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Book Alert   June - 2015

1. No Use: Nuclear Weapons and U.S. National Security / Thomas M. Nichols. USA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014
Abstract: For more than forty years, the United States has maintained a public commitment to nuclear disarmament, and every president from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama has gradually reduced the size of America's nuclear forces. Yet even now, over two decades after the end of the Cold War, the United States maintains a huge nuclear arsenal on high alert and ready for war. The Americans, like the Russians, the Chinese, and other major nuclear powers, continue to retain a deep faith in the political and military value of nuclear force, and this belief remains enshrined at the center of U.S. defense policy regardless of the radical changes that have taken place in international politics.
2. Non-traditional security issues and the South China Sea: shaping a new framework for cooperation / Ed by Shicun Wu and Keyuan Zou. England: Ashgate, 2014
Abstract: While there is abundant literature discussing non-traditional security issues, there is little mention of such issues existing in the South China Sea. This area is vulnerable to natural hazards and marine environmental degradation. The marine ecosystem is threatened by various adverse sources including land-based pollution, busy shipping lanes, and over-exploitation activities which threaten the security of the surrounding population. This area is also threatened by piracy and maritime crimes but law enforcement becomes difficult due to unclear maritime boundaries.
3. North Korea: sate of paranoia / Paul French.  London: Zed Books, 2014
Abstract: North Korea is a country that continues to make headlines-arousing curiosity and fear in equal measure. The world’s most secretive nuclear power, it is a nation that still has Gulag-style prison camps, no internet, and bans its people from talking to foreigners without official approval. In this remarkable and eye-opening book, bestselling author Paul French takes the reader inside the world’s most secretive country. He examines the history and politics of North Korea,  Pyongyang’s complex relations with South Korea, Japan, and America. As China begins to tire of its unruly ally, what are the implications of Kim Jong-un’s increasingly belligerent leadership following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il? As an already unstable North Korea grows ever more unpredictable, antagonizing enemies and allies alike, North Korea: State of Paranoia, delivers a provocative and frightening account of a potentially explosive nuclear tripwire.
4. North Korea - US Relations under KimnJong II: The Quest for Normalization? / Ramon Pacheco Pardo.  New York: Routledge, 2014
Abstract: Throughout these years, North Korea sought but failed to no malise diplomatic relations with the United States. Making use of theories of bargaining and learning in International Relations, the book explains how the inability of the Kim Jong Il government to correctly understand domestic politics in Washington and developments in East Asian international relations contributed to  this failure. As a result, Pyongyang accelerated development of nuclear weapons programme with the aim of strengthening its negotiating position with the US. However, towards the end of the Kim Jong Il government it became unclear whether North Korea is willing to reverse its nuclear programme in exchange for normal diplomatic relations with the United States.
5. Nuclear Iran / Jeremy Bernstein. London: Harvard University Press, 2014
Abstract: Iran’s nuclear program has generated intense controversy ever since the International Atomic Energy Agency reported in 2003 that Iran was secretly pursuing enrichment activities. Although Iranian officials insist the program is peaceful, many in the international community are skeptical of Iran’s stated aims and some allege there is no greater nuclear-weapons proliferation danger in the world today.
6. The Obama administration's nuclear weapon strategy: the promises of Prague/ Aiden Warren. London: Routledge, 2014
Abstract: This book comprehensively outlines and evaluates the key Obama nuclear weapons policies, developments and initiatives from 2008 - 2012. Beginning with the administration’s vision and goals posited in the 2009 Prague Speech and reaffirmed in the National Security Strategy of 2010, the book assesses the congressionally mandated Nuclear Posture Review, the New START Treaty, the pursuit of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty ratification, the Proliferation Security Initiative, the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference, the Global Nuclear Security Summit   and the extent to which Obama, in the context of such initiatives, has actually upheld the lofty goals posited in Prague and differentiated himself from the nuclear path pursued by the Bush Administration. Additionally, the book evaluates the Obama Administration’s dealings with other states in the context of its nuclear weapons policy   in particular, North      Korea, Iran, Pakistan, Israel, India, and China.
7. Oil, Democracy, and Development in Africa / John R. Heilbrunn. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014
Abstract: Oil, Democracy, and Development in Africa presents an optimistic analysis of the continent's oil-producing states. With attention to the complex histories, the interactions of key industry actors and policy makers, and the goals of diverse groups in society, this contribution fills a gap in the literature on resource-abundant countries. John R. Heilbrunn presents a positive assessment of circumstances in contemporary African oil exporters. The book demonstrates that even those leaders who are among the least accountable use oil revenues to improve their citizens' living standards, if only a little bit. As a consequence, African oil producers are growing economically and their people are living under increasingly democratic polities. Heilbrunn thus calls for a long-overdue reassessment of the impact of hydrocarbons on developing economies.
8. Open source intelligence in the twenty- first century: new approaches and opportunities / Christopher Hobbs, etc, Ed UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014
Abstract: This edited volume takes a fresh look at the subject of open source intelligence (OSINT), exploring both the opportunities and the challenges that this emergent area offers at the beginning of the twenty-first century.In particular, it explores the new methodologies and approaches that technological advances haveengendered, while at the same time considering the risks associated with the pervasive nature of the Internet. Drawing on a diverse range of experience and expertise, the book begins with a number of chapters devoted to exploring the uses and value of OSINT in a general sense, identifying patterns, trends and key areas of debate. The focus of the book then turns to the role and influence of OSINT in three key areas of international security - nuclear proliferation; humanitarian crises; and terrorism. The book offers a timely discussion on the merits and failings of OSINT and provides readers with an insight into the latest and most original research being conducted in this area.
