java script is required for this page
Alert

Archive



Recent Addition, September-October 2016

1. 9/11 Topics in contemporary North American Literature / Morley, Catherine Ed.- London: Bloomsbury, 2016
Abstract: The terrorist attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001 have had a profound impact on contemporary American literature and culture. With chapters written by leading scholars, 9/11: Topics in Contemporary North American Literature is a wide-ranging guide to literary responses to the attacks and its aftermath. The book covers the most widely studied texts, from Don DeLillo's Falling Man, Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Jonathan Franzen's Freedom to responses in contemporary American poetry and graphic narratives such as Art Spiegelman's In the Shadow of No Towers.
2. Accumulation in post-colonial capitalism / Mitra, Iman Kumar Ed. - London: Springer, 2017
Abstract: This volume looks at how accumulation in postcolonial capitalism blurs the boundaries of space, institutions, forms, financial regimes, labour processes, and economic segments on one hand, and creates zones and corridors on the other. It draws our attention to the peculiar but structurally necessary coexistence of both primitive and virtual modes of accumulation in the postcolony. From these two major inquiries it develops a new understanding of postcolonial capitalism. The case studies in this volume discuss the production of urban spaces of capital extraction, institutionalization of postcolonial finance capital, gendering of work forms, establishment of new forms of labour, formation of and changes in caste and racial identities and networks, and securitization—and thereby confirm that no study of contemporary capitalism is complete without thoroughly addressing the postcolonial condition.
3. The Afghan-central Asia borderland: state and local leaders / levi-sanchez, Suzanne - London: Routledge, 2017
Abstract: This book explores the importance of local leaders and local identity groups for the stability of a state’s borders, and ultimately for the stability of the state itself. It shows how the implantation of formal institutional structures at the border, a process supported by United Nations and other international bodies, can be counterproductive in that it may marginalise local leaders and alienate the local population, thereby increasing overall instability. The study considers how, in this particular borderland where trafficking of illegal drugs, weapons and people is rampant, corrupt customs and border personnel, and imperfect new institutional arrangements, contributed to a complex mix of oppression, hidden protest and subtle resistance, which benefitted illicit traders and hindered much needed humanitarian work.
4. Afghanistan's regional dilemmas: South Asia and beyond / Pant, Harsh V., Ed. - New Delhi: Orient BalckSwan, 2016
Abstract: The first book to examine the impact of Western withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the interests and policies of major regional players, Afghanistan s Regional Dilemmas: South Asia and Beyond will be indispensible for students and scholars of international relations, strategic studies, peace and conflict studies.
5. The Al-Qaeda franchise: the expansion of AL-Qaeda and its consequences / Mendelsohn, Barak - New York: Oxford University Press, 2016
Abstract: The book argues that al-Qaeda's branching out strategy was not a sign of strength, but instead a response to its decline in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Franchising reflected an escalation of al-Qaeda's commitments in response to earlier strategic mistakes, leaders' hubris, and its diminished capabilities. Although the introduction of new branches helped al-Qaeda create a frightening image far beyond its actual capabilities, ultimately this strategy neither increased the al-Qaeda threat, nor enhanced the organization's political objectives. In fact, the rise of ISIS from an al-Qaeda branch to the dominant actor in the jihadi camp demonstrates how expansion actually incurred heavy costs for al-Qaeda. The al-Qaeda Franchise goes beyond explaining the adoption of a branching out strategy, also exploring particular expansion choices.
6. American state-building in Afghanistan and its regional consequences: achieving democratic stability and balancing China's influence / Nojumi,. Neamat - London: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016
Abstract: This book explains why and how the U.S. and Nato military gains have not produced the expected political victory, and calls for rethinking U.S. policy toward promoting Afghanistan as a regional economic hub in Southwest and Central Asia as it fits within the broader national security interest of the regional states. It argues for defining Afghanistan within the U.S. national security interests in Southwest and Central Asia, including Iran, and offers critical strategic tools for Washington to support political openness and reforms that can balance China and Russia, as well as more effectively manage Iran's regional behavior.
