Geopolitics Books

Book SynopsisThe NATO occupation of Afghanistan is over, and a balance-sheet can be drawn. These essays on war and peace in the region reveal Tariq Ali at his sharpest and most prescient.Rarely has there been such an enthusiastic display of international unity as that which greeted the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Compared to Iraq, Afghanistan became the 'good war.' But a stalemate ensued, and the Taliban waited out the NATO contingents. Today, with the collapse of the puppet regime in Kabul, what does the future hold for a traumatised Afghan people? Will China become the dominant influence in the country? Tariq Ali has been following the wars on Afghanistan for forty years. He opposed Soviet military intervention in 1979, predicting disaster. He was also a fierce critic of its NATO sequel, 'Operation Enduring Freedom'. In a series of trenchant commentaries, he described the tragedies inflicted on Afghanistan, as well as the semi-Talibanisation and militarisation of neighbouring Pakistan. Most of his predictions proved accurate. The Forty Year War in Afghanistan brings together the best of his writings and includes a new introduction.Trade ReviewPraise for The Duel: 'Ali's discussion of Afghanistan is highly valuable because of the questions it raises . a starting point for a much-needed debate.' -- Ray Bonner * New York Times *Praise for The Extreme Centre: "The typical Financial Times reader might find his bias so irksome they cannot continue. This would be a pity." * Financial Times *Evergreen ... Ali has argued against each occupation from its beginning; the result is an embittered, haunting refrain. -- Eileen Gonzalez * Foreword Reviews *A key contribution to make sense of the decades-long events that culminated in the chaotic scenes at Kabul's airport in August 2021. -- Marc Martorell Junyent * Inside Arabia *Erudite and committed ... This collection is indispensable for forming an understanding of what has happened and why. -- Andrew Murray * Morning Star *No one, Left or Right, has followed the misadventure of US policy in Afghanistan with such dogged attention and keen insight. -- Paul Buhle * Counterpunch *Unlike pro-interventionist liberal and even conservative interpretations of Afghanistan's recent history, Ali's anti-imperialist understanding provides the glue that binds the bloody tale together. -- Ron Jacobs * Counterpunch *Brilliant and incisive ... a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the causes and consequences of the decades-long turmoil in Afghanistan. -- N.P. Ullekh * Open the Magazine *Witty, insightful, and full of detail ... a book replete with encounters and anecdotes, evocative descriptions, and a brutal honesty about the corrupting power of war. -- Terina Hine * Counterfire *

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Book SynopsisIn a devastating analysis, T. J. Coles reveals the true extent of Britain's covert foreign policy that supports war, conflict and oppression around the world. Unbeknownst to the broad population, the Shadow State sponsors a `new world order' that allies Britain with America's quest for global power - what the Pentagon calls `Full Spectrum Dominance'. Coles documents how British operatives have interfered in Syria, Libya, Iraq, Iran and Yemen with the aim of deposing unwanted regimes. In doing so, they have helped create extensive terrorist networks across the Middle East, reviving previously-failing Jihadist groups such as ISIL, which has now transformed into an international terror franchise. In addition to waging clandestine wars in the Middle East, the secret services have used the military to run drugs by proxy in Colombia, train death squads in Bangladesh and support instability in Ukraine, where NATO's strategic encroachment on Russia is drawing the world closer to terminal nuclear confrontation. Coles unearths Britain's involvement in the recent ethnic cleansing of Tamil civilians by the Sri Lankan government, the invasion of Somalia by Somali and Ethiopian warlords, and Indonesia's atrocities in Papua. He also exposes the extensive use of drones for murder and intimidation across the Middle East and elsewhere. Britain's Secret Wars is essential reading for anyone who wants to dig beneath the surface of current events. This expanded edition features a new Preface.Trade Review`Full of useful and original research... I read with great interest.' - Noam Chomsky; `T. J. Coles' meticulous work is outstanding. Never has it been more important to invert the message of the mainstream media and tell the truth, as he does.' - John Pilger; `An important work in that it brings many of Britain’s secret wars, with their war crimes and other atrocities, to public attention … The bulk of the evidence … comes from the government’s own records … [Coles lays] it out, like portraits on a gallery wall, for us to peruse.’ – Professor Jeremy Keenan, author of State Crime; `The slap in the face this book should give to those of us engaged in debates over British foreign policy is an important part of awakening us to the struggle.’ – Dr Matthew Alford, author of Global Fault LinesTable of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition - Introduction - Foreign policy: `To pursue clandestine, illegal operations' - PART 1: THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA - 1. Syria: `Illegal but necessary' - 2. Libya: `Orchestrated unrest' - 3. Iraq: `A momentary twinge of concern' - 4. Iran: `It's all about petrol prices' - 5. Yemen: `Put the fear of death into them' - 6. Drones: `We're talking about murder' - PART II: AND BEYOND - 7. Ukraine: `We saw this one coming' - 8. Sri Lanka D `Shining a light' - 9. Colombia: `The best business environment' - 10. Papua: `Starve the bastards out' - 11. Somalia: `Now I'm a real killer' - 12. Bangladesh: `Survival of the fittest' - Conclusion: Peaceniks, `terrorist sympathisers' - Notes - Index

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Book Synopsis'Defying the Dragon' tells a remarkable story of audacity: of how the people of Hong Kong challenged the PRC's authority, just as its president reached the height of his powers. Is Xi's China as unshakeable as it seems? What are its real interests in Hong Kong? Why are Beijing's time-honoured means of control no longer working there? And where does this leave Hongkongers themselves?Stephen Vines has lived in Hong Kong for over three decades. His book shrewdly unpacks the Hong KongChina relationship and its wider significanceright up to the astonishing convergence of political turmoil and international crisis with Covid-19 and the 2020 crackdown. Vividly describing the uprising from street level, Vines explains how and why it unfolded, and its global repercussions. Now, the international community is reassessing relations with Beijing, just as Hong Kong's rebellion and China's handling of the pandemic have exposed the regime's weakness. In a crisis that has become existential all roun

