and economic globalisation. This…fascinating book provides a summation and updating of Maier’s lifelong work. -- David C. Unger * Survival *A very refreshing take on a history I thought I knew well. -- J. Bradford Delong * Harvard Magazine *[The] story of the exhaustion of the postwar political-economic order has now been told many times; what sets Maier’s account apart is the way he weaves together the work of capitalist activists and their allies in politics and think tanks with the work of governance activists in the same years. His wide-angle lens shows how the political and economic turbulence of that period led not only to the Volcker shock but to the rising prominence of NGOs and foundations seeking to restore order and stability at home and abroad. -- Jonathan S. Blake * Boston Review *An intriguing, sophisticated book about the relationships between the evolution of the modern nation-state and the concurrent forces of capitalism, popular politics, socialist responses, and bureaucratic governance. This is a deep and clever work, the culmination of an erudite historian's long grappling with humankind's mixed record of progress and failure. -- Paul Kennedy, author of The Rise and Fall of the Great PowersCharles Maier has produced a brilliantly innovative reconceptualization of twentieth-century history in terms of the interaction between states, resources, and markets. He sets a bold agenda for future thinking about the shape of the past one hundred years. -- Harold James, author of The War of Words: A Glossary of GlobalizationA true history of the present. The Project-State and Its Rivals is a powerful, insightful, and penetrating analysis of the major shifts in global order and social dynamics across the past century. There are few historians today who can venture to undertake such a tour d'horizon with equal confidence and expertise as Maier. -- Sebastian Conrad, author of What Is Global History?

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Book SynopsisIn this engaging book, David M. McCourt makes the case for New Constructivist approaches to international relations scholarship. The book traces constructivist work on culture, identity, and norms within the historical, geographical, and professional contexts of world politics, and reflects on recent innovations in fields including practice theory, relationalism, and network analysis. Copiously illustrated with real-world examples from the rise of China and US foreign policy, it illuminates the processes by which international politics are built. This is both an accessible tour of Constructivism to date and a persuasive declaration for its continuing application and value.Table of ContentsIntroduction: What Is Constructivism? 1. The Old Constructivism 2. The New Constructivism 3. Rules, Law, and Language in the New Constructivism 4. World-Making: Experts and Professionals in the New Constructivism 5. New Constructivist Methodology and Methods 6. Politics, Ethics, and Knowledge in the New Constructivism 7. The New Constructivism as a Phronetic Social Science Conclusion: The Space of Constructivism

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Book SynopsisBreathtaking analysis of the current global crisis from one of the Arab world's most respected writers

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Pushkin House Book Prize 2023*A Telegraph Book of the Year* A Times Best Book of Summer 2023*Shortlisted for the Parliamentary Book Awards*An astonishing investigation into the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war from the corridors of the Kremlin to the trenches of Mariupol.The Russo-Ukrainian War is the most serious geopolitical crisis since the Second World War and yet at the heart of the conflict is a mystery. Vladimir Putin apparently lurched from a calculating, subtle master of opportunity to a reckless gambler, putting his regime and Russia itself at risk of destruction. Why?Drawing on over 25 years' experience as a correspondent in Moscow, as well as his own family ties to Russia and Ukraine, journalist Owen Matthews takes us through the poisoned historical roots of the conflict, into the Covid bubble where Putin conceived his invasion plans in a fog of paranoia about Western threats, and finally into the inner circle around Ukrainian president and unexpected war Trade Review‘Not merely the first full account of the war in Ukraine, but may set the standard for some time to come … a remarkable achievement, with Matthews’s expert eye like an all-seeing drone, buzzing from one side of the conflict to the other’ 5* Telegraph ‘A vivid and revealing first draft of history … The strength of his account lies in his ability to tell the story from many angles, weaving them into a single, fast-paced narrative … fascinating’ Financial Times ‘The best current analysis of the countdown to war’ Serhii Plokhy, TLS ‘There will be many more books on Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but Owen Matthews’ extraordinary perspective has produced an interim account of special value.’ Daily Mail ‘A wave of hurriedly written books about the Russo-Ukrainian war is about to crash over our bookshops and overburdened shelves, but it is hard not to feel sorry for most of their authors. Owen Matthews has already come out with what is not only one of the fastest, but also likely to be the best, setting a painfully high benchmark for those who follow.’ Times ‘The best new book on Russia … a classic as enduring as Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia’ Literary Review ‘Superb … a true page-turner’ Andrew Roberts, BBC History