7. The Arab world and Iran: a turbulent region in transition / Saikal, Amin, Ed. - New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016
Abstract: This volume focuses on interpreting the changing domestic and regional dynamics in the Arab world and Iran. Its chapters discuss an array of countries, events, actors, and issues - from an examination of the Arab Spring and the Tunisian democratic transition, to an exploration of the role of Saudi-Iranian geostrategic rivalry, to the impact of ethnic and sectarian politics in Syria, Iraq, and across the region. Chapters from expert contributors are organized into three parts. The first section of the volume covers the aspects and dynamics of change in the Arab world. The second examines the role of Islam, Islamism, Islamic governance, and sectarian and ethnic politics in the region. The third section focuses on Iranian domestic and regional politics.
8. Asia-Pacific and the implementation of the law of the sea / Lee, Sekwoo and Warwick Gullett - Boston: Brill Nijhoff, 2016
Abstract: This book reviews the legislative and policy approach taken by selected States to fulfil their obligations under the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC). Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam are examined in detail together with an analysis of the United States prospects of ratifying the LOSC and its current approach to implement the international law of the sea. The book reveals areas of regional variation and consensus in legislative approaches to implement LOSC obligations, contributing to the progressive development of the law of the sea."
9. Asia pacific countries and the US rebalancing strategy / Huang, David W. F. Ed. - New York: Palgarve Macmillan, 2016
Abstract: This book examines the success of the US rebalancing (or pivot) strategy towards Asia, placing the US pivot in a historical context while highlighting its policy content and management dilemmas. Further, the contributors discuss the challenges and opportunities that each regional state confronts in responding to the US rebalancing strategy.
10. Bangladesh: a political history since independence / Riaz, Ali - London: I.B. Tauris, 2016
Abstract: The author examines the political processes which engendered these paradoxical tendencies, taking into account the problems of democratization and the effects this has had, and will continue to have, in the wider South Asian region. This comprehensive and unique overview of political and historical developments in Bangladesh since 1971 will provide essential reading for observers of Bangladesh and South Asia.
11. Base encounters: the US armed forces in South Korea / Schober, Elisabeth - Londom: PlutoPress, 2016
Abstract: The books explores the social friction that US bases have caused in South Korea, where nearly 30,000 US soldiers remain stationed. Crimes committed in GI entertainment areas have been amplified by an outraged public as both a symbol for—and a symptom of—the uneven relationship between the United States and the small East Asian nation. Elisabeth Schober’s excellent ethnographic history scrutinises these controversial zones of encounter in and near Seoul. Sharing the lives of soldiers, female entertainers, and anti-base activists, she gives a comprehensive introduction to the social, economic, and political factors that have contributed to the tensions over US bases in South Korea.
12. The battle for syria: international rivalry in the new middle east / Phillips, Christopher - London: Yale University Press, 2016
Abstract: The author argues instead that the international dimension was never secondary but that Syria’s war was, from the very start, profoundly influenced by regional factors, particularly the vacuum created by a perceived decline of U.S. power in the Middle East. This precipitated a new regional order in which six external protagonists—the United States, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar—have violently competed for influence, with Syria a key battleground.
13. Beyond Jihad: the pacifist tradition in west Africa Islam / Sanneh, Lamin- New York: Oxford University Press, 2016
Abstract: The book examines the origin and evolution of the African pacifist tradition in Islam, beginning with an inquiry into the faith's origins and expansion in North Africa and its transmission across trans-Saharan trade routes to West Africa. The book focuses on the ways in which, without jihad, the religion spread and took hold, and what that tells us about the nature of religious and social change.