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Book Synopsis'It is rare for a business analysis to read like a thriller – this one does.' – Azeem Azhar, Founder, Exponential View 'Vital to understanding how[TikTok] works and the impact it's having.' – Damian Collins MP, former chairman of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee 'TikTok Boom is a must read for students, scholars, and policy makers.' – David Craig, Clinical Professor, USC AnnenbergA whole generation is hooked on TikTok. In just a few years, it’s raced ahead of WhatsApp and Instagram to become the biggest app in the world. But how did it burst into life and overtake its rivals? Delving deep into its upstart origins, TikTok Boom charts the astonishingly rapid rise of China’s viral video app. It yields new insights into its culture, addictive algorithm, and influencer ecosystem. And it reveals the influence its owners in Beijing are having on hundreds of millions worldwide through the use of little-known content guidelines. TikTok is the emerging battleground for a geopolitical tussle between East and West for control of social media. TikTok Boom is a rollercoaster business story bristling with ambition and drama. Find out where TikTok came from and where it's going. Find out how TikTok Works and whether it can work for you.Reviews'A careful, detailed teardown of the people, culture and technology behind the world's most dynamic social network. It is rare for a business analysis to read like a thriller – this one does.' – Azeem Azhar, Founder, Exponential View'It's clear that Stokel-Walker's strength is that he's not just TikTok-literate, he's TikTok-fluent. He knows the product, the people, and the entire ecosystem inside and out, and it is this familiarity that makes his telling so compelling, because he knows how to make you feel like you, too, are an insider in this strange new world.' - Rui Ma, founder, Tech Buzz China'Blending journalistic narrative with state-of-the-art academic research, no other author comes close to weaving this epic tale of the rise of China’s first global platform threatening Silicon’s Valley hegemony while operating as inflection point around the rise of one globe two Internet systems. This is a must read for students, scholars, and policy makers.' – David Craig, Clinical Professor, USC Annenberg'This book charts the story of an app on the rise that's changing the world of tech, charting the future of culture, and creating a new world of work: the creator economy... it breaks down some of the biggest questions for the future of work and culture.' - Li Jin, Atelier VenturesExtract: ByteDanceAsk most people what ByteDance is and they’ll likely meet you with a blank stare. Yet it is the owner of TikTok and a host of other world-leading apps. Founded in March 2012, it’s worth about $180 billion – up from its $75 billion in 2018 when the Japanese technology investors SoftBank Group bought into the company. Despite the fact that its apps are used by two billion people worldwide, earning it $34 billion in revenue in 2020, ByteDance deliberately keeps a low profile among the general public in the West. It wants its products to take centre stage. It’s a strategy devised by its low-key, but intensely-driven founder, Yiming Zhang. Whereas his fellow Chinese rival, Musical.ly’s Alex Zhu, is creative and flighty, Zhang is measured and focussed. Compared to his more brash counterparts in China, such as Jack Ma, the former boss of Alibaba Group, who’s known for his exuberance and outgoing personality, he is even a little dull. Considered. He practises ‘delayed gratification.’ He’s rational – though his choice of clothing, T-shirts and jeans, makes him more laid back than the average Chinese executive. Imagine the slightly underwhelming disappointment of Mark Zuckerberg, rather than the zany pinball personality of Elon Musk. Born in 1983 in the city of Longyan in the coastal province of Fujian that’s known for having the highest proportion of emigrants to the Western world in all of China, Zhang is, however, fiercely independent. While many people entering China’s tech sector are comfortable to land a job at one of the pre-existing Chinese tech giants, Zhang ignored that route. He was not after the quick buzz of instant success by piggybacking onto a pre-existing victor: he played the long game. Buy the book to carry on readingTrade Review'It is rare for a business analysis to read like a thriller – this one does.' – Azeem Azhar, Founder, Exponential View 'Vital to understanding how[TikTok] works and the impact it's having.' – Damian Collins MP, former chairman of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee 'TikTok Boom is a must read for students, scholars, and policy makers.' – David Craig, Clinical Professor, USC Annenberg'It is rare for a business analysis to read like a thriller – this one does.' – Azeem Azhar, Founder, Exponential View 'Vital to understanding how[TikTok] works and the impact it's having.' – Damian Collins MP, former chairman of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee 'TikTok Boom is a must read for students, scholars, and policy makers.' – David Craig, Clinical Professor, USC AnnenbergTable of ContentsIntroduction. Explanation of TikTok's power to create social media stars and the rise of Chinese tech challenging the dominance of Silicon Valley. Mentions Yazmin How, Andy Warhol, super-viral videos, Curtis Roach, artificial intelligence,GAFA, Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Donald Trump 1. Haywire Servers. The success of TikTok forerunner Musical.ly, lip-synching app, founded by Alex Zhu. Mentions TikTok active users, YouTube growth, Periscope livestreaming, Vine app, Yiming Zhang, Instagram, Facebook 2. The Convention Centre, 2019. TikTok's stellar growth becomes apparent at VidCon in 2019. Mentions VidCon London,Hank Green,John Green author,YouTubers, Zoe Glatt, TikTok, TikTokkers, TikTokers, Lil Nas X Old Town Road, Will Smith, Vicky Banham, Hannah Snow, Laura Edwards 3. The First Global Chinese Platform. TikTok becomes China's first social media Goliath, ending decades when Chinese firms primarily made products for Western consumers. Silicon Valley, Facebook, Twitter, Chinese tech, Made in China, Created in China, Cambridge Analytica scandal, Chinese apps 4. China Versus the World. The Chinese Communist Party and control of TikTok. Mentions China National Propaganda and Ideology Work Conference, Xi Jinping, China Communist Party, Wang Yongzhang, Great Firewall of China, Weibo, LinkedIn 5. Creator Focus: Luca Gallone. Feature on a TikTok creator who performs magic tricks, having been on TV show Britain's Got Talent. Mentions @lucagallone, private magic show, TikTok magician, LGBTQ TikTok, cooking TikTok, witchtok, magic TikTok, TikTok versus YouTube 6. The Super App Store. Introducing ByteDance, the Chinese tech company behind TikTok. Mentions TikTok founding, ByteDance, Chinese tech company, Yiming Zhang, Alex Zhu, SoftBank, Alibaba Group, Jack Ma, Nankai, Steve Jobs, Jack Welch, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Toutiao, Fanfou, 99Fang, Neihan Duanzi 7. The Importance of Memes. How viral images and messages have helped spread social media apps, particularly TikTok. Mentions video sharing platform, Vine video app, Shawn Mendes, Jake Paul, Lele Pons, YouTubers, decline traditional media, Gregor Reynolds, Put Your Finger on the Screen, Disney 8. We Want Our Money. Vine short-form video app loses the support of its creators after failing to pay them enough money - a lesson TikTok learns. Vine’s head of creator development, TikTok, Karyn Spencer, Twitter acquisition Vine, King Bach, Andrew Bachelor, Yiming Zhang, ByteDance apps 9. Acquiring Fame. ByteDance buys innovators such as Jukedeck as it builds its tech platforms. Mentions John Bolton, AI companies, computer-generated music composer, Flipagram, Yiming Zhang, Apple acqui-hire, Google, Facebook, Toutiao 10. Alex Zhu. Zhu's development of the app that blasted TikTok to success: Musical.ly. Yiming Zhang, Toutiao, Lip Sync Battle, Instagram Facebook Messenger, participatory design, WeChat 11. An Easy Birth. ByteDance capitalises on the success of Toutiao and launches a short-form video app, Douyin. Kelly Zhang, Alex Zhu, Musical.ly, Kuaishou, algorithmic power, Sun Tzu Art of War, ByteDance, AI Lab 12. Launch of TikTok. ByteDance launches Douyin's cousin in Western markets. Thailand, TikTok Taiwan, TikTok Indonesia, Vietnam, Google Play Store, Android phone app, Zoe Glatt, livestreaming, zheng nengliang, meibai 13. Paying for Popularity. ByteDance realises how to launch TikTok into new markets by advertising and signing up Instagram influencers. TikTok India, digital advertising, television advertising, Yiming Zhang, clicks per mille, Instagram stars, Geetha Sridhar, Hydroman, TikTok logo watermark 14. Takeover of Musical.Ly. ByteDance buys Musical.ly to expand TikTok in western markets. Mentions Alex Zhu, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, TikTok’s vibrating musical note, Douyin, ByteDance global video domination 15. Creator Focus: Anna. Feature on TikTok creator Anna Bogomolova. Mentions TikToker, TikTokker, @Anna, Thomas ‘Tomska’ Ridgewell, YouTuber, Muffin Time video, PewDiePie, YouTube, Instagram, Japan kawaii culture, VidCon London 2019, lip-syncing videos 16. The Secrets of Success. An in-depth analysis of how TikTok users interface with the app. Mentions Eternal Sword, Krystle Byrne, Sarvenaz Myslicki, TikTok algorithm, Charli D’Amelio, Mariah Amato, becoming TikTok star 17. How We Use TikTok. Capturing the full picture on an individual's use of TikTok, showing the addictiveness of its algorithm. Mentions Canada, Eternal Sword M, Krystle Byrne, Zahraa Berro, Charli D'Amelio, Muslim TikTok, Hollie Geraghty 18. Controlling the Ecosystem. How TikTok's owners ByteDance, reward creators on the platform, while retaining control of the app, through such programmes as the TikTok Creator Marketplace. Mentions TikTok business history, multi-channel networks, MCN stars, influencers, ByteDance, YouTube ecosystem 19. Managing the Talent. Exploring the companies and managers who guide the careers of TikTokers. Mentions Noah Beck, TalentX Entertainment, Josh Richards, Instagram, Sway LA, Bryce Hall, TikToker bad boy, TikTok stars, TikTok influencer agency, TikTok management company, TikTok followings 20. Supporting the Community. How TikTok learnt the mistakes of the Vine app and rewards its popular creators so that they remain on the platform, through programmes such as the TikTok Creator Fund. Mentions TikTok money, TikTok creator riches, Curtis Newbill, Douyin, Alex Zhu, D’Amelio sisters 21. Extra Money for Stars. How TikTok hires key staff and recruits influencers and creators from other social media platforms, to ensure its exponential growth continues. Mentions Pentos, TikTok analytics tool, Fabian Ouwehand, A.me, TikTok influencers, #TikTokPartner 22. Creator Focus: Cumbermatch. How lookalike celebrities such as Peter Clarke, who resembles the actor Benedict Cumberbatch, can build millions of followers on Twitter. Other examples are creators who look like Rihanna and Robert Downey. Mentions Jr. Paige Niemann, celebrity lookalikes, Ariana Grande 23. Yiming Zhang’s Creation. Inside the headquarters in Beijing of ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, exploring its work ethic and motivation. Chinese capital, Chinese tech, TikTok founder ByteDance, Yiming Zhang, ByteDance salary, Google, Facebook, Silicon Valley rival, ByteStyle principles, Huawei 24. Growing Pains. Further exploration of TikTok's owner ByteDance, including its official HQ in the Cayman Islands and its strategy for expanding its apps into Western countries. Yiming Zhang, ByteDance, Chinese staff ByteDance, ByteDance Ltd, Cayman Islands company, TikTok tax structure, ByteDance HK 25. Flexing Celebrity with Arnie. How TikTok expands its reach through the inclusion on the platform of celebrities such as Hollywood actor, Californian politician and former bodybuilding champion Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mentions TikTok Los Angeles, Raining Men, Cardi B, Douyin, recruiting celebrities 26. Censorship: An East-West Divide. How ByteDance moderates content on TikTok, including the differences in censorship between Chinese and Western versions of the app and discussing the treatment of sensitive issues such as Tibet, Taiwan, Uyghur Muslims, 2014 Ukrainian Revolution and Osama Bin Ladin 27. Creator Focus: Sparks and Tarts. The sudden emergence of a TikTok star, in this instance an unlikely one in the form of a labourer in London, Danny Harris, the inspiration behind the dancing builders @sparksandtarts. Mentions normal people stars TikTok, TikTok dance troupes, Covent Garden performers 28. Changing What Music Means. TikTok's impact on popular music, revitalising the genre after the collapse in sales of CDs and vinyl and breaking new acts. Interviews with senior TikTok executives. Mentions TikTok pop music, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok influence popular culture, Paul Hourican, Musical.ly 29. Doja Cat’s Story. A feature on the success of musician Doja Cat, following a breakout video on TikTok, and Lil Nas X's Old Town Road. Mentions Zandile Dlamini, Doja Cat, Doja Cat Say So, Charli D’Amelio, TikTok’s biggest star, Nicki Minaj, Jacob Pace, Musical.ly, JP Saxe, Old Town Road, TikTok viral 30. TikTok Mash-Up. How TikTok is changing the very nature of art forms, such as video and popular music. Mentions Jacob Feldman, Vine, Plot Twist, Soulja Boy’s 2007 cult classic song Crank That, Musical.ly, Berkeley School of Music Boston, Lil Nas X Old Town Road 31. One Hit Wonders. Musicians whose old hits have been revived by TikTok, whose video makers resurface forgotten tracks, cartoons and TV shows. Mentions Arista, Matthew Wilder, Break My Stride, Mariah Carey, Rolf Zuckowski, Sony, In der Weihnachtsbäckerei 32. The Convention Centre, 2020. How TikTok's profile has changed in a short time, taking centre stage in the short-form video world. Mentions Neffati Brothers, VidCon, Jamel Neffati, TikTok, YouTuber Simon Clark, Charlie Chaplin, JOBY GuerillaPod, VidCon London 2020, Shoreditch TikTok party 33. Creator Focus: Grandad Joe. TikTok can make stars of ordinary people, such as Grandad Joe, an 88-year-old grandfather from the English Midlands, who is followed by four million people. Mentions ordinary people stars TikTok, Joe Allington, @grandadjoe1933, millions TikTok followers, karaoke TikTok 34. Growing Power. How TikTok expanded across the world, capitalising on the growth of smartphone use and moving in new directions with the rise in online political activism such as #blacklivesmatter. Mentions TikTok Android smartphones, App Annie, mobile data TikTok, Douyin, TikTok scroll, Musical.ly 35. India Boom and Bust. The rapid advertising-driven rise and political fall of TikTok in India, following a ruling by the Indian High Court. Indian users move on to substitute video apps such as Rizzle. Mentions India TikTok, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai,Mumbai, Jio, Israil Ansari, WhatsApp, TikTok Taj 36. End of Silicon Valley Dominance. Simon Valley's control of social media slips as TikTok and China more generally start to exert their tech skills and ambition. Mentions Silicon Valley GAFA, TikTok HQ ShuangYuShu, Tim Cook, Taylor Lorenz, ByteDance, Netflix, Amazon, TenCent, WeChat, Yiming Zhang 37. Opposition Grows in the United States. Antipathy towards China's control of tech grows in the US where politicians start to act against TikTok's growth, bolstered by support from US President Donald Trump. Mentions Yiming Zhang, Alex Zhu, Xi Jinping, Washington, Beijing, Belt and Road Initiative 38. Donald Trump Acts. US President Donald Trump tries to ban TikTok, claiming the Chinese app is a security threat to Americans. Mentions Trump White House, US ban TikTok, Wilbur Ross, Patrick Ryan, Lark TikTok messaging system, Kevin Mayer, Yiming Zhang, Vanessa Pappas 39. Digging into the Data. Analysing whether TikTok represents a security threat to Western users. Mentions Chinese state, Western apps, Michael Gove, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Huawei, Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, CFIUS, 5G network, ByteDance, Uyghur Muslims, Ren Zhengfei 40. Creator Focus: Mackenzie Turner. Feature on TikTok creator Mackenzie Turner, a Canadian comedian. Mentions YouTuber, Vancouver, Sham Faek, Kobe Zhou, Lael Hansen, @mackenzieturner0, comedy skits TikTok, Simon Fraser University, YouTube channel, finding fame on TikTok 41. Competition. Exploring how rival apps will threaten the future of TikTok, including Zynn and Kwai, and video tools such as Collab developed by Facebook and other major Silicon Valley rivals to TikTok. Mentions Facebook Lasso, Lasso app, Facebook Collab, Dom Hofman, Vine, Kuaishou, Owlii, Zynn, Baidu 42. Zhang Steps Back, ByteDance Races Forward. Amid pressure from the Chinese Communist Party, ByteDance's founder Yiming Zhang moves from public view, while TikTok and other apps continue to surge in popularity worldwide. Mentions Yiming Zhang, TikTok founder, ByteDance, TikTok algorithm 43. The Battle for Supremacy. Discussing who will win the race for tech supremacy, Silicon Valley in the US through tech giants such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon, or companies from Communist China such as ByteDance, Kuaishou and Tencent. Mentions ByteDance, TikTok supremacy, Google, Yiming Zhang Conclusion. Looking at have we have learnt about TikTok, its parent company ByteDance and the geopolitical tech battle between China and US. Mentions Chinese state control, TikTok growth, western social media, Xi Jinping, Yiming Zhang, Jack Welch, Silicon Valley billionaires, Elaine Jing Zhao Acknowledgements. Author Chris Stokel-Walker thanks TikTok's executives, including its PR team, for giving access to key members of staff, and to the dozens of current and former members of staff who spoke about TikTok and ByteDance anonymously Notes. Extensive references covering the key facts about TikTok, ByteDance, Douyin and other aspects of the social media battle between China and US companies

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Book SynopsisPalestine, 1850: a backwater of the Ottoman Empire, but soon to become the focus of intense jealousies. Locally Arabs and Jews became increasingly polarised, internationally the vacuum left by the demise of the Ottoman Empire was filled with the rivalries of Western nations.This book is a vivid account, told through oral history and a wealth of photographs from the time, never previously published. They add new dimensions to our understanding of the history, the geography, and the human reality of Palestine.