9. The oxford handbook of the international relations of Asia / Ed Saadi M. Pekkanen etc. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014
Abstract: In the past quarter century, the importance of Asia in international relations has grown exponentially. This Handbook gathers the most important scholars in the field of Asia's international relations to address this momentous change in world politics. The editors and contributors focus on three basic themes: assessing appropriate theories for explaining the evolution of the international relations of Asian countries within the region and with the rest of the world; tracing the recent history of Asia in world politics; and focusing on emerging trends. The Handbook brings readers the latest scholarship on the bilateral, regional, and global relations of Asian countries in the fields of political economy, national security, and human security.
10. The Political Ecology of Climate Change Adaptation: livelihoods, agrarian change and the conflicts of development / Marcus Taylor. New York: Routledge, 2015
Abstract: This book provides the first systematic critique of the concept of climate change adaptation within the field of international development. Drawing on a reworked political ecology framework, it argues that climate is not something ‘out there’ that we adapt to. Instead, it is part of the social and biophysical forces through which our lived environments are actively yet unevenly produced. From this original foundation, the book challenges us to rethink the concepts of climate change, vulnerability, resilience and adaptive capacity in transformed ways. With case studies drawn from Pakistan, India and Mongolia, it demonstrates concretely how climatic change emerges as a dynamic force in the ongoing transformation of contested rural landscapes. In crafting this synthesis, the book recalibrates the frameworks we use to envisage climatic change in the context of contemporary debates over development, livelihoods and poverty.
11. The Political Economy of Renewable Energy and Energy Security: Common Challenges and National Responses in Japan, China / Edited by: Espen Moe,Paul Midford. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014
Abstract: Bringing together renewable energy and energy security, the authors cover both the politics and political economy of renewables and energy security and analyzes renewable technologies in some of the most relevant and topical parts of the world. Japan is energy-scarce and still experiencing the aftermath of Fukushima. China is expanding its renewable energy capacity faster than any other country. Northern Europe has long been among the most progressive regions with respect to renewables – boasting Denmark and Germany, front-runners in wind and solar energy solutions – but also home to petroleum-based economies like Norway. By comparing and contrasting the experiences of such a diverse range of countries, this book identifies both barriers and success factors and explains why some countries have been so much more successful than others when it comes to renewable energy.
12. The Political Psychology of Israeli Prime Ministers: When Hard-Liners Opt for Peace / Yael S. Aronoff. USA: Cambridge University Press, 2014
Abstract: This book examines leaders of the seemingly intractable conflict between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors. It takes as an intellectual target of opportunity six Israeli prime ministers, asking why some of them have persisted in some hard-line positions but others have opted to become peacemakers. This book argues that some leaders do change, and above all it explains why and how such changes come about. This book goes beyond arguing simply that "leaders matter" by analyzing how their particular belief systems and personalities can ultimately make a difference to their country's foreign policy, especially toward a long-standing enemy. Although no hard-liner can stand completely still in the face of important changes, only those with ideologies that have specific components that act as obstacles to change and who have an orientation toward the past may need to be replaced for dramatic policy changes to take place.
13. Politics in Contemporary Vietnam: Party, state, and authority relations/ Edited By: Jonathan London. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014
Abstract: Vietnam's political development has entered an extraordinary, if indeterminate, phase. Politics in Vietnam, long a predictable and dour affair, are today characterized by a sense of uncertainty and possibility that has no precedent in the country's post-war history. Comprising contributions from leading Vietnam scholars, this volume comprehensively explores the core aspects of Vietnam's politics, providing fresh perspectives on one of East Asia's least understood countries.
14. The politics of arctic sovereignty: oil, ice and Inuit governance / Jessica M. Shadian. London: Routledge, 2014
Abstract: Interest in Arctic politics is on the rise. While recent accounts of the topic place much emphasis on climate change or a new geopolitics of the region, the history of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) and Arctic politics reaches back much further in time. Drawing out the complex relationship between domestic, Arctic, international and transnational Inuit politics, this book is the first in-depth account of the political history of the ICC. It recognises the politics of Inuit and the Arctic as longstanding and intricate elements of international relations. Beginning with European exploration of the region and concluding with recent debates over ownership of the Arctic, the book unfolds the history of a polity that has overcome colonization and attempted assimilation to emerge as a political actor which has influenced both Artic and global governance.
15. The politics of nuclear non proliferation: a pragmatist framework for analysis / Ursula Jasper.London: Routledge, 2014
Abstract: This book examines the puzzle of why some states acquire nuclear weapons, whereas others refrain from trying to do so or even renounce them. Based on the predominant theoretical thinking in International Relations it is often assumed that nuclear proliferation is inevitable, given the anarchic nature of the international system. Proliferation is thus often explained by vague references to states’ insecurity in an anarchic environment. Yet, elusive generalisations and grand, abstract theories inhibit a more profound and detailed knowledge of the very political processes that lead towards nuclearisation or its reversal.
16. Post-9/11 espionage fiction in the US and Pakistan: spies and "terrorists" / Cara Cilano. London: Routledge, 2014
Abstract: As the events of 11 September 2001 and their aftermath influence new developments in spy fiction as a popular genre, an examination of these literary narratives concerned with espionage and terrorism can reshape our approach to non-fictive representations of the same concerns.