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Book SynopsisThis is a book about how we should address the great, and interconnected, global challenges of the twenty-first century. Our task, Sachs argues, is to achieve truly sustainable development, by which he means finding a global course which enables the world to benefit from the spread of prosperity while ensuring that we don''t destroy the eco-systems which keep us alive and our place in nature which helps sustain our values. How do we move forward together, benefitting from our increasing technological mastery, avoiding the terrible dangers of climate change, mass famines, violent conflicts, population explosions in some parts of the world and collapses in others, and world-wide pandemic diseases? In answering these questions, Sachs shows that there are different ways of managing the world''s technology, resources and politics from those currently being followed, and that it should be possible to adopt policies which reflect long-term and co-operative thinking instead oTrade Review'This is an impressive exercise in presenting complex subject matter in plain English, and relating the practicalities of life- subsistence agriculture and water management, for example - to the biggest ideas of modern science' - Martin Vander Weyer, The Daily Telegraph 'His new book ! bursts with ideas and is suffused with what can only be described as irrepressible optimism' - Ed Pilkington, The Guardian

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Book Synopsis''The most important book about our economy and society to be published in my lifetime'' Irvine WelshFrom Paul Mason, the award-winning Channel 4 presenter, Postcapitalism is a guide to our era of seismic economic change, and how we can build a more equal society. Over the past two centuries or so, capitalism has undergone continual change - economic cycles that lurch from boom to bust - and has always emerged transformed and strengthened. Surveying this turbulent history, Paul Mason wonders whether today we are on the brink of a change so big, so profound, that this time capitalism itself, the immensely complex system by which entire societies function, has reached its limits and is changing into something wholly new.At the heart of this change is information technology: a revolution that, as Mason shows, has the potential to reshape utterly our familiar notions of work, production and value; and to destroy an economy based on markets an

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Book Synopsis''Deserves to be read by everyone interested in the future of the United Kingdom'' Andrew Marr, The Sunday TimesThere can be no relationship in Europe''s history more creative, significant, vexed and uneasy than that between Scotland and England. From the Middle Ages onwards the island of Britain has been shaped by the unique dynamic between Edinburgh and London, exchanging inhabitants, monarchs, money and ideas, sometimes in a spirit of friendship and at others in a spirit of murderous dislike.Tom Devine''s seminal new book explores this extraordinary history in all its ambiguity, from the seventeenth century to the present. When not undermining each other with invading armies, both Scotland and England have broadly benefitted from each other''s presence - indeed for long periods of time nobody questioned the union which joined them. But as Devine makes clear, it has for the most part been a relationship based on consent, not force, on mutual advantageTrade ReviewDeserves to be read by everyone interested in the future of the United Kingdom... this is analytical, synthetic, argumentative history at its best; it slays lazy myths and tells us the "why" of a momentous story every intelligent Briton ought to understand...cracking. -- Andrew Marr * The Sunday Times *Brilliant. Easily surpasses any of the glut of books surrounding our constitutional upheaval of the last five years or so. -- Kevin McKenna * The Observer *Never less than compelling ...Independence or Union is his best book to date, is required reading and a perfect example of why history matters. -- Alan Taylor * The Herald *Surefooted, balanced and reliable in analysis throughout. -- Colin Kidd * London Review of Books *The book offers a crisp and well-paced assessment of the Union... a thoroughly reasoned assessment -- Donald MacRaild * Times Higher Education *Briskly, clearly and fairly he sketches a complex and detailed history, bringing new life and fresh perspectives to old stories... if he hadn't already been knighted for services to Scottish history, Devine would have been high on the list for preferment after this new work. -- John McTernan * Prospect Magazine *Devine brings his usual acute historical critique to the question in hand. -- Keith M. Brown * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisClimate change is reshaping patterns of displacement around the world. Extreme weather events destroy homes, environmental degradation threatens the viability of livelihoods, sea level rise and coastal erosion force communities to relocate, and risks to food and resource security magnify the sources of political instability. Climate displacementthe displacement of people driven at least in part by the impacts of climate changeis a pressing moral challenge that is incumbent upon us to address.This book develops a political theory of climate displacement. Most work on climate displacement has tended to take an idealized climate refugee' as its focus. But focusing on the figure of the climate refugee obscures the complexity and heterogeneity of climate displacement. Instead, this book takes the empirical dynamics of climate displacement as its starting point. It examines the moral and political problems raised by the interaction of climate change and displacement in five domains: communitTable of Contents1: The Moral Challenge of Climate Displacement 2: Against a Treaty for Climate Refugees 3: Climate Change and Community Relocation 4: Climate Change and Territorial Sovereignty 5: Climate Change and Labour Migration 6: Climate Change and the Refugee Regime 7: Climate Change and Internal Displacement 8: Sharing the Costs of Climate Displacement 9: The Future of Climate Displacement