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Book SynopsisA powerful personal testimony and an urgent call for Israel to change direction, from an unexpected source: the former director of the internal security service, Shin Bet. Raised on a kibbutz by parents who had fled the Holocaust, Ami Ayalon’s life exemplified the Zionist dream. His commitment to his country propelled a meteoric career, culminating in being named commander of the navy and receiving the Medal of Valour, Israel’s highest military decoration. All the time, he remained a staunch supporter of his country’s policies. Then he was appointed director of the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, and the unexpected happened. Forced to try and understand the lives and motivations of Palestinians for the first time, he gained empathy for ‘the enemy’ and learned that when Israel carries out anti-terrorist operations in a political context of hopelessness, the Palestinian public will support violence, because they have nothing to lose. He came to understand that his patriotic life had blinded him to the self-defeating nature of policies that have undermined Israel’s civil society while heaping humiliation upon its neighbours. In this deeply personal journey of discovery, Ami Ayalon seeks input and perspectives from Palestinians and Israelis whose experiences differ from his own, and draws radical conclusions about what Israel must do to achieve relative peace and security.Trade Review‘How can a staunch Zionist who was raised on one of Israel’s earliest settlements and trained as a kill-or-be-killed elite commando spearhead a campaign for peace with his enemies? The answer, in Ami Ayalon’s captivating narrative, is an eye-opener for Palestinians and Israelis alike.’ -- Sari Nusseibeh, author of Once Upon a Country: a Palestinian life, former president of the Al-Quds University and former Palestinian National Authority representative in Jerusalem‘Remarkable.’ -- Andrew Mueller * Monocle *‘Fascinating and well-written.’ -- Ahron Bregman * Jewish Chronicle *‘[Friendly Fire] is a personal, intellectual and philosophical journey.’ -- Yossi Melman * Haaretz *‘[Ayalon’s] aims and accomplishments are … undeniably impressive … Hope finds a prominent presence in what so many think is a hopeless, endless conflict.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Ami Ayalon discusses how he came to see a two-state solution with the Palestinians as the best way to ensure Israel's security, not just through analysing numbers and statistics, but through a humanistic approach. He discusses … how his humanist paradigm not only allowed him to see how the Palestinians’ grievances and aspirations are intertwined with Israel’s security, but also how he still acknowledges and sympathises with the narratives of those in Israel whom he may disagree with.’ -- Jonah Naghi * The Times of Israel *‘Friendly Fire is not simply a critique, but a strong mandate for a complete overhaul of Israel's policy toward countering Palestinian terrorism — with clear lessons for counterterrorism policy far beyond the region … [A] powerful critique of the Israeli politicians on both the left and right … [A] story of immense bravery: bravery to speak truth to power; bravery to speak out against injustice — even when it is committed on one’s behalf and in one's name; bravery to acknowledge one’s own participation in and responsibility for such injustice; and, finally, bravery to demand accountability from oneself and from others.’ -- Molly Ellenberg, Modern War Institute‘Friendly Fire is full of fascinating anecdotes from a life lived on the sidelines of some of the most momentous events in the recent history of the Middle East.’ -- TJ Collins * Dubbo Mailbox Shopper *‘[A] compact, compelling memoir … [S]moothly written … [A]fter Ayalon retired as head of Shin Bet he decided almost everything he had done as a soldier and a supervisor of secret agents had actually reduced the prospects for peace and security.’ -- Charles Kaiser * The Guardian *‘[A]n idealistic, yet sober and realistic, vision of what is needed to advance the prospects of peace.’ -- Sheldon Kirshner * The Times of Israel *‘Reading Ayalon’s revealing book, one can see that he has come a long way. Perhaps his most commendable conclusion is that Israel will never achieve peace until “we change the narrative about the past and admit to ourselves that the Palestinians have a right to their own country alongside Israel, and on land we claim as ours”.’ -- Raja Shehadeh * The Nation *

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Book SynopsisWhat are the origins of the war in Ukraine? Contrary to popular opinion, the conflict is ultimately not between Russia and Ukraine but between Russia and the West. Neither did it begin with Russia’s invasion in 2022, nor the Maidan revolution in 2014. --- Providing a wealth of documented evidence, Terry Boardman shows that the roots of the hostility date back to the geopolitics of the nineteenth century, when Britain and Russia engaged in the so-called Great Game of controlling the ‘heartland’ of central Eurasia. With colonial supremacy at stake, the British ruling elite stoked hatred of the ‘Russian bear’. --- In addition to conventional political motivations, the author identifies a little-known, esoteric dimension. Within the leadership of the Anglo-American West are initiated groups who understand that world guidance is destined eventually to move to the Slavic East. With the aim of maintaining control, the West has been seeking, pre-emptively, to suppress Russia’s influence. --- Surveying the ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ wars of the twentieth century, the collapse of the USSR and the continual enlargement of NATO, Boardman reveals the hidden strategies employed in realizing the above goal, which has culminated in militarization, exploitation and mass death in Eastern Europe. --- Can we become aware of the subliminal, oppressive methods of our ruling elites? If we are to become free, we need at least to understand them. With political, historical and spiritual perspectives, this short book is a worthy primer.Table of ContentsPreface – 1. 2022—War in Ukraine – 2. The Antagonism between Russia and the West—Part 1 – 3. The Antagonism Between Russia and the West—Part 2: The Nineteenth Century ‘Great Game’ – 4. The Antagonism Between Russia and the West—Part 3: The Intended Demolition and ‘Remaking’ of Russia – Notes

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Book SynopsisThe end of the Cold War marks the geopolitical peak of America’s global primacy. The centerpiece of U.S. Foreign Policy in the pre-pandemic world order was the assumption that promoting human rights and democracy will secure peace. However, the Coronavirus Pandemic challenged the U.S.-dominated globalized order. The international system in the post-pandemic age embodies a paradox of the American primacy and the Chinese struggle for global domination. Pandemics Among Nations: U.S. Foreign Policy and the New Grand Chessboard addresses the geopolitical puzzle of the post-pandemic world order and seeks to explain how COVID 19 has remastered Brzezinski’s theory of the Grand Chessboard. In this book, Ivanov offers a two-level approach, emphasizing the consequences of the Pandemic and their impact on U.S. Foreign Policy. He also argues that if the United States wants to maintain its leadership in the post-pandemic world order, Washington should develop a new concept of smart power to deter the Chinese Art of War. The foremost goal of Pandemics Among Nations is to analyze how America could overcome the geopolitical effects of the Pandemic. The author examines three possible scenarios for the future role of the United States on the post-pandemic Chessboard. The analysis rests on the testing of a series of research hypotheses across a structured comparison of all elements of the remastered Grand Chessboard, not just on isolated case studies such as China’s rise, Russian New Imperialism or European ambitions for a mutual defense.

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Book SynopsisA well researched attempt to analyse the fast-paced progress made by China and its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the military-cum-geo-political landscape. President Xi Jinping’s ambitious dream for Chinese rejuvenation is to lead the world in Comprehensive National Power by 2049. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has its core interests and is not ready to compromise. They are, therefore, advancing them on all fronts while simultaneously avoiding war. This book reveals the contours of this policy, identifies the key stratagems of the Chinese Grand Strategy, its implications and key deterrence facilitators.The PLA, ordered repeatedly to be loyal to the CCP, has accordingly established a nearly impregnable multi-domain wall to deter China’s adversaries, particularly America, India and Japan. The resource-hungry nation has exploited its vast industrial base and exploited its fast-expanding Diaspora. The Chinese government has channelized its scientific talent in conjunction with secret technology transfers and espionage to lead technology development, especially in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum, Robotics, Blockchain, Hypersonic and Big Data Analytics.This book is a comprehensive compendium of the key measures initiated by the CCP and President Xi to revive Han supremacy the world over. It brilliantly covers the PLA’s march from ‘Mechanisation’ to ‘Informationisation’ to ‘Intelligentisation’ It covers the major aspects of all possible Chinese domains of warfare and uncovers the Chinese secret methodology to rapidly expand her global sphere of influence. It is an essential book for all China-watchers, military strategists, advanced technology-gazers and those who actually want to stand up to Chinese hegemony and rising ambitions.

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Book SynopsisFocusing on the COVID-19 global pandemic, this books examines the global unpreparedness to the crisis, as well the inequal struggle across the world to deal with it. As those in power found it difficult to handle the virus, certain small and efficient countries governed by engineers and/or economics gladly listened to their medical specialists and better protected their people. After examining this, as well as the impact on democracy worldwide, the work presents a way forward, demonstrating how we can securely and productively move ahead.

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Book SynopsisIndia-Bangladesh: Fifty Years of Friendship is a monograph commissioned by the Indian Council of World Affairs authored by Samudra Gupta Kashyap. As India and Bangladesh celebrate fifty years of diplomatic relations, the monograph traces back the deep-rooted ties between the two countries and their growth trajectory over the last five decades. The monograph is divided into sections covering various areas including cultural, economic, social and people to people linkages. It is intended to reach out to the lay reader with an interest in foreign policy, diplomacy and India's close and friendly ties with its eastern neighbor Bangladesh.

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Book SynopsisThe United States launched a new Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy in late 2017 after reluctantly concluding that its patient effort to engage and socialize China to the rules-based order since 1972 had failed. China’s behaviour since 2009 convinced the United States that China is a revisionist power seeking to impose an authoritarian model of governance in Asia which, if successful, would end the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific as well as endanger US security and vital trade interests.The new US FOIP strategy initiative seeks to engage like-minded nations in economic, security (both traditional and non-traditional), and political governance partnerships to construct a collaborative and scalable network of relations that will be able to respond flexibly to meet a wide range of stakeholder needs and regional contingencies across the Indo-Pacific region.The United States occupies a peak organizing role in this network and works with a hierarchy of partners distributed throughout the vast Indo-Pacific to meet the economic, security, and governance capacity needs of network members at any level. The rules-based order is the “operating system” of this network approach, and so the network itself sustains the rules-based order for its members as a collective good. FOIP is more like a club that generates rules-based order benefits for its members and as such has little in common with Cold War bloc politics and containment strategy.Bearing in mind that FOIP is only in its start-up phase and is likely to gather momentum going forward; that the elements of this network strategy are already in place; and that the United States and its main FOIP partners together have considerable material, organizational, and soft power resources, one may say that its prospects for long-term sustainability and success are not bad.

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Book SynopsisThe analyses have been articulated by eminent subject experts who explain their insights through the VIMASH Series of awareness that are organised regularly at the Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi (VIF).