17. Post-treaty politics: secretariat influence in global environmental governance / Sikina Jinnah. London: Cambridge, 2014
Abstract: Jinnah examines secretariat influence through the lens of overlap management in environmental governance -- how secretariats help to manage the dense interplay of issues, rules, and norms between international treaty regimes. Through four case studies, she shows that secretariats can draw on their unique networks and expertise to handle the challenges of overlap management, emerging as political actors in their own right.
18. The Power of Cities in International Relations / Edited by: Simon Curtis. New York: Routledge, 2014

Abstract: Cities have become increasingly important to global politics, but have largely occupied a peripheral place in the academic study of International Relations (IR). This is a notable oversight for the discipline, although one which may be explained by IR’s traditional state centrism, the subjugation of the city to the demands of the territorial state in the modern period, and a lack of conceptual and analytical frameworks that can allow scholars to include the impact of cities within their work.

19. Power politics in Zimbabwe / Michael Bratton.  London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2014
Abstract: Zimbabwe s July 2013 election brought the country s inclusive power-sharing interlude to an end and installed Mugabe and ZANU-PF for yet another its seventh term. Why? What explains the resilience of authoritarian rule in Zimbabwe?
20. Powerful patriots: nationalist protest in China’s foreign relations / Jessica Chen Weiss. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014
Abstract: This event will feature a discussion with Jessica Chen Weiss examining her latest book, Powerful Patriots, which traces China's management of dozens of nationalist protests and their consequences between 1985 and 2012. Weiss asks the important question, what role do nationalism and popular protest play in China's foreign relations? Chinese authorities permitted anti-American demonstrations in 1999 but repressed them in 2001 during two crises in U.S.-China relations. Anti-Japanese protests were tolerated in 1985, 2005, and 2012 but banned in 1990 and 1996. Protests over Taiwan, the issue of greatest concern to Chinese nationalists, have never been allowed. To explain this variation, Powerful Patriots identifies the diplomatic as well as domestic factors that drive protest management in authoritarian states. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.
21. Precision Strike Warfare and International Intervention: Strategic, Ethico-Legal and Decisional Implications/ Edited by Mike Aaronson, Wali Aslam,Tom Dyson and others. New York: Routledge, 2014
Abstract: This book explores whether the new capabilities made possible by precision-strike technologies are reshaping approaches to international intervention. Since the end of the Cold War, US technological superiority has led to a more proactive and, some would argue, high risk approach to international military intervention. New technologies including the capacity to mount precision military strikes from high-level bombing campaigns and, more recently, the selective targeting of individuals from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have facilitated air campaigns, supported by Special Forces, without the commitment of large numbers of troops on the ground.
22. Putin's Energy Agenda: The Contradictions of Russia's Resource Wealth / Stefan Hedlund.  London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2014
Abstract: The sudden arrival of massive energy wealth during Putin s long reign has turned Russia s focus to resources, with some good and some very bad results. Considering why the good a windfall of money to pay debts and put the country s finances in order has been so overshadowed by the bad resource dependence, reliance on rents, and unbridled corruption Stefan Hedlund explores the many dimensions of Russia s energy policies and politics.
23. Putin's war: the rise of Russia's new imperialism / Marcel H. Van Herpen. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014
Abstract: Although it may seem backwards to point to the conclusion before talking about the hundreds of pages preceding it, in the case of Marcel H. Van Herpen’s recent work, Putin’s Wars: The Rise of Russia’s New Imperialism, starting at the end explains why the rest of the book is so important to understanding the on-going events in Ukraine.
24. Race and Racism in International Relations: Confronting the Global Color Line / Ed by: Alexander Anievas Nivi Manchanda, Robbie Shilliam. New York: Rotledge, 2015
Abstract: International Relations, as a discipline, does not grant race and racism explanatory agency in its conventional analyses, despite such issues being integral to the birth of the discipline. This title seeks to remedy this oversight by acting as a catalyst for remembering, exposing and critically re-articulating the central importance of race and racism in International Relations.
25. Re-Imagining North Korea in International Politics: Problems and alternatives / Shine Choi. New York: Roultledge, 2015
Abstract: The global consensus in academic, specialist and public realms is that North Korea is a problem: its nuclear ambitions pose a threat to international security, its levels of poverty indicate a humanitarian crisis and its political repression signals a failed state.
26. Reconstructiong Afghanistan: civil- military experience in comparative perspective / William Maley and Susanne Schmeidl Ed. London: Routledge, 2015
Abstract: The book has three main themes. Firstly, the volume analyses why the ways in which civil and military actors interact in theatres of operations such as Afghanistan matter - for both those categories of actors, and for the ordinary people who their interactions serve. Second, the book highlights that these interactions are invariably complex. The third theme, which arises specifically from ‘the PRT experience’ in Afghanistan, is that such teams vary significantly in their roles, resourcing, and operational environments. Consequently, to appraise the value of ‘the PRT experience’, it is necessary to unpack the experiences of different PRTs, which the use of case studies allows one to do.
27. Regional Approaches to the Protection of Asylum Seekers: An International Legal Perspective / Edited by Ademo Abass, Francesca Ippolito. USA: Ashgate, 2014
Abstract: This book presents a comprehensive assessment of regional responses to the crisis in the asylum/refugee system and critically examines how different region stackle the problem. The chapters consider the fundamental challenges which undermine an effective asylum process as well as regional difficulties with the various circumstances surrounding asylum seekers. With contributions on Africa, Europe, Latin America, South Asia and the Middle East, and the Pacific, the collection strives to appreciate what informs each region’s approach to the asylum process and asks if there are issues common to every region and if regions can learn from one another. The book seeks an understanding of the existing legal regime for the protection of asylum seekers and how regional institutions such as human rights commissions and regional courts enforce and adjudicate the law.
