International Politics

G Berridge, G R Berridge, G. R. Berridge

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• eBook ISBN:
  9781317904069
• Subtopic: Diplomacy & Treaties
• Index: Politics & International Relations

A new Edition of this well-established introduction to international polits. As with the previous two editions, the book's emphasisis on states, the conflicts that divide them, the intruments they employ to pursue their ideals and secure their interesrts, and the systems of precepts and practices through which conflicts are worked out.

Appendix 1

Notes on reference books

In a subject in which the raw material of study is as rapidly expanding as in international relations, reference works – especially ones which are updated annually – are indispensable for student and teacher alike. The usefulness of those now appearing on CD-ROM with key-word search facility is even greater (see the CD-ROM Directory and CD-Roms in Print). Below are some notes on a selection of the more important reference books which have a world focus, listed alphabetically. Many works with a regional focus will also be of interest to students of international relations but these have been largely excluded from this list.

Brassey’s Battles: 3,500 years of conflict, campaigns and wars from A–Z, John Laffin (Brassey’s: London and Washington, 1995). First published in 1986, the 1995 edition contains an ‘update supplement’ dealing with ‘conflicts since 1986’. This is a dictionary (prefaced with a chronology) which gives succinct accounts of more than 7,000 battles (broadly defined) going back to the Greco-Persian wars of the fifth century BC. Contains useful maps. Relatively inexpensive paperback edition available. Persuade someone to buy it for your birthday.

CIA World Factbook (CIA: Washington, DC, annually). This is a bald summary of what the CIA takes to be the key features of each country in the world, primarily intended for the use of US government officials but on sale to the public. Its greatest usefulness is probably as a primary source for the study of how the CIA itself sees the outside world; among other things, it classifies each government by political type. It is now complemented by the KGB World Factbook, which, according to CD-Roms in Print, is ‘compiled from open Soviet literature and translated into English by A. Petrochenkov’.

The Dictionary of World Politics: A reference guide to concepts, ideas and institutions, by G. