Top 5 Books: December
Krisztina Csortea
‘International Affairs has the best book review section of any journal in the field. Many people subscribe to it for that reason alone.’
Professor Sir Michael Howard
Every issue of International Affairs features a comprehensive book review section which assesses the latest writing on all facets of international studies. In this, the latest in our Top 5 Books series, Book Reviews Editor Krisztina Csortea presents her picks from the November issue. Join the conversation and share your must-read new books on global politics and international relations in the response section below. Enjoy!
1) The ethics of silence: an interdisciplinary case analysis approach
Written by Nancy Billias and Sivaram Vemuri. Published in Cham by Palgrave Macmillan.
Krisztina says: As we approach the festive season, we might think more about silence — asking questions such as ‘where has it gone? ’ and ‘when will this finally all end?’ On a more serious note though, we don’t reflect enough about the political and ethical significance silence — especially of silence as a choice, not an external constraint. But as Nancy Bilias and Sivaram Vemuri argue, ‘silence is an essential and ubiquitous aspect of all communication’. I would highly recommend reading this book, which only extends to a very manageable 181 pages, or failing that, Laura Sjoberg’s excellent review.
Read the full International Affairs review here.
2) Protean power: exploring the uncertain and unexpected in world politics
Edited by Peter J. Katzenstein and Lucia A. Seybert. Published in Cambridge by Cambridge University Press.
Krisztina says: Books on the nature of power are back in vogue (if they ever went out of fashion in the first place). For example, Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms’ New power was shortlisted for the FT Book of the Year and comes highly recommended from Russel Brand, Richard Branson and Jane Goodall. However, if you are looking for a theoretically sophisticated analysis of power in international relations, I would recommend turning to Protean power. As Biao Zhang notes, the volume makes a significant contribution by highlighting the role of power in conditions of uncertainty. The case-studies of protean power in different contexts — the international sovereign debt market, bitcoin or Bollywood — are especially fascinating.
Read the full International Affairs review here.
3) Europe’s Brexit
Edited by Tim Oliver. Published in Newcastle by Agenda Publishing.
Krisztina says: Not another book on Brexit! — you might well think. But as the title suggests, Europe’s Brexit highlights a perspective that is not often discussed. As Vernon Bogdanor notes in his review, Brexit came as an unpleasant surprise to the 27, partly due to misjudgements and misconceptions on all sides. But no country is happy to see the UK leave. The book’s conclusions might not be surprising, but it is an excellent way to move beyond a parochial focus Westminster.
Read the full International Affairs review here.
4) The vory: Russia’s super mafia
Written by Mark Galeotti. Published in New Haven by Yale University Press.
Krisztina says: We are ending our final list of the year with excellent books on two countries that have received a fair amount of attention recently. Mark Galeotti takes readers on a fascinating journey into the history of organized crime, or ‘thieves-in-law’, in Russia. Yuval Weber notes that the book is both very entertaining — introducing readers to characters like Teapot, Basil the Chemist, Winnie Pooh and Stumpy Mishka — and also provides a fascinating, indirect analysis of the modern Russian state. Read the book to find out what was Stumpy Mishka’s calling card (warning it’s pretty gruesome) and to understand the relationship between state authorities and crime in Russia.
Read the full International Affairs review here.
5) Lesser dragons: minority peoples of China
Written by Michael Dillon. Published in London by Reaktion Press.
Krisztina says: There are a lot of unanswered questions around China’s treatment of its Uighur minority. Michael Dillon’s timely new book takes a broader look at the relationship between the Chinese state and minorities. Sheryn Lee finds that Lesser dragons is a ‘major contribution to the understanding of the contentious mix of ethnicity, nationalism and assimilation policies in China’. Sadly, Dillon’s view of the future of minority right is rather bleak. He concludes that repression is only going increase under President Xi Jinping.
Read the full International Affairs review here.