28. Rethinking the European Union/ Nathaniel Copsey. New York: Palgrave, 2015
Abstract: The eurozone crisis has raised fundamental questions about the EU's future and has also sparked debate about the wider functions and future direction of European integration in the 21st century. This engaging book provides a broad-ranging reassessment of the whole experience of integration to date and the challenges which face Europe today.
29. Rethinking the third world: international development and world politics / Mark T. Berger and Heloise Weber. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014
Abstract: A systematic reassessment, by two leading figures in the field, of the paradigm of international development in both theory and practice. It offers an overview and critique of development theory and strategy, and a new framework for the analysis of global inequality, poverty and development in an era of globalization.
30. Rise of ISIS: a threat we can't ignore / Jay Sekulow. New York: Howard Books, 2014
Abstract: Rise of ISIS gives a better understanding of the modern face of terror, and provides an overview of the laws of war and war crimes. These laws differentiate between the guilty and innocent, and explain why the US military and the Israeli Defense Forces are often limited in their defensive measures. The authors’ firsthand experience, including multiple appearances before the Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Court at The Hague, along with direct contact battling jihadists during operation Iraqi Freedom lends insight into this important geopolitical issue.
31. The Rise of Tamil Separatism in Sri Lanka: From Communalism to Secession / Gnanapala Welhengama, Nirmala Pillay. New York: Routledge, 2014
Abstract: This book explores the relationship between minority rights, self-determination and secession within international law, by contextualising these issues in a detailed case study of the rise of Tamil separatism in Sri Lanka. Welhengama and Pillay show how Tamil communalism hardened into secession and assess whether the Sri Lankan government has met its obligations with respect to the right to self-determination short of secession. Focusing on the legal and human rights arguments for secession by the Tamil community of the North and East of Sri Lanka, the book demonstrates how the language of international law and international human rights played a major role in the development of the arguments for secession. Through a close examination of the case of the Tamil’s secessionist movement the book presents valuable insights into why modern nation states find themselves threatened by separatist claims and bids for independence based on ethnicity.
32. Routledge Handbook of the Climate Change Movement / Edited by Matthias Dietz, Heiko Garrelts. New York: Routledge, 2014
Abstract: The range of contributors, from well-known academics to activist-scholars, look at climate movements in the developed and developing world, north and south, small and large, central and marginal. The movement is examined as a whole and as single actors, thereby capturing its scope, structure, development, activities and influence. The book thoroughly addresses theoretical approaches, from classic social movement theory to the influence of environmental justice frames, and follows this with a systematic focus on regions, specific NGOs and activists, cases and strategies, as well as relations with peripheral groups.
33. The ruling elite of Singapore: networks of power and influence / Michael D. Barr.  London: I.B. Tauris, 2014
Abstract: Michael Barr explores the complex and covert networks of power at work in one of the world's most prosperous countries   the city-state of Singapore. He argues that the contemporary networks of power are a deliberate project initiated and managed by Lee Kuan Yew former prime minister and Singapore's "founding father" - designed to empower himself and his family. Barr identifies the crucial institutions of power - including the country's sovereign wealth funds, and the government-linked companies – together with five critical features that form the key to understanding the nature of the networks. He provides an assessment of possible shifts of power within the elite in the wake of Lee Kuan Yew's son, Lee Hsien Loong, assuming power, and considers the possibility of a more fundamental democratic shift in Singapore's political system.
34. Russia and East Asia: Informal and gradual Integration / Tsuneo Akaha and Anna Vassilieva. New York: Routledge, 2014
Abstract: Russia has generally been neglected in the academic and policy discourseon regional integration in East Asia. This book fills this gap, with particular attention to the role of Pacific Russia in the deepening regional integration in East Asia. It examines the increasingly diverse foreign policy interests of Russia related to emerging economic and political realities of the world, and Russia’s potential role in the regional integration in East Asia. Topics discussed include Russian strategic interests and security policy in East Asia generally, Russia’s bilateral relations with China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula, opportunities and challenges energy and immigration presents for Russia and its engagement with East Asia, and Russia’s present and future roles in regional integration in East Asia.
35. Russia and development: capitalism, civil society and the state / Charles Buxton. London: Zed Books, 2014
Abstract: Unique and insightful, this book takes a look at Russia’s development through the Tsarist and Soviet periods. Rather than make the more familiar comparisons between Russia and the West, Russia and Development focuses on political and social mobilization in adjacent Central Asia. It examines the role of local government and civil society in development, as well as popular responses to the policies of Putin and Medvedev aimed at modernizing Russia and forging a new Eurasia alliance in Russia’s 'development neighbourhood'. The book uses local sources and case studies to pose important questions about the role of empire, revolution, nationalism and democratization in the twenty-first century. With unique insider knowledge, Charles Buxton ultimately places Russia’s current development model in an international context, where Russia is increasingly becoming a competitor to Western-led development practices.