14. The Bioploitics of stalinism: ideology and life in soviet socialism / Prozorov, Sergei- Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2016
Abstract: The author reconstructs this rationality in the early Stalinist project of the Great Break (1928-32) and its subsequent modifications during High Stalinism. He then relocates the question of biopolitics down to the level of the subject, tracing the way the 'new Soviet person' was to be produced in governmental practices and the role that violence and terror would play in this construction
15. The Blackwell companion to globalization / Ritzer, George - UK: Wiley Blackwell, 2016
Abstract: This companion features original essays on the complexity of globalization and its diverse and sometimes conflicting effects. Written by top scholars in the field, it offers a nuanced and detailed examination of globalization that includes both positive and critical
16. Brazil: what everyone needs to know / Roett, Riordan - New York: Oxford university Press, 2016
Abstract: The book begins with a series of chapters on Brazilian history, beginning with the pre-colonial period and moving on, in succession, to the long era of Portuguese rule, the birth of independent Brazil, the emergence of modern Brazil in the 1930s, the era of the dictators, and - finally - to the democratic regime that came into being in the 1980s. Throughout the book, author will focus sharply on the fault lines ― racial, economic, political, and cultural - that have plagued Brazil from its beginnings to this day.
17. Buddhism and political theory / Moore, Matthew J. - New York: Oxford University Press, 2016
Abstract: This book provides a detailed, critical reading of the key primary Buddhist texts, from the earliest recorded teachings of the Buddha through the present day. It also discusses the relevant secondary literature on Buddhism and political theory (nearly all of it from disciplines other than political theory), as well as the literatures on particular issues addressed in the argument.
18. Central Asia: geopolitics, security and stability / Patnaik, Ajay - London: Routledge, 2016
Abstract: This book looks at the relations between the Central Asian states and major external powers. It shows how these nations have kept the fragile geopolitics of the region free of the so-called ‘New Great Game’. The volume evaluates the roles of major powers such as Russia, United States, China, Iran, and Turkey, as well as India and its ‘Silk Road Strategy’. It also compares the regional geopolitics of Central Asia with its neighbour Caucasus. The study indicates how, despite limited inter-state cooperation, the region has prevented conflicts and wars, due to which these states have been able to enjoy greater strategic autonomy in their dealings with other countries.
19. Checkbook elections?: political finance in comparative perspective / Norris, Pippan Ed. and Andrea Abel Van Es - New York: Oxford University Press, 2016
Abstract: This book addresses three questions: what types of public policies are commonly used around the world to regulate the role of money in politics? What triggers landmark reforms in political finance? And, ‘what works’, what fails and why - when countries reform regulations?
20. China-EU relations: reassessing the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership / Zhou, Hong - London: Springer, 2017
Abstract: This book provides a comprehensive review of relations between China and the EU from the perspectives of politics, economy and culture in order to provide a better understanding of the development of the China-EU Strategic Partnership over the past ten years and to explore its future direction. It goes on to discuss China-EU relations against the backdrop of global governance, as well as China’s relations with some of the EU member states. The final part of the report presents a comparative analysis of China-EU relations and EU-US relations.
21. The China horizon: glory and dream of a civilization state / Weiwei, Zhang- London: World Century, 2016
Abstract: This is a book of China's own political narrative written by one of China's leading and best-known thinkers. It is the last part of the author's 'China Trilogy', which is a best-seller in China, with over one million copies sold. The book in itself is a centerpiece of the unfolding debate within China on the nature and future of the country and how it compares with the West. It addresses a hugely important issue of the day, i.e., in what way China is overtaking or may overtake the United States as the world's preeminent power.
22. China in the Xi jinping era / Tsang, Steve Ed. and Honghua Men - New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016
Abstract: The book examines how the structure and dynamics of party leadership have evolved since the late 1990s and argues that "inner-party democracy" - the concept of collective leadership that emphasizes deal making based on accepted rules and norms - may pave the way for greater transformation within China's political system. Xi's legacy will largely depend on whether he encourages or obstructs this trend of political institutionalization in the governance of the world's most populous and increasingly pluralistic country. Cheng Li also addresses the recruitment and composition of the political elite, a central concern in Chinese politics. China analysts will benefit from the meticulously detailed biographical information of the 376 members of the 18th Central Committee, including tables and charts detailing their family background, education, occupation, career patterns, and mentor-patron ties.
