Between Peril and Promise: The Politics of International Law

In this concise introduction to international law, students gain a clear appreciation for how politics shapes the development of international law, and how international law shapes political relations between states. Throughout the book, Rochester takes this complex subject and makes it accessible with his vibrant, easy-to-read prose.

After exploring the parameters of international law―its intrinsic challenges and the various approaches to it―Rochester then examines its five major sectors― the law of the sea, airspace, and outer space; human rights; war and peace; states and markets; and the environment―all through the lens of international relations theory. Students will appreciate numerous pedagogical features, such as instructive case studies, photos and cartoons, discussion questions, and―new to this edition―an "International Law in Action" box, which uses real-world cases to flesh out the inner workings of international law. Based on reviewer feedback, the author reorganized several chapters, bringing coverage of jurisdiction to the forefront in order to better set the stage for subsequent chapters. With updates to all of the book′s data, factual information, and hundreds of endnotes, Rochester presents the latest IL scholarship in a clear and straightforward manner.

J. Martin Rochester is professor of political science at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, where he has taught courses on international politics and international law since 1972. His books include Waiting for the Millennium: The United Nations and the Future of World Order and Between Two Epochs: What′s Ahead for America, the World, and Global Politics in the 21st Century? He has been published in such scholarly journals as the American Political Science Review, International Organization, International Studies Quarterly, and the Journal of Peace Research. Rochester is a recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at UM–St. Louis, and in 2001 he was named a Distinguished Teaching Professor by the University’s Board of Curators.