36. Russia's security policy under putin: a critical perspective / Aglaya Sentkov. London: Routledge, 2015
Abstract: This book examines the evolution of Russia’s security policy under Putin in the 21st century, using a critical security studies approach. Drawing on critical approaches to security the book investigates the interrelationship between the internal-external nexus and the politics of (in) security and regime-building in Putin’s Russia. In so doing, it evaluates the way that this evolving relationship between state identities and security discourses framed the construction of individual security policies, and how, in turn, individual issues can impact on the meta-discourses of state and security agendas. To this end, the (de) securitisation discourses and practices towards the issue of Chechnya are examined as a case study.
37. Shifting Sands: The United States in the Middle East / Joel S. Migdal. New york: Columbia University Press, 2014
Abstract: The approach was simple: find a local power that could play Great Britain's role in Europe after the war, sharing the burden of exercising power, and establish a security alliance along the lines of NATO. Yet regional changes following the creation of Israel, the Free Officers Coup in Egypt, the rise of Arab nationalism from 1948 to 1952, and, later, the Iranian Revolution and the Egypt-Israel peace treaty in 1979 complicated this project. Migdal shows how insufficient attention to these key transformations led to a series of missteps and misconceptions in the twentieth century. With the Arab uprisings of 2009 through 2011 prompting another major shift, Migdal sees an opportunity for the United States to deploy a new, more workable strategy, and he concludes with a plan for gaining a stable foothold in the region.
38. Sino-Indian and Sino-South Korean relations: comparisons and contrasts/ P. R. Chari and Vyjayanti Raghavan. London: Routledge, 2015
Abstract: This book addresses the compulsions that underlie the China’s relations with India and South Korea both increasingly mutually dependent on China for markets, trade, investments, technology, tourism, etc. It inquires into two sets of regional relationships, with China being the common linking factor. While examining the generational change in the leadership of China, India and South Korea, this study will be a significant addition to the evolving sphere of comparative regional relations.
39. A Smarter, Greener Grid: Forging Environmental Progress through Smart Energy Policies and Technologies / Kevin B. Jones, David Zoppo. USA: Praeger, 2014
Abstract: The United States' electrical grid is an antique. It was built to serve a 20th-century economy and designed in an era when the negative environmental impacts of electricity production were poorly understood. It must be upgraded and modernized. The proposed solution is a "smart grid" a network of new digital technologies, equipment, and controls that can respond quickly to the public's changing energy needs by facilitating two-way communication between the utility and consumers. This book explains the environmental benefit of a smart grid, examines case studies of existing smart grids, and identifies the legal and regulatory policy hurdles that must be overcome to fully realize the smart grid's benefits.
40. South Asia in Transition: democracy, political economy and securit / Bhumitra Chakma.  New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014
Abstract: Developments in South Asia in the areas of democracy, political economy and security in the post-Cold war era are intriguing and raise questions about whether the region is on the road to a transformation. Combining theoretical insights and empirical analysis on the region's post-Cold War dynamics, Bhumitra Chakma investigates whether South Asia is moving from being a space of conflict to one of cooperation and peace. He scrutinizes the state of democracy and political economy in three major states - India, Pakistan and Bangladesh - and examines several key issue areas, including nuclear weapons, the Afghan war, human security, the  South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and India-Pakistan relations.
41. The South China sea disputes and law of the sea / S. Jayakumar, Ed. UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014
Abstract: This important book provides neutral and objective analysis of law of the sea issues of relevance to the South China Sea and will therefore prove a valuable resource to Government officials and policy-makers from the ASEAN countries, Australia, China, Japan, Korea and the United States. It will also be of special interest to political analysts with an ongoing interest in the legal issues pertaining to the South China Sea region in light of concerns regarding conflict, challenges to freedom of navigation and access to resources.
42. South Sudan: A Slow Liberation / Edward Thomas. London: Zed Books, 2015
Abstract: In 2011, South Sudan became independent following a long war of liberation, that gradually became marked by looting, raids and massacres pitting ethnic communities against each other. In this remarkably comprehensive work, Edward Thomas provides a multi-layered examination of what is happening in the country today. Writing from the perspective of South Sudan's most mutinous hinterland, Jonglei state, the book explains how this area was at the heart of South Sudan's struggle.
43. State responses to international law/ Kendall Stiles. London: Routledge, 2015
Abstract: Do countries keep their promises to the international community? When they sign treaties or learn about new expectations, do they take them seriously and implement them? Since we already know intuitively that not all countries do, the next question and the topic of this book is: who complies? By considering a wide range of different rules each precise enough to allow one to measure state compliance - and a variety of methods, we hope to answer this question once and for all.
44. Strategic Cultures and Security Policies in the Asia-Pacific / Edited by: Jeffrey S. Lantis. New York: Routledge, 2015
Abstract: This book shows how one of the most powerful tools of security studies strategic culture illuminates the origins and implications of the Asia-Pacific region’s difficult issues, from the rise of China and the American pivot, to the shifting calculations of many other actors. Strategic culture sometimes challenges and always enriches prevailing neo-realist presumptions about the region. It provides a bridge between material and ideational explanations of state behavior and helps capture the tension between neoclassical realist and constructivist approaches. The case studies in this book survey the role of strategic culture in the behaviors of Australia, China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and the United States. They show the contrast between structural  expectations and cultural predispositions, as realist geopolitical security threats and opportunities interact with domestic elite and popular interpretation of historical narratives and distinctive political-military cultures to influence security policies. The concluding chapter devotes special attention to methodological issues at the heart of strategic cultural studies, as well as how culture may impact the potential for future conflict or cooperation in the region. The result is a body of work that helps deepen our understanding of strategic cultures in the Asia-Pacific in comparative perspective and enrich security studies.