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Book SynopsisNusantaria often referred to as ''Maritime Southeast Asia'' is the world''s largest archipelago and has, for centuries, been a vital cultural and trading hub. Nusantara, a Sanskrit, then Malay, word referring to an island realm, is here adapted to become Nusantaria - denoting a slightly wider world but one with a single linguistic, cultural and trading base. Nusantaria encompasses the lands and shores created by the melting of the ice following the last Ice Age. These have long been primarily the domain of the Austronesian-speaking peoples and their seafaring traditions. The surrounding waters have always been uniquely important as a corridor connecting East Asia to India, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. In this book, Philip Bowring provides a history of the world''s largest and most important archipelago and its adjacent coasts. He tells the story of the peoples and lands located at this crucial maritime and cultural crossroads, from its birth following the last Ice ATrade Review“Bowring, in a remarkable display of taut writing, whisks us through the archipelago's geological eruption and mythic floods to the rise and fall of multiple port states and emerging regional dynasties and into the modern era of disruption, decay and dismemberment in less than 300 pages. At the same time, he does a wonderful demolition job on Beijing's self-serving take on Asian history.” * South China Morning Post *“[Bowring] writes this rich and rambling history as in fact a narrative of change and renewal … It is not easy to convince policymakers that history might be the place to look for solutions, yet we have nowhere else to turn to imagine what might yet be possible.” * Literary Review *“Beautifully presented with numerous informative maps, excellent illustrations and a very useful glossary, it is both a fascinating read and a very valuable history of one of the world's most important regions.” * Baird Maritime *“Rich in detail, and laced with vivid anecdotes ... Bowring notes that Nusantaria is just as vulnerable to climate change as it was after the Ice Age ... will the book's excellent maps of Nusantaria have to be drawn again?” * The Correspondent *“This hardcover book is handsomely produced with a beautiful dust jacket showing fine Nusantarian galleys in the Moluccas, recorded during the Louis de Freycinet expedition of 1817–20. It's a volume that offers readers a deeper understanding of the vibrant maritime peoples and events that unfolded literally on Australia's tropical northern doorstep, to better appreciate the complex development of the human, political and economic region that we inhabit.” * Jeffrey Mellefont, New Mandela *“This is an important and timely book. Whatever its shortcomings as formal history—and Philip Bowring states clearly that he is no specialist and no academic—for the suitably forewarned general reader at whom it is aimed, who is looking to better understand a complex and pivotal region of the modern world, Empire of the Winds is a must-read.” * Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Hong Kong *“Bowring has taken on the mission of restoring to its rightful place in world history a region that shaped global trade, and with its unrivalled shipbuilding techniques and navigation skills drew disparate cultures – and their ideas and know-how – together across vast oceans, and whose contribution to humankind’s domi­nion over this planet’s resources has been largely forgotten.” * Post Magazine *Table of ContentsList of Maps and Illustrations Glossary Preface Introduction 1. Child of a Drowned Parent 2. Nusantaria's Defining Features and Early People 3. To Babylon and Back 4. Ghosts of Early Empires 5. Culture from India, Goods from China 6. Srivijaya: Vanished Great Mandala 7. Java Takes Centre Stage 8. Tamil Tigers of Trade 9. Champa: Master of the East Sea 10. Malagasy Genes and African Echoes 11. China Raises its Head 12. The Majapahit Good Life 13. Tremble and Obey: The Zheng He Voyages 14. Nails, Dowels and Improbable Ships 15. Malay Melaka's Lasting Legacy 16. The Northern Outliers 17. Islam's Great Leap East 18. Nusantaria: Holed near the Waterline 19. Barangays and Baybayin 20. Makassar, Bugis and Freedom of the Seas 21. Where Kings Reign but Priests Rule 22. The Sulu Factor: Trading, Raiding, Slaving 23. Nusantaria's Existential Crisis 24. Labour, Capital, Kongsi: The Power of the Chinese 25. High Noon of Occupation 26. Empty Lands No Longer 27. Freedom, Fears and the Future Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisEstablished to calm intracolonial tensions, the Mason-Dixon Line first marked a region of breakneck development and Native American resistance, then the boundary between pro- and antislavery regimes. Edward Gray’s is the first comprehensive history of the line and its dynamic role in the US from the colonial period to the Civil War—and beyond.Trade ReviewA magisterial yet highly nuanced account that ventures back and forth across Mason and Dixon’s fabled demarcation line as audaciously as 18th-century raiding parties once did. -- Harold Holzer * Wall Street Journal *Deeply researched and highly readable. -- Eric Foner * Times Literary Supplement *A rich history of regional distinctions, especially as they shaped the antebellum Republic. * Kirkus Reviews *Erudite, gripping, and highly significant. Gray puts his talents as a historian of the American Revolution and the early republic to excellent use, persuasively arguing that the Mason-Dixon Line is worth seeing as a geopolitical border—a place where the layered sovereignties of colonies, empires, states, Native powers, and the US government often clashed. -- Kathleen DuVal, author of Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American RevolutionA splendid book. The Mason-Dixon Line has always been much more than a boundary, and Gray gives us a richly researched, elegantly written history, exploring all of the twists and turns of a cartographic projection that was never quite as straight or simple as the surveyors hoped it would be. -- Edward L. Widmer, author of Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to WashingtonAn ambitious, engrossing book by one of our most prolific scholars of early America. This inspired history of the Mason-Dixon Line reveals that America’s most notorious borderland was also deeply representative of the broader national experience. Long before the region became synonymous with the frontier between slavery and freedom, its history was forged in imperial intrigue, Native dispossession, and rural resentment against coastal elites. -- Brian DeLay, author of War of a Thousand Deserts: Indian Raids and the U.S.–Mexican WarThis impressive book expertly excavates the meaning of the iconic Mason-Dixon Line, bringing into view its territorial, economic, legal, political, ethnic, religious, and cultural layers. With precision and flair, Gray reveals a profound irony: while ‘the Line’ was meant to quell dissension in the volatile Maryland-Pennsylvania borderlands, it became an enduring metaphor for a divided nation. -- Elizabeth R. Varon, author of Armies of Deliverance: A New History of the Civil WarA fresh and illuminating reframing of Anglo-American and US history through the Civil War. Gray’s great achievement is to center our attention on a neglected region—neglected precisely because the Mason-Dixon Line divides it, distinguishing the two great sections that have dominated our national narrative, North and South. -- Peter S. Onuf, author of Jefferson and the Virginians: Democracy, Constitutions, and Empire

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Financial Times Economics Book of the Year""This is an important book."---Martin Wolf, Financial Times"Ambitious and illuminating."---Niall Ferguson"I recommend strongly. . . the book both for those . . . studying or thinking about international relations but also for those . . . who are currently or may want in the future to engage in . . . policy."---John Bew, Professor of History and Foreign Policy, King’s College London; and Foreign Policy Advisor to the UK Prime Minister"A book full of clever intellectual maneuvers."---Adrian Wooldridge, Bloomberg"Keynes famously said that policymakers are distilling the frenzy of past academic scribblers. [Paul Tucker is] the rare policymaker who goes on to become an extraordinary scribbler."---Lawrence H. Summers, Bloomberg Television"An extremely important and striking book in many ways. It makes a contribution in terms of political ideas, and so is of interest to students of the history of political thought, but also political economy, international relation, and of course . . . major and important geopolitical policy recommendations and analyses."---Richard Bourke, University of Cambridge"An important new book. . . . Global Discord is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the prospects for 21st-century geopolitics, and possible trade-offs facing the West."---Vic Duggan, Irish Times ​​​​​​"[A] fascinating . . . [and] commanding book."---David Westin, Bloomberg Television"The book has extraordinary sweep and breadth of learning. It straddles the line between academic work and rigorous book for generalists. . . . Invigorating."---Krishna Guha, Financial Times"[Tucker] likens the relationship between America and China to that between Britain and France between 1688 and 1815. . . . The parallel is instructive because it is a reminder that the rivalry is one with which the world is likely to have to live for decades to come."---Simon Nixon, The Times"We need serious strategic thinking about how the situation is changing and what to do about it. One of the few people earnestly engaged in that project is Paul Tucker."---Juliet Samuel, The Telegraph"Wide-ranging and erudite."---Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist"A true tour de force."---Jack Snyder, author of Human Rights for Pragmatists"A tremendously rich book. One of the most interesting books in terms of how [it] combines[s] various aspects of international politics that I have read for a very long time."---Arne Westad, Yale Professor"I learned a lot and can only applaud the breadth of vision and ambition. Bravo."---Kevin Gardiner, Society of Professional Economists"The great achievement of this profound and important book is that it offers a way of thinking about international politics that helps us to know what better decisions will look like. It might even assist some of those charged with making such decisions to do a better job. Books like this do not come along very often; when they do, one can only hope they are read as widely as possible."---Paul Sagar, The Critic"This is a lovely book."---Jeff Colgan, Richard Holbrooke Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Director of the Climate Solutions Lab at the Watson Institute for Public and International Affairs, Brown University"A must-read for anyone wanting to understand the various possible trade-offs for 21st-century geoeconomics."---T.C.A. Ranganathan, Book Review"Global Discord is one of the most comprehensive and judicious books on [international affairs]. It seamlessly combines political theory, International Relations theory, international law, international political economy and a wealth of experience that Sir Paul Tucker accumulated during a long career as a central and international banker."---Peter Wilson, International Affairs

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Book SynopsisStrange and speculative, this 1934 pan-Africanist novel conveys the complexities of Black internationalism in the interwar yearsTrade Review'Bilbija and Lubin have made an outstanding contribution to literary Pan-Africanism by reintroducing the obscure Pan-African novel of Duse Mohamed Ali. This once influential Pan-Africanist ... a significant influencer, introduced Islam and the history of Africa to members of the UNIA. His novel and the accompanying essays make a welcome addition to the field.' -- Rey Bowen, University of Chichester'A compelling addition to the canon of Pan-African creative writing from the 1930s. The engaging, informative essays by the editors show how Ali brought to life core themes of African American literature for readers in colonial Africa.' -- Stephanie Newell, George M. Bodman Professor of English, Yale University'Ali's creative intellectual productivity was a major force in early twentieth-century pan-Africanism. The introductory material by Alex Lubin and Marina Bilbija offer essential tools for today's readers to appreciate this extraordinary, yet previously inaccessible, novel and its author. Reading this text through the multi-continental circuits of both its author's travels and the novel's protagonists, we recalibrate our own grid of pan-African literary productivity.' -- Dr. Leslie James, Queen Mary University of London'In recovering this daringly speculative serial novel by Duse Mohamed Ali, Lubin and Bilbija have excavated a landmark of literary Pan-Africanism while capturing the vibrancy of transatlantic Black periodical networks in the 1930s.' -- Brent Hayes Edwards, author of 'The Practice of Diaspora: Literature, Translation, and the rise of Black Internationalism'Table of Contentsi. Duse Mohamed Ali, West African print culture and an emergent pan-African literary formation ii. Duse Mohamed Ali in the history of pan-Africanism, pan-Islamism, and the Third World movement 1. Ere Roosevelt Came Appendix of other writings by Ali

