Top 5 books: September 2023

Our September edition of International Affairs is very special indeed: it features an impressive selection of 35 book reviews and the second Review Forum of the year — all of which are open access until the end of November. In this blog, Book Reviews Editor Mariana Vieira spotlights some of the most noteworthy titles, featuring the latest insights on conflict and leadership, postcolonial justice, Latin America and Asia.

1) Command

Written by Lawrence Freedman. Published in London by Allen Lane.

In his latest book, historian, strategist and an all-round mastermind on warfare, Sir Lawrance Freedman, demonstrates the importance of the art of politics for those at the helm of military operations. Command deploys a full cast of people to underpin the argument that, in war, those in command must grapple with the realities of the battlefield as well as the overlapping and competing priorities of a wide range of political actors. Global in scope, the examples are plentiful, instructive and diverse, making Freedman’s latest book a compelling read for military education institutions and civilian policy-makers alike.

Read the full review here.

2) Of light and struggle

Written by Debbie Sharnak. Published in Philadelphia by University of Pennsylvania Press.

Debbie Sharnak’s promising debut book takes readers through Uruguay’s human rights journey. It transports us from the human rights violations of the military rule four decades ago, to the many political developments that have impacted the country’s return to democracy and accountability. The analysis includes both the domestic and international dimensions, emphasizing the lessons learned from its neighbours and the influence of transnational human rights groups. In the words of our reviewer, Sharnak’s ‘admirably lucid, deeply researched and nuanced book successfully counters Uruguay’s peripheral status’ in the literature on the Southern Cone.

Read the full review here.

3) Imagining global futures

Edited by Adom Getachew. Published in Cambridge, MA by Boston Review.

Adom Getachew’s previous book, Worldmaking after empire, focused on the past, this ambitious yet accessible volume sets out to rethink the future. Featuring over 15 contributors, the chapters ask difficult questions and provide concrete solutions that draw on postcolonial and decolonial frameworks. Assessing the many international challenges that we currently face, the book offers fascinating insights into community-led forms of organizing, reflections on power and the limits of cooperating with nation-states. This is an inviting, inspiring and radical addition to the literature.

Read the full review here.

4) Cooperating for the climate

Written by Joanna I. Lewis. Published in Cambridge, MA by MIT Press.

Cooperating for the climate provides a comprehensive account of Beijing’s political motivations and the scientific contributions driving China’s clean energy collaborations. Joanna I. Lewis painstakingly draws on hundreds of interviews to present three case-studies of China’s bilateral cooperation with the US, Denmark and Brazil. Lewis urgently reminds readers that China is now a thriving hub of technological innovation that the world should learn from in the fight to tackle climate change.

Read the full review here.

5) Pacific power paradox

Written by Van Jackson. Published in New Haven, CT by Yale University Press.

Pacific power paradox analyses four decades of US foreign policy and statecraft in Asia from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump. Refreshingly, Van Jackson paints a complex picture of Asian peace, moving beyond the debate on whether it is local product or an American export. Jackson assesses how the US has affected security in the region, concluding that the US foreign policy elite remains largely unaware of the wider and paradoxical implications of its policies. The book will be of interest to policy-makers, scholars and historians concerned with US influence in the Indo-Pacific.

Read the full review here.

Mariana Vieira is the Book Reviews Editor of International Affairs.

Find the review section in our September 2023 issue in full here.

Find more suggestions from the IA Bookshelf series here.

If you are interested in reviewing a book for the journal, there are two ways to get in touch. Either register your interest in our book review application form here or follow us on social media where we post call outs for specific books and experts.

All views expressed are individual not institutional.