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Book SynopsisKristen Ghodsee and Mitchell A. Orenstein blend empirical data with lived experiences to produce a robust picture of who won and who lost in post-communist transition, contextualizing the rise of populism in Eastern Europe. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, more than 400 million people suddenly found themselves in a new reality, a dramatic transition from state socialist and centrally planned workers'' states to liberal democracy (in most cases) and free markets. Thirty years later, postsocialist citizens remain sharply divided on the legacies of transition. Was it a success that produced great progress after a short recession, or a socio-economic catastrophe foisted on the East by Western capitalists? Taking Stock of Shock aims to uncover the truth using a unique, interdisciplinary investigation into the social consequences of transitionincluding the rise of authoritarian populism and xenophobia. Showing that economic, demographic, sociological, political scientific, and ethTrade ReviewLaudable * Anders Åslund, Europe-Asia Studies *Ghodsee has teamed up with political scientist Mitchell Orenstein to present a comprehensive survey of all the evidence that things have gotten worse for Eastern Europe since 1989 * Helen Andrews, The American Conservative, The American Conservative *Taking Stock of Shock results from a massive interdisciplinary endeavor, and it is a timely and crucial contribution to the debate on postsocialism. Knocking down disciplinary walls, Ghodsee and Orenstein provide a uniquely broad insight into the post-socialist landscape. This is more than merely a scholarly achievement. Building a compelling new narrative is crucial to help break down the walls of inequality and precarity that limit the actual exercise of the freedoms post-socialist citizens nominally gained when the Berlin Wall fell. * Gabor Scheiring, Review of Democracy, Review of Democracy *Ghodsee and Orenstein have written a provocative book. Drawing on an impressive array of economic, demographic, public opinion, and ethnographic data, they critically analyze the emergence of stark inequalities that have generated tremendous hardships for many and enormous benefits for some. * Gail Kligman, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, UCLA *From a starting point of cacophony, where different disciplines and data seem to depict the post-Soviet transition as either a grand success or an absolute failure, Ghodsee and Orenstein seam together a convincing narrative where both achievements and disappointments can coexist. The book's focus on widening inequality allows reconciling these opposing views and providing crucial insights not only for scholars of transition countries but also for observers and policymakers in other regions * Maurizio Bussolo, Lead Economist, World Bank *The book presents many important pieces of evidence which, taken together, document the developments and the images of transformation that have led to the disillusionment of the majority of the population in the region today. It is therefore not only a valuable contribution to the transformation discussion across different academic fields but also has an appeal for general audiences. * Luboš Studený, Historie-Otázky-Problémy *Table of ContentsList of Tables List of Figures Acknowledgments Authors' Note on Terminology Introduction: Transition from Communism - Qualified Success or Utter Catastrophe? Part One: The Economic Evidence Chapter One: The Plan for a J-Curve Transition Chapter Two: Plan Meets Reality Chapter Three: Modifying the Framework Chapter Four: Counter-Narratives of Catastrophe Part Two: The Demographic Evidence Chapter Five: Where Have All the People Gone? Chapter Six: The Mortality Crisis Chapter Seven: Collapse in Fertility Chapter Eight: Outmigration Crisis Part Three: The Public Opinion Evidence Chapter Nine: Disappointment with Transition Chapter Ten: Public Opinion of Winners and Losers Chapter Eleven: Evaluations Shift Over Time Chapter Twelve: Towards a New Social Contract? Part Four: The Ethnographic Evidence Chapter Thirteen: Portraits of Desperation Chapter Fourteen: Resistance is Futile Chapter Fifteen: Return to the Past Chapter Sixteen: The Patriotism of Despair Conclusion: Towards an Inclusive Prosperity Appendix: Data Sources Selected Bibliography