23. The China model: political meritocracy and the limits of democracy / Bell, Daniel A.- Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2015
Abstract: The book seeks to understand the ideals and the reality of this unique political system. How do the ideals of political meritocracy set the standard for evaluating political progress (and regress) in China? How can China avoid the disadvantages of political meritocracy? And how can political meritocracy best be combined with democracy? Daniel Bell answers these questions and more. Opening with a critique of "one person, one vote" as a way of choosing top leaders, Bell argues that Chinese-style political meritocracy can help to remedy the key flaws of electoral democracy. He discusses the advantages and pitfalls of political meritocracy, distinguishes between different ways of combining meritocracy and democracy, and argues that China has evolved a model of democratic meritocracy that is morally desirable and politically stable.
24. China's crony capitalism: the dynamics of regime decay / Pei, Minxin - London: Harvard University Press, 2016
Abstract: China’s efforts to modernize yielded a kleptocracy characterized by corruption, wealth inequality, and social tensions. Rejecting conventional platitudes about the resilience of Party rule, Minxin Pei gathers unambiguous evidence that beneath China’s facade of ever-expanding prosperity and power lies a Leninist state in an advanced stage of decay.
25. China's foreign policy: challenges and prospects / Cheng, Joseph Yu-shek- London: World Scientific, 2016
Abstract: This volume examines the Chinese foreign policy framework today and traces its evolution since the post-Mao era. Through the consideration of China's relations with the major powers and its management of various challenges ranging from territorial disputes to energy security, it investigates China's pursuit of major power status and influence in peaceful international scenarios.The author critically analyzes China's foreign policy from Chinese leaders' evolving worldview of the changing international environment.
26. China's future / Shambaugh, David - London: Polity, 2016
Abstract: The author argues that these potential pathways are all possibilities - but they depend on key decisions yet to be made by China's leaders, different pressures from within Chinese society, as well as actions taken by other nations. Assessing these scenarios and their implications, he offers a thoughtful and clear study of China's future for all those seeking to understand the country's likely trajectory over the coming decade and beyond.
27. China's one belt one road: initiative, challenges and prospects / Sharma, Bal Kishan, Ed and Nivedita Das Kundu - New Delhi: Vij, 2016
Abstract: The Chapters in this book are written by Chinese and Indian academics and researchers from United Service Institution of India and Sichuan University, explaining the inter-disciplinary approaches and comparative perspectives, that may help to understand the essence and implication of China s One Belt One Road, initiative by identifying the convergences of interest in terms of social and economic development, political and cultural exchanges and remove the potential hindrance."
28. Contemporary American foreign policy: influences, challenges, and opportunities / Mansbach, Richard and Kristen L. Taylor - London: Sage, 2017
Abstract: In each chapter, the authors focus on today's most pressing contemporary challenges, exploring their origins and backgrounds. They systematically shed light on the competing forces that influence them, outline the various policy options available to decision makers for addressing them, and explore the potential consequences of those policies. Throughout, they also look at foreign policy at all levels: international, society, government, "role"-specific, and individual.
29. Deadly impasse: Indo-Pakistani relations at the dawn of a new century / Ganguly, Sumit - New York: Cambridge University Press, 2016
Abstract: Evaluating relations from 1999 through to 2009, the author seeks to understand this troubled relationship and why efforts at peace-making and conflict resolution, which have included unilateral Indian concessions, have not been more fruitful. Charting key sources of tension throughout the decade, including the origins and outcomes of the Kargil War in 1999, developments in the Indian-controlled portion of the state of Kashmir, the attack on the Indian parliament in December 2001 and the onset of the 2001-2 crisis, Deadly Impasse sets out to discover whether the roots of this hostile relationship stem from security dilemmas or reflect the dynamics between a status quo power and a predatory state.