45. The Struggle for Iraq's Future: How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy / Zaid Al-Ali Uk: Yale University Press, 2014
Abstract: Many Westerners have offered interpretations of Iraq's nation - building progress in the wake of the 2003 war and the eventual withdrawal of American troops from the country, but little has been written by Iraqis themselves. This forthright book fills in the gap. Zaid Al-Ali, an Iraqi lawyer with direct ties to the people of his homeland, to government circles, and to the international community, provides a uniquely insightful and up-to-date view of Iraq's people, their government, and the extent of their nation's worsening problems. The true picture is discouraging: murderous bombings, ever-increasing sectarianism, and pervasive government corruption have combined to prevent progress on such crucial issues as security, healthcare, and power availability. Al-Ali contends that the ill-planned U.S. intervention destroyed the Iraqi state, creating a black hole which corrupt and incompetent members of the elite have made their own. And yet, despite all efforts to divide them, Iraqis retain a strong sense of national identity, Al-Ali maintains. He reevaluates Iraq's relationship with itself, discussesthe inspiration provided by the events of the Arab Spring, and redefines Iraq's most important struggle to regain its viability as a nation.
46. The Struggle for Pakistan: A Muslim Homeland and Global Politics / Ayesha Jalal. London: Belknap Press, 2014
Abstract: Since 9/11, the country has been widely portrayed as a breeding ground for Islamic terrorism. Assessing the threats posed by Al - Qaeda and the Taliban as American troops withdraw from Afghanistan, Jalal contends that the battle for Pakistan’s soul is far from over. Her definitive biography reveals how pluralism and democracy continue to struggle for a place in this Muslim homeland, where they are so essential to its future.
47. Taiwan's Struggle: Voices of the Taiwanese/ Shyu-tu Lee and Jack F. Williams. UK: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014
Abstract: This comprehensive book explores contemporary Taiwan from the perspective of the Taiwanese themselves. In a unique set of original essays, leading Taiwanese figures consider the country’s history, politics, society, economy, identity, and future who are rarely heard in the power struggle between China and the United States over Taiwan’s future. Whether it will be absorbed by China, continue in its current limbo as an unrecognized state, or seek outright independence and national sovereignty remains an open question. Reflecting the deep ethnic and political differences that are essential to understanding Taiwan today, this work provides a nuanced introduction to its role in international politics.
48. The Taliban: Afghanistan's Most Lethal Insurgents / Mark Silinsky.  California: Praeger, 2014
Abstract: Battle hardened, tribally oriented, and deeply committed to its cause, the Taliban has proven itself resourceful, adaptable, and often successful. As such, the Taliban presents a counterinsurgency puzzle for which the United States has yet to identify effective militartactics, information operations, and Coalition developmental policies. Written by one of the Department of the Army's leading intelligence and military analysts on the Taliban, this book covers the group's complete history, including its formation, ideology, and political power, as well as the origins of its current conflict with the United States. The work carefully analyzes the agenda, capabilities, and support base of the Taliban; forecasts the group's likely course of action to retake Afghanistan; and details the Coalition forces' probable counterinsurgency responses. Author Mark Silinsky also reviews the successes and failures of the latest U.S. counterinsurgency doctrine to extrapolate the best strategies for future counterinsurgency campaigns.
49. Technology and the law on the use of force: new security challenges in the twenty-first century / Jackson Maogoto London: Routledge, 2015
Abstract: As governmental and non-governmental operations become progressively supported by vast automated systems and electronic data flows, attacks of government information infrastructure, operations and processes pose a serious threat to economic and military interests. In 2007 Estonia suffered a month long cyber assault to its digital infrastructure, described in cyberspace as ‘Web War I’. In 2010, a worm Stuxnet was identified as supervisory control and data acquisition systems at Iran’s uranium enrichment plant, presumably in an attempt to set back Iran’s nuclear programme. The dependence upon telecommunications and information infrastructures puts at risk Critical National Infrastructure, and is now at the core of national security interests.
50. Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea: Navigating Rough Waters / Edited by Jing Huang, Andrew Billo. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015
Abstract: This volume provides in-depth analysis of the complexities of on-going territorial dispute in the South China Sea region through a multitude of perspectives of the involved stakeholders. Convening perspectives from seven countries, the contributors are renowned scholars on both sides of the Pacific. In the light of current events, it recognizes that the dispute has the potential to destabilize East and Southeast Asia and even the entire Asia-Pacific if it is left unattended; The collection seeks to disentangle the historical, legal and political aspects of the dispute to facilitate a more practical and nuanced understanding of its complexities with individual chapters examining opportunities to find a way forward, while also taking into account the difference in viewpoint.
51. Theory and Practice of Paradiplomac  Subnational Governments in International Affairs / Alexander S Kuznetsov. New York: Routledge, 2015
Abstract: Throughout the world, subnational governments play an active role in international relations by participating in international trade, cultural missions and diplomatic relations with foreign powers. These governments, including states in the USA and landers in Germany, can sometimes even challenge the official foreign policy of their national government. These activities, which are regularly promoting the subnational government’s interests, have been labelled as ‘paradiplomacy’. Through a systematisation of the different approaches in understanding constituent diplomacy, the author constructs an integrative theoretical explanatory framework to guide research on regional governments’ involvement in international affairs
52. A Time to Attack: The Looming Iranian Nuclear Threat / Matthew Kroenig. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014
Abstract: Iran's advanced nuclear program may be the world's most important emerging international security challenge. If not stopped, a nuclear-capable Iran will mean an even more crisis-prone Middle East, a potential nuclear-arms race in the region and around the world, and an increased risk of nuclear war against Israel and the United States, among many other imminent global threats.
53. Timor-leste: the history and development of Asia's newest nation / Abraham Joseph and Takako Hamaguchi. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2014
Abstract: Timor-Leste: The History and Development of Asia’s Newest Nation is a study of how a small Asia-Pacific nation has emerged from protracted conflict and successfully navigated a path to durable peace and sustainable development. Despite early setbacks, Timor-Leste has made an amazing turnaround and today finds itself in a new era in which it will certainly continue its advance toward the goal of long-term stability and prosperity, leaving permanently behind the past that was once marked by a descending spiral of destruction.
54. Transnational security / Marie-Helen Maras. London: CRC Press, 2015
Abstract: This book analyzes the most pressing current transnational security threats, including weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, organized crime, cybercrime, natural disasters, human-made disasters, infectious diseases, food insecurity, water insecurity, and energy insecurity. It considers the applicable international laws and examines how key international organizations are dealing with these issues.
55. Triangular Conflict: India, China and Pakistan / S. C. Narang. Delhi: Prashant Publishing House, 2014
  Abstract: The systemic level variables motivating China towards conflict like in India, revolved around Chinese national interests, the system's influence on Chinese behaviour through structural constraints, and the role of anarchy in the system. Because of the anarchic structure of the international system, China is no different than India and state secrity must be its prime end.
56. Twentieth-century war and conflict: a concise encyclopedia / Gordon Martel Ed. UK: Wiley Blackwell, 2015
Abstract: Drawn from the award-winning 5-volume Encyclopedia of War, this valuable, one-volume reference provides readers with essential information on the conflicts and concepts that shaped global warfare in the twentieth-century and up to the present day. Provides essential coverage of twentieth-century warfare across the world Incorporates entries on all major wars, conflicts and concepts in the study of warfare during the period Features detailed coverage of the First and Second World Wars, along with conflicts including the Russo-Japanese War, the Greco-Turkish War, the Falklands Conflict, the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, the Gulf Wars, the War Against Terrorism, and the Somalian Civil War Covers topics including chemical warfare, ethnic cleansing, psychological warfare, and women and war Creates an affordable and handy personal reference for students of modern and contemporary history, professional scholars, and military history enthusiasts Comprises authoritative, up-to-date content - each entry ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 words - written by the best international scholars
57. U.S.-Africa Relations: From Clinton to Obama / Edited by Cassandra Rachel Veney.UK: Lexington Books, 2014
Abstract: U.S.–Africa Relations: From Clinton to Obama is an examination and analysis of U.S.- Africa relations during the Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama administrations. It covers the entire continent with an inclusion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Uganda, and Rwanda. Some of the issues addressed in the analysis include the militarization of Africa within the context of the war on terror and the creation of the Africa Command; the Arab Spring and questions concerning the U.S. role in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya; the Great Lakes region and the role or lack thereof of the United States, beginning with a discussion of U.S. support for various leaders from Mobutu (DRC) to Kabila (DRC) to Kagame (Rwanda), and Museveni (Uganda) who did and do not act in accordance with the U.S. policy of encouraging democracy.
58. U.S. diplomacy in Israel-Palestine conflict / Samuel Jacob Kuruvilla. New Delhi: New Century Publication, 2015
Abstract: The U.S. has a long history of direct involvement and activism in solving the Israel-Palestine conflict. After the 1973 Ramadan/Yom Kippur war between Israel and the main Arab states led by Egypt and Syria, the U.S. adopted and donned the role of a peacemaker, albeit a biased one, that was focused on bringing lasting peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors. This policy bore fruit in the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978. Israel and Egypt have engaged in a cold peace that has stood the test of time until the present. However, the Americans have not been successful in their endeavors to bring peace, particularly between Israel and Syria, as well as between Israel and the Palestinians. This book details U.S. efforts to bring about peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors. The study is arranged into chapters that are consecutively connected to each other and provide detailed analyses regarding the U.S. role in the region from 1967. It will be useful to students of politics and international relations, at the undergraduate, post-graduate, and research levels.
59. Un Robust Peacekeeping: Civilian protection in violent civil wars / Kofi  Nsia-Pepra. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014
Abstract: This book examines the emergent conviction that UN robust peacekeeping works better than UN traditional peacekeeping in reducing civilian killings within contemporary post-cold war violent civil wars. In an unprecedented study, Nsia-Pepra has systematically and empirically documented the relationship between robust peacekeeping and civilian killings in violent civil wars using both statistical and case study models. His research, engagingly expounded upon in UN Robust Peacekeeping, indicates that robust peacekeeping works better than traditional peacekeeping in lowering civilian killings by spoilers in violent civil wars. His book also presents the concept of a formidable barrier model of robust peacekeeping success using the game theoretical model.
60. The UN Secretariat's Influence on the Evolution of Peacekeeping / Silke Weinlich. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014
Abstract: Do international bureaucracies have a meaningful influence on world politics? Using the UN Secretariat and the evolution of UN peacekeeping as an example, this book shows that even international bureaucracies with limited autonomy can shape international politics. Peace operations are the UN's flagship activity. Over the past decades, UN Blue Helmets have been sent all over the globe and have been performing an expanding set of intrusive tasks, while being supported by increasingly professional institutional   structures. Silke Weinlich covers these operational, conceptual and institutional dimensions and focuses on three specific decisions establishment of the UN transitional administration in East Timor, the development of a peacekeeping doctrine, and the establishment of the Standing Police Capacity. With its integrative framework of analysis, this book makes a valuable contribution to the debate on the agency of international organizations.
