The State, War, and the State of War (Cambridge Studies in International Relations, Series Number 51) - Hardcover

Holsti, Kalevi J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521571138 ISBN 13: 9780521571135

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1996

Synopsis

Why do we have Rwandas, Bosnias, and Somalias? This book explores the sources of such bitter, prolonged conflicts that result in immense human tragedies of civilian deaths and mass refugee flows. The author argues that such conflicts, and not wars between states, are the wars of the future. What can the United Nations and other international institutions do about them? Can organizations designed to manage conflicts between states successfully manage wars whose origins are domestic? The author develops some ideas about conflict resolution and peace derived from such recent experiences of war.

About this title

Book Description:

This study explores the sources of bitter, prolonged conflicts that result in immense human tragedies of civilian deaths and mass refugee flows. Arguing that such conflicts are destined to be the wars of the future, it develops ideas about conflict resolution and peace derived from them.

Review:

"The State, War, and the State of War is an is an intelligent and provocative discussion of the most serious international problem of our time. The book is also a pleasure to read. It is written in a clear and graceful style; the arguments are supplemented by relevant real-world examples. It would be an excellent choice as a supplemenatry text for upper level undergraduate or graduate courses. There is also a useful appendix, which lists and categorizes those disputes from 1945 to 1995 that qualify as wars under Holsti's criteria." Russell J. Leng, American Political Review

"...the book provides a nice bridge between old realism and new currents of thinking about war and peace. One must also admire the willingness of senior scholars such as Holsti, who have set the tone for generations of IR teaching and have persistently argued for the durability of realist accounts, to jettison their verities. One hopes that the doors he opens, but does not walk through, will be traversed by others." Keith Krause, Canadian Journal of Political Science

"...well-written exposition of a major current problem in world affairs, with a useful appendix on armed conflicts since 1945 and an exhaustive bibliography. The book will be useful...for some time to come." Paul Rich, Journal of World History

"...This is an unusually coherent and well written expostion of a major current problem in world affairs, with a useful appendix on armed conflicts since 1945 and an exhaustive bibliography." Paul Rich, Journal of World History

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0521571138
• ISBN 13: 9780521571135
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272