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Book SynopsisA clear-headed vision for the United States'' role in the Middle East that highlights the changing nature of US national interests and the challenges of grand strategizing at a time of profound change in the international order.Following a long series of catastrophic misadventures in the Middle East over the last two decades, the American foreign policy community has tried to understand what went wrong. After weighing the evidence, they have mostly advised a retreat from the region. The basic view is that when the United States tries to advance change in the Middle East, it only makes matters worse. In The End of Ambition, Steven A. Cook argues that while these analysts are rightly concerned that engagement drains US resources and distorts its domestic politics, the broader impulse to disengage tends to neglect important lessons from the past. Moreover, advocates of pulling back overlook the potential risks of withdrawal. Covering the relationship between the US and the Middle East sin

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewJames Lebovic's The False Promise of Superiority is a real breath of fresh air that makes a vital contribution to ongoing debates about nuclear strategy, especially the nature, meaning and significance of nuclear 'superiority.' Challenging approaches to nuclear strategy that rely on capabilities rather than intentions and real-world decision-making dynamics, Lebovic makes a compelling case that nuclear strategists and policy makers should focus on what potential adversaries are likely to do as opposed to what they can do. No one interested in the future of nuclear deterrence and strategy can afford to ignore this provocative and important book. * Keith Shimko, Purdue University *James Lebovic provides an unsparing examination of lessons learned and unlearned from debates about nuclear deterrence during the Cold War. More importantly, he demonstrates why these debates are relevant today as the United States struggles to deal with the nuclear challenges posed by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. At a time when most analyses of nuclear deterrence and strategic stability focus on the impact of emerging technologies, Lebovic focuses on the underlying logic of how deterrence works and makes a strong case that capabilities matter much less than commonly supposed. His analysis is a useful antidote to the current fascination with how artificial intelligence, hypersonic missiles, and cyber weapons will revolutionize deterrence. * Gregory Koblentz, Associate Professor and director of the Biodefense Graduate Program, George Mason University *The False Promise of Superiority is an important book that reminds readers how the faulty logics and irrationalities of the Cold War era continue to haunt the present. * Choice *Table of ContentsConcepts and Arguments Chapter 1: The United States and Nuclear Deterrence after the Cold War SECTION I: Assessing Nuclear Capability: The History and Implications of Alleged Nuclear Advantages Chapter 2: The Cold War Nuclear Force Balance: The Challenge and Promise of Asymmetry Chapter 3: Nuclear "Superiority" after the Cold War SECTION II: Coercive Tactics: Boosting Credibility to Signal a US Willingness to Act on the US "Nuclear Advantage" Chapter 4: Commitment Chapter 5: Risk Manipulation Chapter 6: Resolve and Reputation SECTION III: Case Studies Chapter 7: When Tactics Consume Strategy: Decision Making in the Cuban Missile Crisis Chapter 8: When Red Lines Consume Debate: Thwarting Iran's Nuclear Ambitions Conclusions Chapter 9: The Case for Nuclear Superiority: Assessing What We Know (and Do Not Know) about Nuclear Deterrence Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA powerful explanation of why geopolitical competition drives climate breakdown and inhibits action to prevent it.It is the decisive decade for climate change action, yet great power competition is surging. Geo-economic rivalries and territorial conflicts over Ukraine and Taiwan appear more important than collective action against catastrophic climate change. Why do great powers favor competition and rivalry over transnational policies to address the greatest threat humanity has ever faced?In Oceans Rise Empires Fall,Gerard Toal identifies geopolitics as the culprit. Examining its meaning, history, and leading thinkers, he exposes the geo-ecological foundations of geopolitics and the struggles for living space that it expresses. The book isolates three Earth-controlling practices that characterize geopolitics. The territorial control imperatives of great powers preclude collaborative behavior to address common challenges. Competing world historical missions drive rivalries and wars, li