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Book SynopsisThe postwar period saw increased interest in the idea of relatively easy-to-manufacture but devastatingly lethal radiological munitions whose use would not discriminate between civilian and military targets. Death Dust explores the largely unknown history of the development of radiological weapons (RW)—weapons designed to disperse radioactive material without a nuclear detonation—through a series of comparative case studies across the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, Iraq, and Egypt. The authors illuminate the historical drivers of and impediments to radiological weapons innovation. They also examine how new, dire geopolitical events—such as the war in Ukraine—could encourage other states to pursue RW and analyze the impact of the spread of such weapons on nuclear deterrence and the nonproliferation regime. Death Dust presents practical, necessary steps to reduce the likelihood of a resurgence of interest in and pursuit of radiological weapons by state actors.Trade Review"In this meticulously researched history of states pursuing the dirty bomb, the authors show how countries like the US, Russia, and the UK concluded that it is a weapon of mass disruption, not mass destruction, and not worth pursuing. They present excellent suggestions how to keep it that way. A great read."—Siegfried S. Hecker, author of Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea's Nuclear Program"Sherlock Holmes solved a mystery by focusing on what didn't happen: a dog that didn't bark. The authors of this rigorously researched volume similarly explain why a widely expected event didn't happen—why several countries developed and tested radiological weapons but never deployed or used them, even though they are relatively cheap, easy to make, and assumed to have devastating effects. Their meticulous and highly readable analysis not only sheds light on a long-dormant mystery of the nuclear age, it also provides valuable insights into whether and under what circumstances states may again pursue radiological weapons and offers practical recommendations for mitigating the dangers of their possible future development. With evidence that interest in radiation dispersal as a weapon of war may be returning—for example, Russia's Poseidon "super torpedo"—Death Dust is especially timely and should be read by nuclear policymakers as well as members of the general public concerned about the nuclear threat."—Robert Einhorn, Brookings Institution, former Assistant Secretary of State for Nonproliferation"This exceptional account of the development of radiological weapons—'death dust'—is powerful and comprehensive. The authors reveal the history of such weapons programs around the world. Their analysis of Russian threats to use radiological weapons in Ukraine is a reminder that this danger lives on."—Rose Gottemoeller, Stanford University, former Under Secretary for Arms Control and International SecurityTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. The United States 2. The Soviet Union 3. The United Kingdom 4. Egypt 5. Iraq Conclusion: Patterns across Cases and Prospects for the Future

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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 ethnographic research produce contradictory results based on different disciplinary methods and data, Kristen Ghodsee and Mitchell Orenstein triangulate the results. They find that both the J-curve model, which anticipates sustained growth after a sharp downturn, and the disaster capitalism perspective, which posits that neoliberalism led to devastating outcomes, have significant basis in fact. While substantial percentages of the populations across a variety of postsocialist countries enjoyed remarkable success, prosperity, and progress, many others suffered an unprecedented socio-economic catastrophe. Ghodsee and Orenstein conclude that the promise of transition still remains elusive for many and offer policy ideas for overcoming negative social and political consequences.Trade 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 Synopsis You’re entitled to your own opinion but not your own factsFantasy is the USA’s primary product. From the Pilgrim Fathers onward America has been a place where renegades and freaks came in search of freedom to create their own realities with little objectively regulated truth standing in their way. The freedom to invent and believe whatever the hell you like is, in some ways, an unwritten constitutional right. But, this do-your-own-thing freedom also is the driving credo of America's current transformation where the difference between opinion and fact is rapidly crumbling. So how did we get to this weird pseudo-reality, where science and objective facts are dismissed in favour of opinions and wild speculation, or indeed, fantasies? The post truth, fake news, free-for-all mentality isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. If you want to understand Trump's America, how the lines between reality and illusion have become dangerously blurred, you have to go back to the very beginning and take a dizzying road trip across five centuries of crackpot delusion and make-believe from Salem to Scientology.Fantasyland is a journey that connects the dots between crazed franchises of true believers – a rich freak show tapestry from Mormons to Flat-Earthers and satanic panic, new age quacks to anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists of every stripe, creationists to climate change deniers, UFO-obsessives to gun-toting libertarians, showmen hucksters from P T Barnum to Trump himself, all topped off with a dangerous dose of anti-government paranoia and pseudoscience. Along the way, New York Times bestselling author Kurt Andersen has created a unique and raucous history of America and a new paradigm for understanding our post-factual world.Trade ReviewNot only a must-read for anyone wanting to understand Trump’s America but also a laugh-out-loud undiluted pleasure -- Will Storr, author of SelfieThis is an important book - the indispensable book - for understanding America in the age of Trump. It’s an eye-opening history filled with brilliant insights, a saga of how we were always susceptible to fantasy, from the Puritan fanatics to the talk-radio and Internet wackos who mix show business, hucksterism, and conspiracy theories. -- Walter Isaacson, author of Steve JobsFantasyland presents the very best kind of idea – one that, in retrospect, seems obvious, but which took a seer like Kurt Andersen to piece together. The thinking and the writing are both dazzling; it is at once a history lesson and an oh-so-modern cri de coeur; it’s an absolute joy to read, and will leave your brain dancing with excitement long after you’re done -- Stephen Dubner, co-author of FreakonomicsAn absorbing, must-read polemic. * Newsday *The most important book that I have read this year. -- Lawrence O'Donnell * The Last Word, MSNBC *

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Book SynopsisPOLITICIAN PRISONER PARENTA portrait of one of the most charismatic, but unknown, world leadersAung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and crusader for democracyin Myanmar, is once again behind bars. Her resounding victory at the polls, and re-election to office as civilian head of state, were overturned by the February 2021 military coup a move with ruinous consequences.Aung San Suu Kyi has been here before. The first half of her political career was spent under house arrest. But this time she has been disappeared into prison in Naypyidaw, following an array of charges clearly calculated to keep her out of politics and out of sight for the rest of her life. This time she is caught in a zero-sum game.Once deified by the international community for her advocacy of democracy and human rights, yet later vilified for her denial of the Burmese military's genocidal campaign against the Rohingya, Aung San Suu Kyi's image survives largely untarnished within Myanmar. Her supporters refer to her as Amay Suu' (Mother Suu). Heir to the political and spiritual legacy of her father, General Aung San, independence hero and martyr, she remains the lodestar of nationalist aspirations, and matriarch for a nation in distress.This book tracks Aung San Suu Kyi's transformation from daughter of a national hero to materfamilias of Myanmar, placing her firmly within the context of the Burmese Buddhist notions of nationhood and motherhood and explaining her continuing role as the figurehead of the nation's struggles. The result is a unique portrait of a living legend, rendered by a compatriot and contemporary, the novelist Wendy Law-Yone.POLITICIANDecades spent spearheading the fight for democracy in Myanmar following her father Aung San's legacy as founder of the modern Burmese nation.PRISONERHaving already spent halfher political career under house arrest, in December 2022, Aung San Suu Kyiwas sentenced to 33 yearsin prison.PARENTTo her exiled family anda nation.Trade ReviewPraise for Wendy Law-Yone’s Golden Parasol Gorgeous: vivid, precise and awash in remembered sunlight ― Independent on Sunday Sad, extraordinary and inspiring ― Wanderlust Captivating ― Asian Review of Books Magnificent… Delivers a riveting experience ― South China Morning Post Beautifully written with a keen sense of humour, the book is bound to be a classic ― Asia Times

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Book Synopsis''Dazzling ... a trenchant, provocative account of the intimate relations of Britain and Europe and how each shaped the other'' Prospect Magazine''Elegant, refreshing and wide-ranging ... this is essentially a brief history of the UK but a deliciously different one'' Literary ReviewBritain has always had a tangled, complex, paradoxical role in Europe''s history. It has invaded and been invaded, changed sides, stood aloof, acted with both brazen cynicism and the cloudiest idealism. Every century troops from the British isles have marched across the mainland in pursuit of a great complex of different goals, foremost among them the intertwined defence of parliamentary liberty in Britain and the ''Liberties of Europe''. Dynastically Britain has been closely linked to countries as varied as Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and France.In this bracing and highly enjoyable book, Brendan Simms describes the highlights and low-points in the Euro-Trade ReviewEntertaining and cogently argued... an eloquent argument -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *A dazzling perspective on the current EU referendum debate * Prospect Magazine *Like all truly stimulating and original works, this is a book worth reading even if one ultimately disagrees with the author's conclusions, or if the time is not yet ripe for their realisation -- Robert Gerwarth * Irish Times *Entertaining -- Dominic Sandbrook * The Times *With supreme confidence, Simms distils 1,000 years of history into a simple constant: Britain's role has always been to prevent the domination of the Continent by a single power...Britain, in other words, has always been part of Europe. To deny that fact is to ignore the past. -- Gerard Degroot * The Times *In his spirited new book, "Britain's Europe", Brendan Simms, a historian at Cambridge University, argues that the whole notion of an island story is wrong. Britain's history, he says, is above all about continental Europe...Mr Simms makes a powerful case. * The Economist *His book aims to demonstrate that the history of the British isles has never been an isolated one, and that "our island story" has always, in ­reality, been continental. -- Mark Mazower * New Statesman *A fascinating, engaging book, which exemplifies how a balanced and mature long-term historical perspective might have informed present-day political policy -- Joad Raymond * BBC History Magazine *Wide-ranging and thoughtful... a timely and important study that places Brexit and the difficulties of the EU in an illuminating historical context. -- PD Smith * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Ann Laura Stoler navigates the shadows and shatterzones of democratic policies, considering how imperial features are folded through (il)liberal orders, where racial inequities thicken in the borderlands of interior frontiers. Sometimes those frontiers, or the lines that define the contours of belonging and not belonging, are porous--often fixed and firm. For those on the wrong side of the fabulated division between inside and out, entry requirements can be opaque, neither verbal nor visible. Illegibilities are secured in code. The sites of inequity are disparate, the sensibilities that produce and sustain those inequities are as well. Borrowing Ralph Ellison''s phrase, Stoler exposes unexpected sites and scenes that register the lower frequencies of denigration. Seemingly benign sites are laid bare as toxic, as in her essay eviscerating the warped criteria assigned to taste and who can have it, and in her study of the seared lives that longing, envy, and humiliation inscTrade ReviewAnn Stoler's Interior Frontiers brilliantly points out the importance of the cultural, affective, and aesthetic undercurrents that both advance and limit the unfinished process of decolonization that has stretched from the last century into this one. Crafting the idea of "colonial aphasia," Stoler unveils how apparently innocuous but sometimes even prized acts create shadow indices of worth with material political ramifications. In a time where the evidently unjust—even the obviously violent—is whitewashed into acceptability, Stoler shines a necessary spotlight on the softer, blurrier, and perhaps even more pernicious forms of erasure that undergird the divisions that govern our lives and values today. Interior Frontiers is a veritable tour de force. * Bernard E. Harcourt, Bernard E. Harcourt, Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law and Professor of Political Science, Columbia Law School *With these essays, Ann Stoler (re)establishes herself as the foremost theorist of affect. From the snobberies of the dinner table to the under-interrogated "instincts" rationalizing global carcerality, she dissects the complex, ineffable sensibilities and "gut" intuitions that inform hierarchies of taste, place, vulgarity, disgust, fear, temporal order, revenge, social death, and physical vulnerability. Greatly expanding the insights of Bourdieu's magnum opus, Distinction, Stoler presents an important fracturing of the binarism upon which so many political exclusions, colonial practices, and racialized regimes depend. In examining those quietly mobilizing edges, Stoler delivers a searing indictment of our greatest contemporary paradox, the democratization of human inequality. * Patricia J. Williams, University Distinguished Professor of Law and Humanities, Northeastern University *What do we need in a moment of catastrophe: environmental, sanitary, cultural, democratic, pedagogic? Not pain relievers, but rage. But not only rage, also infinite subtlety and sensitivity. But not only sensitivity, also erudition, memory, inflexible conceptual rigor. All this, and more, we find in Stoler's collection of essays, which weaves together the sinews, elusive inequalities, and creative refusals of imperial democracy. I call this a book of necessity. * Étienne Balibar, author of Violence and Civility *

