Top 5 books: June 2021
Krisztina Csortea
Every issue of International Affairs features a comprehensive book review section which assesses the latest writing in international studies. In this, the latest in our Top 5 Books series, Book Reviews Editor Krisztina Csortea presents her picks from the May 2021 issue. Join the conversation and share your favourite new books on international politics in the response section below.
1) China, the UN and, Human Protection
Written by Rosemary Foot. Published in Oxford by Oxford University Press.
Rosemary Foot’s important analysis is a must read for anyone seeking to understand China’s influence on the UN’s human protection efforts. Including analyses that span from UN peacekeeping to the Women Peace and Security agenda, Foot provides an incisive and well researched account of the impact of Chinese ideological and geopolitical concerns on institutional policy.
Read the full review in International Affairs here.
2) The laws of war in international thought
Written by Pablo Kalmanovitz Published in Oxford by Oxford University Press.
The laws of war in international thought breathes new life into existing debates on the history of the laws of warfare. The way Kalmanovitz skilfully analyses the origins of the categories that influence our understanding of warfare is fascinating to read, especially for those interested in the book’s groundbreaking account of the concept of regular war.
Read the full review in International Affairs here.
3) War: How conflict shaped us
Written by Margaret MacMillan. Published in London by Random House.
MacMillan presents the reader with a fascinating and expansive account of the history and future of warfare. Interrogating the origins of war as a social phenomenon, this eminently readable book examines multiple aspects of warfare, from its causes to how we represent and experience it.
Read the full review in International Affairs here.
4) The uncounted: politics of data in global health
Written by Sara M. Davis. Published in Cambridge, UK by Cambridge University Press.
After a year in which health data has played a key role at the heart of global politics, Sara Davis’s incisive investigation of its limitations raises pressing questions. For those looking to understand how data can contribute to entrenching inequalities in healthcare outcomes Davis’ accessible and engaging book is essential reading.
Read the full review in International Affairs here.
5) Israeli foreign policy since the end of the Cold War
Written by Amnon Aran. Published in Cambridge, UK by Cambridge University Press.
This book provides and indispensable overview of the myriad factors that have influenced Israeli foreign policy in the last three decades. Aran’s incisive analysis traces the converging domestic political and international influences that have helped form Israeli foreign policy over the years although his somewhat grim prognosis for the future prospects for peace are unsettling in light of recent events.
Read the full review in International Affairs here.
Krisztina Csortea is the Deputy Editor of International Affairs.
This blog features her picks from the book reviews section of our May 2021 issue. To read the reviews in full, click here.
To find more suggestions from the IA Bookshelf series, click here.
If you are interested in reviewing a book for the journal or registering as a book reviewer with International Affairs you can find our book review application form here.
All views expressed are individual not institutional.