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Book SynopsisPeople often refer to the 'United Nations' but without specifying which specific parts are responsible for success or failure. This book explores supportive the non-state actors that are essential players in developing global policies and norms, alongside the traditional categories of member states (first UN) and staff (second UN).Trade ReviewIn this impressive book, the authors Tatiana Carayannis and Thomas G. Weiss remind us that the UN system cannot survive without the input and ideas of an array of independent thinkers and players and actors, including research centers, human rights experts, economists, consultants, digital networks, and specialists of all sorts who daily help the UN carry out its Charter obligations. Indeed, in many ways, the unheralded 'Third UN' serves as one of the great strengths of the world's most indispensable security body. * Dr Stephen Schlesinger, Author of Act of Creation: The Founding of the United Nations *From scholars to think-tanks, NGOs to foundations, all of us working on global governance owe the authors a great debt of gratitude. Without their seminal work on the "Third UN", we simply would not have the language or evidence to demonstrate that civil society inclusion is not just 'nice to have' but essential to securing peace, sustainable development and human rights for all. * Natalie Samarasinghe, Global Director, Advocacy, Open Society Foundations *Carayannis and Weiss pithily anatomize the intellectual community that 'helps the UN think.' This is an excellent handbook for researchers wondering how to get the world organization to listen to their big ideas and a must-read for anyone who wants to get into the UN advocacy business. * Richard Gowan, UN Director, International Crisis Group *The examples presented by the authors demonstrate how important the development of new ideas and their transmission into the ''first'' and ''second'' UN is for the reform processes of the United Nations. * Helmut Volger, German Review of the United Nations no1. 2022 *The book presents the most comprehensive overview to date of external actors contribution to the formulation of ideas for decision-making in the UNs policy processes... the authors have given UN scholars many opportunities to connect the book to scholarship on international organizations and non-state actors and advance research in this area in a more fruitful and systematic manner...Tatiana Carayannis and Thomas G. Weiss have written a fascinating book of immense value to every student and scholar researching the UN, that will also give UN experts and global policymakers fresh insights, thanks to the original data the authors were able to assemble because of their unique expertise. * Nina Reiners, Global Policy Journal *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: The 'Third' UN: Non-State Actors and the World Body's Thinking 2: NGOs: Sovereignty-Free Partners for UN Policy Development 3: Commissions and High-Level Panels: How Eminent Individuals Shape UN Thinking 4: The UN's Knowledge Economy: Think Tanks, Academics, and Knowledge Brokers 5: Alternative Voices: Challengers of the Normative Post-War Order 6: Fitter for Purpose? The UN's Normative Future

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Book SynopsisThis book is a personal memoir and a reflection on Pakistans civil service system of administration. The author has an insiders view of many of the critical issues of governance and development which Pakistan faces. His long career covers a critical period of Pakistans recent history and he is a valuable witness to it.