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Book SynopsisWhat makes a state? This question has attracted more and more attention in recent years with Catalan''s illegal vote for independence from Spain and Palestine''s ongoing search for international recognition. And while Scotland chose to remain with the United Kingdom, discussions of independence have only continued as the ramifications of the later Brexit vote begin to set in. As James Ker-Lindsay and Mikulas Fabry show in this new addition to the What Everyone Needs to Know series, the road to statehood does not run smooth. Declaring independence is only the first step; gaining both local and global acceptance is necessary before a state can become truly independent. The prospect of losing territory is usually not welcomed by the parent state, and any such threat to an existing culture and its economy is often met with resistance--armed or otherwise. Beyond this immediate conflict, the international community often refuses to accept new states without proof of defined territory, a settled population, and effective government, which frequently translates to a democratic one with demonstrated respect for human rights. Covering the legal, political, and practical issues of secession and state creation, Ker-Lindsay and Fabry provide an essential guide to this timely topic.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Statehood and Secession in International Politics Chapter 2: Historical Approaches to State Creation and Secession Chapter 3: State Creation and Secession since Decolonisation Chapter 4: Independence and the Institutions of Statehood Chapter 5: Joining the International Community Appendix A: Growth of UN Membership, 1945- Appendix B: UN General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV), 1960 Recommended Reading Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn sum, The origins of overthrow not only brilliantly synthesizes research in psychology and international politics to develop the emotional frustration syndrome; it also succeeds in demonstrating the syndrome's impact on US foreign policy ... this is why the book should be required reading for students, scholars and policy -- makers in International Relations alike. * Robin Markwica, International Affairs *The Origins of Overthrow not only brilliantly synthesizes research in psychology and international politics to develop the emotional frustration syndrome; it also succeeds in demonstrating the syndrome's impact on US foreign policy. This is a combination of theoretical innovation and empirical research in its best form. Ghalehdar's pathbreaking approach advances our understanding of the affective dimension of preference formation and decision-making. In so doing, it offers important insights into the role of frustration as a crucial and hitherto ignored cause of interstate violence. This is why the book should be required reading for students, scholars and policy-makers in International Relations alike. * International Affairs *In The Origins of Overthrow, Payam Ghalehdar offers an original and convincing interpretation of why US leaders have been so prone to overthrow other governments. Ghalehdar weaves his concept of emotional frustration into a fascinating account that needs to be read by scholars of both international relations theory and history. * Frank Costigliola, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of History, University of Connecticut *Why has the United States used force so often to change other countries' domestic regimes, when the result is seldom worth the cost? Drawing on recent psychological theorizing, Payam Ghalehdar argues that US presidents send in the military when they are emotionally frustrated at a foreign government that is thwarting their hegemonic expectations. Ghalehdar's case, which he makes in clear prose and with copious historical evidence, deserves a wide hearing. * John Owen, Taylor Professor of Politics, University of Virginia *Drawing on meticulously researched case studies, Payam Ghalehdar compellingly shows how emotions play a key role in foreign policy decision making. He demonstrates that US strategies to impose regime change in foreign countries are as much the result of 'emotional frustration' than they are a matter of geopolitical calculations or ideological differences. * Roland Bleiker, Professor of International Relations, University of Queensland *Brilliant, provocative, and compelling, this stunning new explanation for why US presidents so often resort to regime change has deeply uncomfortable implications for how we understand foreign policymaking. I can think of few other books I would as urgently put in the hands of US policymakers. * Barbara Keys, Director of Research and Professor of History, Durham University *Table of ContentsIntroduction Emotional Frustration and US Regime Change Part I - US Regime Change in Latin America The 1906 Intervention in Cuba The 1909-1912 Intervention in Nicaragua US Dealings with the Dominican Republic, 1963-65 Part II - US Regime Change in the Middle East US Dealings with Iran, 1979-80 US Dealings with Iraq, 2001-03 Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA unique analysis that assesses how we can determine which country will be the next world leader. Will China surpass the United States as the world''s leader? In American Global Pre-eminence, William R. Thompson argues that the answer depends on leads in technological innovation, energy, and global reach. These are the forces that influence the hierarchy of global power--a system which began emerging a thousand years ago and started becoming more evident after the 1490s, especially after Dutch activities in the seventeenth century and British operations in the nineteenth century. The US followed in this fashion after 1945. Yet leads do not last forever. Ironically, as it becomes clearer how technological innovation, military force, and energy power interact, the processes under scrutiny may themselves be fundamentally transforming. Thus, Thompson contends, the real policy question is not whether the US is ahead or behind China but, rather, whether it will remain possible for a single sTrade ReviewThis volume deals with complex arguments using clear language, fairly crafted propositions, well-designed indicators, and the very insightful long leadership cycle perspective. It brings sharp focus and real life into the increasingly foggy question of US decline." -Robert A. Denemark, Professor of Political Science and International Relations, University of DelawareThis book is an insightful inquiry into the decline of US hegemony that deploys an evolutionary comparative perspective on the long history of rise and fall of empires and hegemonic core states. Thompson contends that the coming time of troubles will require careful peaceful co-existence among the great powers to avoid massive calamities." -Christopher Chase-Dunn, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute for Research on World-Systems, University of California-RiversideA superb treatment of the economic, technological, military, and domestic foundations of the rise and prospective decline of American pre-eminence in world politics over the last two centuries. Thompson's theoretically innovative and empirically systematic analysis, anchored in a deeper historical perspective, is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of American global leadership and world order." -Jack S. Levy, Board of Governors Professor, Rutgers UniversityThompson has been one of the major scholars contributing to our understanding of international politics. At a time when scholars are focused on the rise of China and the alleged decline of the US, his most recent work in this area could not be more timely. And unlike most approaches to the rise and decline of powers today, this one is correctly placed in the context of long-term dynamics that help explain where we are now and where we are heading. Combining rigorous theory with new data on military and economic capabilities, along with a strong historical perspective, this excellent contribution to the field of international relations should be on the desks of both scholars and students in the field." -Thomas J. Volgy, The University of ArizonaTable of Contents1. American Systemic Leadership: Its Unparalleled Rise and Slow Retreat 2. System Leadership, Rise and Relative Decline in the Global Political Economy 3. The Rise of the U.S. Economy 4. The 1920-45 Shift in U.S. Foreign Policy Orientation: Theory, Grand Strategies and System Leader Ascents 5. The Relative Decline of the United States 6. The Dysfunctionality of Domestic Politics: A Form of Absolute Decline 7. The Unipolarity Mirage 8. Inching Toward the Primus inter Pares Model and the End of Systemic Leadership as We Have Come to Know It? 9. The Second Sino-American Rivalry 10. The Future of World Order References Index

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Trade ReviewIn this learned and rigorous volume, Kim accomplishes the seemingly impossible: reviving elements of Confucian thought for the twenty-first century without reifying hierarchy and authoritarianism. A wonderful contribution that reminds us of the vitality of the tradition and its relevance for today's complex and plural societies. * Tom Ginsburg, Leo Spitz Distinguished Service Professor of International Law and Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago Law School *The twenty-first century may yet prove to be the Chinese Century. To understand that future, all of us will need to come to terms with a cultural tradition that stretches back over thousands of years. Sungmoon Kim has long assumed his rightful place among the leading scholars of both classical and contemporary Confucian law and politics, and this timely book crowns his already impressive achievements. * Eric Heinze, Professor of Law and Humanities, Queen Mary University of London *Comprehensively and persuasively argued, Kim offers a case for a Confucian democratic constitutionalism in East Asian countries, one rooted in both the ethics and the institutional strains of Confucian thought, and grounded in the combination of rights and popular sovereignty that defines democracy. The approach stands out for its attentiveness to the circumstances of politics—the facts of pluralism and the realities of political conflict. A must-read for those interested in the future of democracy in East Asia. * Mark E. Warren, Harold and Dorrie Merilees Chair in the Study of Democracy, University of British Columbia *Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty; general readers. * Choice *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: A Short History of Confucian Constitutionalism 1. Virtue, Dignity, and Constitutional Democracy 2. Beyond the Pluralism Dilemma 3. Disagreement and Public Reason 4. The Meritocratic House and the Dignity of Legislation 5. The Rule of Law and the Place of Rights 6. Judicial Review and Constitutional Dialogue Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe United States'' ignominious exit from Afghanistan in 2021 topped two decades of failure and devastation wrought by the war on terror. A long-running fight against migration has stoked chaos and rights abuses while pushing migrants onto more dangerous routes. For its part, the war on drugs has failed to dampen narcotics demand while fueling atrocities from Mexico to the Philippines. Why do such failing policies persist for so long? And why do politicians keep feeding the very crises they say they are combating?In Wreckonomics, Ruben Andersson and David Keen analyze why disastrous policies live on even when it has become apparent that they do not work. The perverse outcomes of the fights against terror, migration, and drugs are more than a blip or an anomaly. Rather, the proliferation of wars and pseudo-wars has become a dangerous political habit and an endless source of political advantage and profit. From combating crime to the war on drugs, from civil wars to global wars and even covid wars, chronic failure has been harnessed to the appearance of success. Over a wide variety of spheres, problems have persisted and worsened not so much despite the wars and fights waged against them as thanks to these floundering endeavors.Covering a range of cases around the world, Wreckonomics exposes and interrogates the incentive systems that allow destructive policies to flourish in the face of systemic failurewhile offering strategies for tackling our addiction to waging war on everything.Trade ReviewSomething's terribly wrong with our public policy. Tasked with managing migration, countering terrorism, and protecting us from pandemic disease, among other things, our institutions seem to thrive amid the wreckage. Ruben Andersson and David Keen explain why. Lively and cogent, Wreckonomics provides us with the lens and the language to make sense of how failure can be success, over and over again. * Alex de Waal, Executive Director, World Peace Foundation *To understand the perverse logic of why failing policies are nevertheless politically successful-ranging from the war on drugs to the war on terror-I cannot think of a better introduction than Wreckonomics. In this highly accessible and engaging book, Andersson and Keen provide a damning dissection of our extraordinarily costly and counterproductive addiction to militarized interventions. As we've reached the 20th anniversary of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and continue to live with its disastrous consequences-with the perpetrators not only not held accountable but highly rewarded-the book could not be a more timely and important contribution. * Peter Andreas, Brown University *Elegantly written, thought-provoking and persuasively argued. Andersson and Keen offer a powerful and incisive critique of the conventional narratives that have tended to dominate debate about the motives, dynamics, and effects of contemporary "wars and security interventions", forcing the reader to discard lazy assumptions and drawing their attention instead to mechanisms and logics that have served to perpetuate rather than meaningfully address many of the most urgent challenges facing humanity. * Mats Berdal, King's College London *Applying a sophisticated systems approach to issues spanning the globe, Wreckonomics makes major contributions to international relations and policy analysis. * Clifford Bob, author of Rights as Weapons, The Global Right Wing, and The Marketing of Rebellion *Based on outstanding original research, thought provoking in its conclusions and challenging in every chapter. * Harry Verhoeven, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University and author of Why Comrades Go To War: Liberation Politics and The Outbreak of Africa's Deadliest Conflict *[A] deeply-researched and wide-ranging account of how, despite manifest failings, the wars on terror, drugs and migration are entrenched in Western policy as a kind of perma-crisis for which its principal architects are never held responsible. * Samuel Rutter, The Telegraph *Provocative and thought-provoking ... the authors make their important case made with verve and style. * Paschal Donohoe, Irish Times *A remarkable new book [that] paints a searing portrait of our era of sham politics and fake wars... couldn't be more timely as the world stumbles into 2024. * Richard Lofthouse, QUAD *Wreckonomics is not only an extensively researched argument against the war on everything; at its heart, it is a manifesto against simplicity ... it truly is a challenging read in the best sense of the word: we could all to with thinking more deeply about how to move beyond the war on everything. * Irish Independent *Table of Contents1.Crime Scene Investigation 2.Wreckonomics 101: How Failure Became the New Success 3.Cold War Games: When War Is a Self-Licking Ice-Cream Cone 4.A Life of Its Own: The "War on Terror" as Frankenstein's Monster 5.Double Games: Fear and Fraud in the Fight against Migration 6.Warriors on Drugs: How States Got Hooked on Narcotics and Crime 7.The Hall of Mirrors: The Distortion of Disastrous Interventions 8.Wreckonomics Goes Viral? The Costs of Laissez-Faire and Lockdown 9.How to End the War on Everything (In Four Complex Steps) 10.Waging Peace: How (Not) to Fight the System