30. Does Terrorism work?: a history / English, Richard - New York: Oxford University Press, 2016
Abstract: Focuses on four of the most significant terrorist organizations of the last fifty years: al-Qaida, the Provisional IRA, Hamas, and ETA. Uses a wealth of interview material collected over the years, both with former terrorists and their enemies in the counter-intelligence, police, and security services
31. Economics of the middle east: development challenges / Devlin, Julia C - London: World Scientific, 2016
Abstract: This volume aims to introduce economic concepts and analysis to undergraduate level students, in the context of contemporary development challenges in the economics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
32. Emotions in international politics: beyond mainstream international relations / Yohan Ariffin ed. - New York: Cambridge University Press, 2016
Abstract: The book fills the need for theoretical tools in the new and rapidly growing subfield of international relations. Eminent scholars from a range of disciplines consider how emotions can be investigated from an international perspective involving collective players, drawing evidence from such emotionally fraught events as the Rwandan genocide, World War II, the 9/11 attacks, and the Iranian nuclear standoff.
33. The EU an obituary / Gillingham, John R. - London: Verso, 2016
Abstract: The European Union is a besieged institution. It is struggling in vain to overcome the eurozone crisis and faces an influx of refugees not seen since World War II. The Schengen Agreement is a dead letter, and Britain stands on the brink of leaving altogether. The EU is unfit for the challenges of the coming age of increased global competition and high tech. In sum, the drive for an “ever-closer union” has set Europe on the wrong course: plunged it into depression, fuelled national antagonisms, debilitated democracy, and accelerated decline. In this pithy, rigorously argued book, leading historian John Gillingham examines a once great notion that soured long ago.
34. Eurasia 2.0: Russian geopolitics in the age of new media / Suslov, Mikhail Ed. and Mark Bassin - London: Lexington Books, 2016
Abstract: This book discusses the return of geopolitical ideas and doctrines to the post-Soviet space with special focus on the new phenomenon of digital geopolitics, which is an overarching term for different political practices including dissemination of geopolitical ideas online, using the internet by political figures and diplomats for legitimation and outreach activity, and viral spread of geopolitical memes. Different chapters explore the new possibilities and threats associated with this digitalization of geopolitical knowledge and practice.
35. The European Union and Russia / Forsberg, Tuomas and Hiski Haukkala - New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016
Abstract: The relationship between the European Union and Russia is of considerable importance to both partners, but whilst there have been many moments of co-operation between the two, tensions have never been far from the surface and the conflict over Ukraine brought it to a historical nadir. Both have taken steps to strengthen their relationship, but diplomatic stagnation and the challenge of furthering common economic, political, social, and environmental objectives have proved increasingly testing to relations over time.
36. Faith unity discipline: the inter-service-intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan / Kiessling, Hein - London: Hurst & Company, 2016
Abstract: Established in the wake of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-8 by British officer Major General Robert Cawthorne, then Deputy Chief of Staff in the Pakistan Army, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for years remained an under-developed and obscure agency. In 1979, the organisation's growing importance was felt during the Soviet war in Afghanistan , as it worked hand in glove with the CIA to support the mujahideen resistance, but its activities received little coverage in news media.
37. The Fifth estate: think tanks, public policy, and governance / McGann, James G. - Washington: Brooking Institution Press, 2016
Abstract: The book illustrates how policymakers have come to value the independent analysis and advice provided by think tanks and why it has become one of the defining characteristics of the American political system. Drawing on case studies in both foreign and domestic policy, The author clarifies the correlation between think tank research and the policies enacted by the past three presidential administrations. He also describes a phenomenon known as “the revolving door,” where think tanks provide former government officials an opportunity to share insights from public service, remain involved in policy debates, and continue to provide advice and commentary.
38. Future in retrospect: China's diplomatic history revisited / Yaqing, Qin Ed. and Chen Zhirui - London: World Century, 2016
Abstract: This volume attempt to answer those questions and more. Based on rich literature, including some newly declassified files from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this volume introduces some of the most interesting and significant, but lesser-known, episodes in the diplomatic history of the People's Republic of China, and tries to shed light on their implications and impact on China's diplomacy.