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Book SynopsisTerritory is one of the central political concepts of the modern world and, indeed, functions as the primary way the world is divided and controlled politically. This title provides an account of the emergence of territory within Western political thought.Trade Review"This is a brilliant intellectual exegesis of the concept of territory that will be of wide interest in a range of academic fields, from international relations to historical sociology and the history of political thought." (John Agnew, University of California, Los Angeles)"

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Book SynopsisOne of the greatest, most radical public thinkers of our time' ARUNDHATI ROY An accessible, powerful overview of Noam Chomsky''s political thoughtIn sixteen extended talks with Alternative Radio''s David Barsamian, Noam Chomsky explains: Why the ''war on drugs'' is really a war on poor people. How attacks on political correctness are attacks on independent thought. How historical revisionism has recast the United States as the victim in the Vietnam War. Widely recognized as one of the most original and important thinkers of our age, Chomsky''s trenchant analysis of current events is a breath of fresh air in a world more and more polluted by mainstream media.

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Book SynopsisThis book analyses the potential for catastrophes – from nuclear war and climate change to further pandemics, the misuse of Artificial Intelligence and more – that could jeopardise our planet and its people.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Bill Hayton’s splendid book lucidly covers these disputes in all their complexity from virtually every angle - historical, legal, political, economic and strategic. A journalist with the BBC and author of a previous book on Vietnam, he tells a good yarn, even when the topic is as dry as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Indeed, he may be the first person ever to have written an exciting account of a meeting of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN)."—The Economist"Mr. Hayton, a longtime BBC journalist, excels in distilling the complexity and absurdity of such South China Sea disputes—which include overlapping claims by Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam—into a manageable narrative. His book offers the best combination of accessibility and accuracy so far published on the disputes. . . . This is a book for the layperson, not the lawyer."—Gregory B. Poling, Wall Street Journal"The greatest risk today in U.S.-Chinese relations is the South China Sea, through which passes 40% of world trade. China’s assertion of ‘indisputable sovereignty’ over it riles other nations bordering those waters and is beginning to be challenged by the United States. In The South China Sea, Bill Hayton explains how this all came about and points to the growing risks of miscalculation and escalation."—Daniel Yergin, Wall Street Journal"A fascinating account of this intensifying conflict. . . . [Hayton] has produced a detailed yet accessible story of how the South China Sea has emerged from a mythical danger zone to a real arena of conflict between regional powers and a source of big-power strife."—Global Asia"Hayton has spent much of his professional life working for the BBC and so his storytelling is well developed. Unlike many of the academics who have written previously on the South China Sea, Hayton presents a wholly accessible account that weaves well thought out arguments with vivid descriptions. He understands the importance of engaging his audience; points are explained clearly and his examples, which are as recent as the disappearance of flight MH370 in March 2014, bring each issue to life."—Sophie Ibbotson, Geographical"Thoroughly researched and gracefully written."—David Brown, Asian Sentinel"Aimed at the general reader, The South China Sea is a well-written, imaginatively presented analysis of a complicated struggle which will continue to make the news and has implications far beyond the immediate region."—Simon Scott Plummer, TLS"The South China Sea is of mounting geopolitical importance yet remains obscure to most audiences outside Asia. Bill Hayton's book will do much to remedy that - helping governments to fashion wise policy, and ordinary people to understand the region. It is an invigorating read."—James Holmes, co-author of Red Star over the Pacific: China's Rise and the Challenge to U.S. Maritime Strategy"Hayton does a fantastic job of covering all major dimensions of the dispute—historical, legal, resources, geostrategic, military—in a cogent, concise and compelling manner. As any good journalist would (and most academics don’t) he adds colour to the narrative by highlighting the role of key personalities, from Grotius to Bensurto and everyone in between. An excellent book."—Ian J. Storey, Editor-in-Chief, Contemporary South-East Asia