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Book SynopsisOvercoming the Oppressors traces southern Africa''s long walk to freedom, the overturning of colonial rule in the northern territories, and the dissolution of backs-to-the-wall white settler suzerainty, first in what became Zimbabwe and then in South Africa. Chapters on the individual countries detail the stages along their sometimes complicated and tortuous struggle to attain the political New Zion. Rotberg explains how and why the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland failed, how and why apartheid eventually collapsed, and exactly how the various components of this heavily white conquered, and later white oppressed, domain transitioned via diverse fits and starts into today''s assemblage of proud, politically charged, and still mostly fragmented nation-states. But what did the new republics make of their hard-won freedoms? Having liberated themselves successfully, several soon dismantled democratic safeguards, established effective single-party states, closed their economies, deprivedTrade ReviewWritten from a rare first-row vantage and offering a blend of scholarly analysis and personal observation, Overcoming the Oppressors is a masterful and unflinching analysis of the difficult political journey of southern African countries up from colonial domination, through independence, to a mixed postcolonial aftermath. The question of how the newly independent societies handled their hard-won freedoms has been posed before, but rarely with the kind of refreshing candor that Robert Rotberg brings to bear. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the fortunes of contemporary southern Africa, and indeed the fate of the entire African region. * Ebenezer Obadare, Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow for Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Washington, D.C. *Overcoming the Oppressors provides a survey of the current political and economic state of southern Africa. The book demonstrates a depth of research by a leading Africanist that is comprehensive yet concise in its sweep. This work is accessible and readable. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Africa. * Richard J. Goldstone, Retired Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa *Professor Rotberg's expertly researched account of Namibia overcoming oppression is highly readable, given his clarity of analysis combined with his acute insight and observations of many of the key players involved, many of whom have been personally known to him. Written with balanced and judicious detachment, it is a compelling read. * David Smuts, Judge of the Supreme Court of Namibia *This erudite rendition locates the making of contemporary Namibia against the histories of Southern Africa, with special emphasis on German and South African colonialism. The book will have a wide readership. * André du Pisani, University of Namibia *Robert Rotberg has been one of the most prolific and worth-reading observers of African freedom struggles and post-colonial development over the last six decades. In this book, he adds an unrivalled, close-to-the-action account of this sweeping process informed by his extensive connections with key political actors involved, as one country after another has moved from colonialism to independence. Packed with personal insights and observation, this wide-ranging survey stresses more than most the crucial importance of the quality of political leadership. Overcoming the Oppressors is a uniquely valuable addition to the literature. * Roger Southall, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa *Robert Rotberg brings to bear six decades of unbroken engagement with Southern African politics in this highly perceptive study of the region's fraught politics of leadership. The book's prescriptions merit reading and acting on. * Miles Tendi, University of Oxford *The central role that good governance, effective and capable governance plays in the economic and social development of a country is widely recognized. The central theme of the book examines what can be done to strengthen good governance in Southern Africa. This is done in the context of the complex history of Southern Africa and the struggles of its people to attain independence and end colonial rule and white domination. The book further examines the evolution of post-independence dictatorships that emerged in some of countries in the post- independence era. It highlights the role of good leadership in the development of good governance in a national state. The book delivers a clear analysis of a complex political history of the Southern African States. It is a brilliant and compelling read. * William Nelson Cromwell, Cornell Law School *Overcoming the Oppressors advices southern Africans to adopt more neo-liberal economic policies. * Innocent Dande, International Studies Group, University of the Free States *Rotberg's brilliant analysis, which also trends toward personal memoir, focuses on the liberation of Southern Africa from colonialism and apartheid, and the resulting impact of the political elites who ruled these states in the postcolonial era...Highly recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals. * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface I "Partnership" and Multiracialism in the New Africa II Consummating Zambian Nationhood III King Cobra and Other Menaces: Zambia Banishes Autocracy IV The Hijacking of Malawi: Banda's One-Man Rule V Promises, Promises: Modern Malawi Seeks Prosperity and Plenty Through Pot VI Mandela's Triumph: The Liberating of South Africa VII Surviving State Capture: the Path Forward VIII Botswana: Africa's Democratic Exception IX The Promise of Democracy Lost: Zimbabwe X Namibia: Throwing Off the Long Yoke XI Leaders of Integrity Conquer Africa's Consummate Challenges Acknowledgements Notes For Further Reading Maps Prepared by Dylan A. Gattey Southern Africa Zambia and Malawi South Africa Zimbabwe Botswana and Namibia Portraits By Joanna G. Cloutier Kenneth Kaunda Kamuzu Banda Nelson Mandela Desmond Tutu Thabo Mbeki Seretse Khama Robert Mugabe Helen Suzman Nthato Motlana Jacob Zuma Nthato Motlana Jacob Zuma

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Book SynopsisA sweeping history of Islamism in Central Asia from the Russian Revolution to the present through Soviet-era archival documents, oral histories, and a trove of interviews and focus groups.Few observers anticipated a surge of Islamism in Central Asia, after seventy years of forced communist atheism. Muslims do not inevitably support Islamism, a modern political ideology of Islam. Yet, Islamism became the dominant form of political opposition in post-Soviet Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. In Politicizing Islam in Central Asia, Kathleen Collins explores the causes, dynamics, and variation in Islamist movements-first within the USSR, and then in the post-Soviet states of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Drawing upon extensive ethnographic and historical research on Islamist mobilization, she explains the strategies and relative success of each Central Asian Islamist movement. Collins argues that in each case, state repression of Islam, by Soviet and post-Soviet regimes, together with theTrade ReviewRemarkable in scope and depth, drawing on everything from interviews in the Ferghana Valley to jihadi propaganda in multiple languages, Collins' book is a contender for the definitive work on the rise of militant Islamism in Central Asia. * Thomas Hegghammer, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford University, and author of The Caravan: Abdallah Azzam and the Rise of Global Jihad and Jihad in Saudi Arabia *A groundbreaking study of Islamism's evolution in Central Asia, Kathleen Collins' remarkable feat of scholarship should be required reading for all serious analysts and observers of this important region. Collins' book offers irrefutable evidence that religious freedom is the best counterterrorism policy. * Mike Croissant, US government counterterrorism officer (ret.) *Politicizing Islam covers a lot of ground and is based on a massive amount of sustained original research. Collins traces three waves of Islamist mobilization, each one a response to state repression. Her use of interviews and focus groups allows her to bring society back in into the analysis. She makes a clearly thought-out argument on the basis of impressive research. * Adeeb Khalid, Jane and Raphael Bernstein Professor of Asian Studies and History, Carleton College, and author of Making Uzbekistan and Islam After Communism *Collins achieves something extraordinary in this masterful and careful analysis of Islamism in Central Asia. Based on years of in-depth interviews, archival materials, and other sources, Collins traces the emergence of Islamist movements, from the moderate and democratic to the radical and militant in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Along the way, she reveals the lived experiences of many Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek religious believers. Without demonizing Islam or sensationalizing Islamism, Collins enriches our understanding of both Soviet and post-Soviet religious repression and its unintended consequences: making Islam more resilient and fostering a religious basis for political opposition. Anyone endeavoring to understand the fabric of modern-day Central Asia should closely read Collins' scholarship. * Steve Swerdlow, Associate Professor of the Practice of Human Rights, University of Southern California, and former Senior Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch *Table of ContentsList of Figures List of Images List of Tables List of Maps Acknowledgements Technical Note List of Acronyms PART I Introduction 1: Secular Authoritarianism, Ideology, and Islamist Mobilization PART II: The USSR Politicizes Islam 2: The Russian Revolution and Muslim Mobilization 3: The Atheist State: Repressing and Politicizing Islam 4: Muslim Belief and Everyday Resistance PART III: Tajikistan: From Moderate Islamists to Muslim Democrats 5: The Islamic Revival Party Challenges Communism 6: A Democratic Islamic Party Confronts An Extremist Secular State 7: The Attraction and Limits of Islamist Ideas in Tajikistan PART IV: Uzbekistan: From Salafists to Salafi-Jihadists 8: Seeking Justice and Purity: Islamists against Communism and Karimov 9: Making Extremists: The Uzbek Jihad Moves to Afghanistan 10: The Attraction and Limits of Islamist Ideas in Uzbekistan PART V: Kyrgyzstan: Civil Islam and Emergent Islamists 11: Religious Liberalization and Civil Islam in Kyrgyzstan 12: Emergent Islamism in Kyrgyzstan 13: The Attraction and Limits of Islamist Ideas in Kyrgyzstan PART VI: From Central Asia to Syria: Transnational Salafi-Jihadists 14: Central Asians Join the Syrian Jihad 15: From Central Asia to Afghanistan, Syria, and Beyond Appendix Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn Precarious Ties, Rithmire delves into one of the most puzzling aspects of China's economic development: the unusually dangerous relationship between business and political elites in an authoritarian country. * David Barboza, Co-Founder of The Wire China *Meg Rithmire has brought finance into the study of Asian political economy with a vengeance. Her comparative analysis of three diverse authoritarian systems masterfully details how trust and alignment between business and the state tend to disintegrate over time, with politically explosive implications. Interested in what China's growing financial woes might mean for its politics? Read this book. * Dan Slater, James Orin Murfin Professor of Political Science, University of Michigan *Table of ContentsAbbreviations Tables Figures Glossary Acknowledgements Chapter One: The Foundations of State-Business Relations in Authoritarian Asia Chapter Two: The Origins of Trust and Distrust: The Making of Capitalist Classes in Asia, 1945-1970 Chapter Three: Mutual Endangerment in Indonesia: State-Business Relations with Distrust Chapter Four: Malaysia: Mutual Alignment and Competitive Clientelism Chapter Five: China's Capitalists under Reform: The Life and Death of Mutual Alignment Chapter Six: Elite Disintegration: The Moral Economy of Mutual Endangerment in China Chapter Seven: Crisis and Reconfiguration: The Chinese Communist Party versus Business Chapter Eight: Conclusion: Power and Moral Economy in Authoritarian Capitalism Appendices Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAndrei Lankov has gone where few outsiders have ever been. A native of the former Soviet Union, he lived as an exchange student in North Korea in the 1980s. He has studied it for his entire career, using his fluency in Korean and personal contacts to build a rich, nuanced understanding. In The Real North Korea, Lankov substitutes cold, clear analysis for the overheated rhetoric surrounding this opaque police state. After providing an accessible history of the nation, he turns his focus to what North Korea is, what its leadership thinks, and how its people cope with living in such an oppressive and poor place. He argues that North Korea is not irrational, and nothing shows this better than its continuing survival against all odds. A living political fossil, it clings to existence in the face of limited resources and a zombie economy, manipulating great powers despite its weakness. Its leaders are not ideological zealots or madmen, but perhaps the best practitioners of Machiavellian politics that can be found in the modern world. Even though they preside over a failed state, they have successfully used diplomacy-including nuclear threats-to extract support from other nations. But while the people in charge have been ruthless and successful in holding on to power, Lankov goes on to argue that this cannot continue forever, since the old system is slowly falling apart. In the long run, with or without reform, the regime is unsustainable. Lankov contends that reforms, if attempted, will trigger a dramatic implosion of the regime. They will not prolong its existence.Based on vast expertise, this book reveals how average North Koreans live, how their leaders rule, and how both survive.Trade ReviewIn his accessible and refreshingly fair-minded new book, Andrei Lankov does a fine job of making sense of the worlds most inscrutable state. ... Fizzing with anecdotes and insights, many of them provided by Lankovs countless contacts, it is a commanding overview of the countrys politics and society, and a significant contribution to policy debates in the United States and South Korea. * Francis Grove-White, International Affairs *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Introduction ; Transcription ; CHAPTER 1 The Society Kim Il Sung Built and How He Did It ; Captain Kim Returns Home ; The War and What came after ; Between Moscow and Beijing: The Foreign Policy of Kim Il Sung's North Korea ; Dealing with the South ; The Command Society ; A Country of Camps ; The World According to Kim Il Sung ; The Silver Lining in a Social Disaster ; The Birth of Juche, the Rise of the Son, and the Slow-Motion Demise of a Hyper-Stalinist Economy ; CHAPTER 2 Two Decades of Crisis ; And Then the World Changed ; Capitalism Reborn ; The State Withers Away ; Taking the Exit Option: Not an Exodus Yet, But ... ; Arrival in Paradise, aka Capitalist Hell ; Changing Worldviews ; CHAPTER 3 The Logic of Survival (Domestically) ; Reform as Collective Political Suicide ; Putting the Genie Back in the Bottle: (Not-So-Successful) Crackdowns on Market Activity ; A Disaster That Almost Happened: The Currency Reform of 2009 ; Still Poor and Malnourished, but Starving No More ; CHAPTER 4 The Supreme Leader And His Era ; The Belated Emergence of a <"Young General>" ; The Sudden Dawn of a New Era ; Collapse of the old guard ; The New Policy ; The New Logic ; Tensions with the South ; CHAPTER 5 Survival Diplomacy ; Playing the Nuclear Card ; Aid-Maximizing Diplomacy ; Meanwhile, in South Korea ... (the Rise of 386ers and Its Consequences) ; A Decade of Sunshine ; The Sun Sets ; The Entry of China ; Interlude The Contours of a Future: What Might Happen to North Korea in the Next Two Decades ; CHAPTER 6 What to Do about the North? ; Why Sticks Are Not Big Enough ; Why the Carrots Are Not Sweet Enough (and Why <"Strategic Patience>" Is Not a Great Idea, Either) ; Thinking Long Term ; The Hidden Benefits of Engagement ; Reaching the People ; Why They Matter: Working with the Refugees in South Korea ; CHAPTER 7 Being Ready for What We Wish For ; A Perfect Storm ; A Provisional Confederation as the Least Unacceptable Solution ; Something about Painkillers ... ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Index