61. Unconventional warfare in South Asia: Shadow Warriors and Counterinsurgency / Scott Gates and Kaushik   London: Ashgate, 2014
Abstract: India is the world's tenth largest economy and possesses the world's fourth largest military. The subcontinent houses about one-fifth of the world's population and its inhabitants are divided into various tribes, clans and ethnic groups following four great religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. Framing the debate using case studies from across the region as well as China, Afghanistan and Burma and using a wealth of primary and secondary sources this incisive volume takes a closer look at the organization and doctrines of the 'shadow armies' and the government forces which fight the former. Arranged in a thematic manner, each chapter critically asks; Why stateless marginal groups rebel? How do states attempt to suppress them?
62. Understanding energy and energy policy / Timothy F. Braun and Lisa M. Glidden. London: Zed Books, 2014
Abstract: Activists, scientists and policymakers around the world have long argued that we need to find sustainable and secure solutions to the world's energy demands. At issue for citizens worldwide is whether we are scientifically literate enough to understand the potential policy choices before us.
63. Understanding Namibia: The Trials of Independence / Henning Melber. London: Hurst & Company, 2014
Abstract: Despite its natural resources Namibia is among the world's most unequal societies and indicators of wellbeing have not markedly improved for many among the former colonised majority, despite a constitution enshrining human rights, social equality, and individual liberty. This book analyses the transformation of Namibian society since independence. Melber explores the achievements and failures and contrasts the narrative of a post-colonial patriotic history with the socio-economic and political realities of the nation-building project. He also investigates whether, notwithstanding the relative stability prevailing to date, the negotiation of controlled change during Namibia's decolonization could have achieved more than simply a change of those in control.
64. Understanding Shiite Leadership: The Art of the Middle Ground in Iran and Lebanon / Shaul Mishal and Ori Goldberg.USA: Cambridge University Press, 2014
Abstract: In this book, Shaul Mishal and Ori Goldberg explore the ways in which Shiite leaderships in Iran and Lebanon approach themselves and their world. Contrary to the violent and radical image of religious leaderships in the Islamic Republic of Iran and Lebanese Hizballah, the political vision and practice of these leaderships view the world as a middle ground, shying away from absolutist and extremist tendencies. The political leadership assumed by Shiite religious scholars in Iran and Lebanon has transformed Shiite Islam from a marginalized minority to a highly politicized avant garde of Muslim presence, revitalized the practice and causes of political Islam in its struggle for legitimacy and authority, and reshaped the politics of the Middle East and the globe in its image. Utilizing approaches from social theory, history, theology, and literary criticism, the book presents these leaderships as pragmatic, interpretative entities with the potential to form fruitful relationships between Shiite leadership and the non-Shiite world.
65. An urban politics of climate change: experimentation and the governing of socio-technical transitions / Harriet Bulkeley, etc. London: Routledge, 2015
Abstract: urbanization has led the international policy community to regard urban responses to climate change as ‘an urgent agenda’ (World Bank 2010). The contribution of cities to rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions coupled with concerns about the vulnerability of urban places and communities to the impacts of climate change have led to a relatively recent and rapidly proliferating interest amongst both academic and policy communities in how cities might be able to respond to mitigation and adaptation. Attention has focused on the potential for municipal authorities to develop policy and plans that can address these twin issues, and the challenges of capacity, resource and politics that have been encountered. While this literature has captured some of the essential means through which the urban response to climate change is being forged, is that it has failed to take account of the multiple sites and spaces of climate change response that are emerging in cities ‘off-plan’.
66. The US Strategic Pivot to Asia and Cross-Strait Relations: Economic and Security Dynamics / Edited by Peter C.Y. Chow. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014
Abstract: The rise of China as a powerhouse of the world economy not only caused many countries to deepen their economic integration with, but also face the challenge of, increasing assertiveness from China. While most Asian countries want good relations with both the U.S. and China, they need the U.S. to pledge security commitments to check China's hegemonic expansion. Under such circumstances, the American 'Pivot to Asia,' has become an important foreign policy     measure to reassure its allies that it will strive to keep peace and stability in the region, crucial elements to economic dynamism.
67. War and society in Afghanistan: from the Mughals to the American/ Kaushik Roy. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2015
Abstract: This monograph analyses the rhythms of war and the geopolitical significance of Afghanistan with a focus on the interrelated     concepts of weak/rentier state, great power rivalry, and counter - insurgency. It analyses why the Mughals, the British, the Soviets, and the Americans won the conventional wars in Afghanistan but were defeated in the unconventional ones. It takes a comprehensive view of the history of the region and provides a political and military narrative of conventional and unconventional war in Afghanistan during the last five centuries. It, therefore, covers wide ranging aspects such as empire building and military operations in Afghanistan in the pre-modern period, regular and irregular warfare in Afghanistan during the British era, the Russian intervention and the emergence of the fragile 'rentier state' after the world war, and the American and NATO activities and the nature of on-going war in light of the recent debates on the changing character of war in the twenty-first century. With a special emphasis on ecology, terrain, and logistics, this book explores the trajectory of state building and contextualizes the Afghan 'problem' as part of the wider struggle among the great powers for controlling the 'heart' of Eurasia.

 

 
 
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