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“A worthy contribution to the public debate on America’s role in the world and a tonic for our times.”—John Kerry, Former U.S. Secretary of State“A creative approach to addressing how America’s choices can either arrest or accelerate decline.”—Bruce Cronin, City College of New York“Laced with vivid storytelling, insightful lessons of history, and his own experience on the front lines of U.S. diplomacy, Imbrie takes the reader on an uncomfortable but necessary journey through the difficult problems, places and policy choices facing our leaders. It's foreign policy 'tough love,' to be sure, but it's exactly what we need right now."—Rear Admiral John Kirby, USN (ret)“An important book for our turbulent times. Imbrie shows how America has provided principled leadership in this world and points to ways we can be smart and visionary in the future. It is an elegantly written tribute to the promise of America and a call to action to reclaim that promise once again.”—Walter Isaacson, author of The Innovators and Leonardo da Vinci“A refreshing counsel against despair, this book reminds us that American leadership—born of wise choices at home and abroad—can preserve a world that both advances American interests and protects the common good. It will be essential reading for the renewal of U.S. foreign policy going forward.”—Ashley J. Tellis, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

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Book SynopsisA moving and inspiring memoir by Afghanistan''s youngest female mayor and campaigner for human rights, as seen in Netflix''s In Her Hands documentary.''Zarifa will break your heart'' Christina Lamb, author of Our Bodies, Their Battlefields and I Am Malala''Incredible'' Stylist''In this earnest and fiery memoir, an activist and politician from Afghanistan recounts how her country''s instability marked her life'' New York TimesZarifa Ghafari was two years old when the Taliban banned girls from schools. She was seven when the American airstrikes began. She was twenty-four when she became the youngest and one of the first female mayors in Maidan Shahr, Afghanistan. An extremist mob barred her from her office and assassins tried to kill her six times. Through it all, Zarifa promoted peace and tried to lift up women, despite constant fear for herself and her family.Written with honesty, Trade ReviewAnyone wanting to know the grim reality of being a woman in Afghanistan and trying to make a difference, could not find a more illuminating book. Zarifa will break your heart. * Christina Lamb, author of Our Bodies, Their Battlefields *Incredible -- Francesca Brown * Stylist *In this earnest and fiery memoir, an activist and politician from Afghanistan recounts how her country's instability marked her life * New York Times *Frank and impassioned, Ghafari's narrative spotlights the power of activism... a remarkable story of perseverance and resilience * Publishers Weekly *Candid, poignant and powerful ... This gripping book can be read at one go and surely is a must buy * Telegraph (India) *This is a simply written and inspiring work that zips along with the pace of an adventure story. You can only be left in awestruck admiration at everything Zarifa has already achieved in her short life. Despite the current situation, you at least feel some hope that Afghanistan's trajectory will have been nudged towards a better tomorrow by her unceasing vision for a just and corruption-free homeland' -- Olivia Edward * Geographical Magazine *[Ghafari] tells her inspiring life story with sincerity and passion, providing a nuanced and, at times, horrifying glimpse into Afghanistan's devastating history ... A searingly honest, profoundly courageous memoir of one fearless woman's fight for her homeland * Kirkus *Zarifa's words, like her life, are an act of courage, weaving heartache with hope. They illuminate all the things we take for granted, especially the ordinary moments, the daily freedoms and most intimate of relationships. They illuminate the threads that connect our rights, freedoms, and happiness into an interconnected whole. * Shubhangi Swarup, Tata Prize winning author of Latitudes of Longing *Zarifa Ghafari's story is one of strength in the face of adversity. She perfectly captures the tragic reversal of fortune over the past year in Afghanistan as the Taliban have once again risen to power. Everyone should read this inspirational and heart-wrenching account of life in Afghanistan for women. * Layla Moran, MP *

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