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Book SynopsisIn the middle of the twentieth century, liberal intellectuals and policymakers in the United States came to see poverty as a global problem. Applying Progressive era and Depression insights about the causes of poverty to the post-World War II challenges posed by the Cold War and decolonization, they developed new ideas about why poverty persisted. The problem, they argued, was that the poor at home and abroad were alienated from the enormous opportunities industrial capitalism provided. Left unsolved, that problem, they believed, would threaten world peace. In The Poverty of the World, Sheyda Jahanbani brings together the histories of US foreign relations and domestic politics to explain why, during a period of unprecedented affluence, Americans rediscovered poverty and supported major policy initiative to combat it. Revisiting a moment of triumph for American liberals in the 1940s, Jahanbani shows how the US''s newfound role as a global superpower prompted novel ideas among liberal thTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction "The World's Problem in Miniature": Global Poverty in the American Century Chapter 1 "This World-Wide Need": John Collier and the Origins of the Global War on Poverty Chapter 2 "Not Modern Men": Oscar Lewis's Theory of Global Poverty Chapter 3 "The Only War We Seek": Discovering World Poverty and Building an Empire of Affluence Chapter 4 "Challenge to Affluence": Promoting Poverty-Fighting as the National Purpose Chapter 5 "The United States Contains an Underdeveloped Nation": World Poverty Comes Home Chapter 6 "One Global War on Poverty": Building a Volunteer Army for the Empire of Affluence Chapter 7 "Living Poor": Representing the Global War on Poverty Conclusion Neither Peace nor Honor Won: Retreat in the Global War on Poverty Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Michael Dwyer’s engaging analysis of upland geopolitics shows that Laos has been the mother of many outlandish ideas, but these ideas have had real, material, environmental and political consequences." * Journal of Peasant Studies *"This book and its focus not only raise critical questions about the stories of Laos but about how scholars can contribute to a lineage of attempts at understanding Southeast Asia in the world. This book and the questions it raises will be of interest to scholars and students focusing on natural resource governance, land grabbing, transnational investment, political ecology, and geopolitics, within and beyond Southeast Asia." * Eurasian Geography and Economics *"With an innovative methodology which accepts complexity rather than obliterating it, Upland Geopolitics epitomizes the difficulties and the struggles that state administrators face in their strive to project state power on a territory over which they proclaim sovereignty." * Asia Major *

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Book SynopsisChina has forty major transboundary watercourses with neighbouring countries, and has frequently been accused of harming its downstream neighbours through its domestic water management policies, such as the construction of dams for hydropower. This book provides an understanding of water security in Asia by investigating how shared water resources affect Chinaâs relationships with neighbouring countries in South, East, Southeast and Central Asia. Since China is an upstream state on most of its shared transboundary rivers, the countryâs international water policy is at the core of Asiaâs water security. These water disputes have had strong implications for Chinaâs interstate relations, and also influenced its international water policy alongside domestic concerns over water resource management.This book investigates Chinaâs policy responses to domestic water crises and examines Chinaâs international water policy as well as its strategy in dealing with international coopTrade Review"Lei Xie and Shaofeng Jia’s book makes a robust contribution to the discussion of international fresh watercourses by combining the Chinese perspective on national interests with the Global South narrative of riparian neighbouring states, all of which are developing countries. Xie and Jia examine and link research areas such as human security, diplomacy, intergovernmental relations, and policies, and the authors contribute insights to the current debate on fresh water management in relation to sustainability and the reduction of tension and conflict." - Francisco José Leandro in China Information (2018) Table of Contents1. China’s transboundary rivers: politics, diplomacy and security: an introduction 2. The governance of water resources in China 3. China’s policy over international rivers: Perception and diplomatic practices 4. Theoretical debate: water diplomacy 5. Southeast Asia: China’s water diplomacy on the Mekong River 6. South Asia: China’s evolving attitude over the GBM 7. Central Asia: Sino-Kazakh water diplomacy on Ili and Irtysh Rivers 8. Northeast Asia: Sino-Russian cooperation over the Amur River 9. Comparison and conclusions 10. Policy recommendations

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Book Synopsis1974 was a year of major changes around the world. The roots of many aspects of today's societies which we take for granted lie in the 1970s and particularly in this, the pivotal year of the decade....Trade ReviewBreezy and very readable canter through a seminal 12 months... a finely judged balance between conversational anecdote and genuine insight * Observer *Rennison proves a chatty and amiable guide [and] offers an enjoyable and evocative ramble down Memory Lane * Telegraph *Hugely entertaining... often wryly amusing... plenty of light entertainment and colourful anecdote -- Mail on SundayRennison makes an enjoyable and often wry case for that year being a key moment -- BBC History Magazine

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Book SynopsisThis book introduces readers to the cultural imaginings of borders: the in-between spaces in which transnationalism collides with geopolitical cooperation and contestation.Recent debates about the refugee crisis and the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have politicized culture at and of borders like never before. Border culture is no longer culture at the margins but rather culture at the heart of geopolitics, flows, and experience of the transnational world. Increasingly, culture and borders are everywhere yet nowhere. In border spaces, national narratives and counter-narratives are tested and evaluated, coming up against transnational culture. This book provides an extensive and critical vision of border culture on the move, drawing on numerous examples worldwide and a growing international literature across border and cultural studies. It shows how border culture develops in the human imagination and manifests in human constructs of nation and state, as well as in transnatiTrade Review"Two of the world’s leading border scholars have produced an important text focusing on the cultural dimension of borders. Unlike most border texts which focus on the political and the security dimensions of the lines which divide us, this book reflects the important cultural and social dimensions of borders as they impact upon us individuals and as groups, and play an important role in the way in which human identity is formed and is perpetuated through varying levels of exclusions and inclusions along a continuum of physical and social separation. The book highlights the fact that any form of border, at whatever social or spatial scale, is much more complex than the simplistic notion of lines on maps, or fences and walls in the landscape. The ways in which borders and their images leave an indelible imprint on our understanding of local spaces and environments enables us to understand the more complex and richer meaning of what actually constitutes a border and how this impacts upon our lives."David Newman, Professor, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel"In Border Culture, Victor Konrad and Anne-Laure Amilhat Szary bridge the gap between cultural theory and border studies, providing an engaging and smart contribution that deepens our understanding of how borders have implications on culture well beyond the borderlands. Highly recommended."Reece Jones, author of White Borders and Nobody is Protected, Professor, University of Hawaii, USA"While borders are consubstantial with globalization, border culture is at the heart of geopolitics in this transnational world, and is rooted in border experiences of globalization. The authors thus guide us in the mesh of these processes, at the junction of nations, where the suture is performed between and within border cultures, for they are manifold. An essential book as we may be entering, as the authors state, an era of post-globalization."Élisabeth Vallet, Director, Center for the Studies of Geopolitics, Raoul-Dandurand Chair, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada"With Border Culture, Konrad and Amilhat-Szary are inviting us to reflect on the theory, imagination, and geopolitics or borders. A ‘tour de force’ into the border literatures, imaginaries and narratives, it is a superb book. A must read for cultural geographers."Emmanuel Brunet-Jailly, Professor, University of Victoria, Canada"This book is the first of its kind in the emerging field of Cultural Border Studies, an intriguing study of global border culture. Offering an extensive approach to the multiple intersections of borders and cultures, it will open up a much-needed debate on the roles of borders and the politics of culture."Astrid M. Fellner, Professor, Saarland University, Germany"Our world has become more bordered than at any time in human history. This sophisticated interrogation of international borders as culture offers a set of tools to help us understand, interrogate and look beyond the cartographies of our often-dismal age."Nick Megoran, Professor, University of Newcastle, UK"In a completely new perspective, Victor Konrad and Anne-Laure Amilhat Szary explore the relationship between borders and cultures. As creators of culture and cultural diversity, borders are home to new cultural forms, as well as being cultural productions involving particular imaginaries, which in turn are capable of transforming borders." Patrick Suter, Professor, University of Bern, Switzerland"Bridging border and culture studies, the authors of this captivating book invite us to overcome modern oppositions between theories and narratives, and between representations and experiences, by highlighting instead how their interplay can produce new interdisciplinary knowledge capable of reconceiving border cultures as mobile, relational, and multidimensional entities, having different symbolic and material forms, functions, andlocations." Chiara Brambilla, Professor, University of Bergamo, Italy"To understand borders, you need to understand their cultural dimension. This indispensable book gives pressing arguments for including culture in any study of borders in geopolitics and everyday life, along with a thorough and insightful overview of ongoing research in the field."Johan Schimanski, Professor, University of Oslo, NorwayTable of Contents1 Introduction, Border Culture on the Move: Bridging Border Studies and Culture Theory 2 Foundations: Situating Border Culture in Border Theory 3 Border Imaginaries and Cultural Production 4 National Narratives and Counter-narratives at the Border 5 Cultural Production and Border Crossings 6 Borders With/in Transnational Culture

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Book SynopsisBy delving into the complex, cross-generational exchanges that characterize any political project as rampant as empire, this thought-provoking study focuses on children and their ambivalent, intimate relationships with maps and practices of mapping at the dawn of the American Century'.

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