39. The Future of diplomacy / Seib, Philip - London: Polity, 2016
Abstract: The author explores the future of diplomacy in our hyper-connected world. He shows how the focus of diplomatic practice has shifted away from the closed-door, top-level negotiations of the past. Today’s diplomats are obliged to respond instantly to the latest crisis fueled by a YouTube video or Facebook post. This has given rise to a more open and reactive approach to global problem-solving with consequences that are difficult to predict. Drawing on examples from the Iran nuclear negotiations to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, Seib argues persuasively for this new versatile and flexible public-facing diplomacy; one that makes strategic use of both new media and traditional diplomatic processes to manage the increasingly complex relations between states and new non-state political actors in the 21st Century
40 . Geoeconomics and geosecurities in the Indian ocean region / Doyle, Timothy Ed. - London: Routledge, 2017
Abstract: There are important changes in regional and global demographics ahead of us. A profound rise in the number of citizens in the Indian Ocean Region in the next fifty years will have significant impacts on the state, on the nature and operation of markets and the neo-liberal framework they operate in, and raise new challenges for regional security. This book considers the insufficient dialogue between ever increasing and closer connections between geo-economics and geo-securities in the Indian Ocean Region, and highlights some of the challenges. This book takes a broader understanding of security than what is usually meant in more traditional security frameworks in politics and international relations.
41. Global intelligence oversight: governing security in the twenty-first century / Goldman, Zachary K. Ed. and Samuel J. Rascoff - New York: Oxford University Press, 2016
Abstract: The book is a comparative investigation of how democratic countries can govern their intelligence services so that they are effective, but operate within frameworks that are acceptable to their people in an interconnected world. The book demonstrates how the institutions that oversee intelligence agencies participate in the protection of national security while safeguarding civil liberties, balancing among competing national interests, and building public trust in inherently secret activities. It does so by analyzing the role of courts and independent oversight bodies as they operate in countries with robust constitutional frameworks and powerful intelligence services. The book also illuminates a new transnational oversight dynamic that is shaping and constraining security services in new ways. It describes how global technology companies and litigation in transnational forums constitute a new form of oversight whose contours are still undefined.
42. Globalization & migration: a world in motion / Dickinson, Eliot - London: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017
Abstract: The author emphasizes recent developments in global politics, such as the massive number of refugees from wars in the Middle East who are now seeking asylum in Europe; the “Fortress Europe” mentality illustrated on the Italian island of Lampedusa; the heart-wrenching humanitarian challenge of Mexican and Central American children arriving alone in the United States; and the effects of climate change and environmental destruction on international migration. Today, with the collaboration of compliant governments and elites in the peripheral countries of the Global South, multinational corporations continue to flout regulations, destroy the environment, and take advantage of the large number of displaced, unemployed workers.
43. The good drone / Sandvik, Kristin Bergtora and Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert - London: Routledge, 2017
Abstract: This book explores the role of the Good Drone as an organizing narrative for political projects, technology development and humanitarian action. Its contribution to the debate is to take stock of the multiple logics and rationales according to which drones are "good", with a primary objective to initiate a critical conversation about the political currency of "good". This study recognizes the many possibilities for the use of drones and takes these possibilities seriously by critically examining the difference the drones' functionalities can make, but also what difference the presence of drones themselves – as unmanned and flying objects – make. Discussed and analysed are the implications for the drone industry, user communities, and the areas of crisis where drones are deployed.
44. The Great war & the middle east: a strategic study / Johnson, Rob - New York: Oxford University Press, 2016
Abstract: The First World War in the Middle East swept away five hundred years of Ottoman domination. It ushered in new ideologies and radicalized old ones - from Arab nationalism and revolutionary socialism to impassioned forms of atavistic Islamism. It created heroic icons, like the enigmatic Lawrence of Arabia or the modernizing Ataturk, and destroyed others. And it completely re-drew the map of the region, forging a host of new nation states, including Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia - all of them (with the exception of Turkey) under the "protection" of the victor powers, Britain and France.
45. The Handbook of contemporary Cambodia / Brickell, Katherine Ed. and Simon Springer - London: Routledge, 2017
Abstract: The book provides a broad coverage of social, cultural, political and economic development within both rural and urban contexts during the last decade. A detailed introduction places Cambodia within its global and regional frame, and the handbook is then divided into five thematic sections: Political and Economic Tensions; Rural Developments; Urban Conflicts; Social Processes; Cultural Currents
 
 
MEAs App twitter Facebook Google plus YouTube flickr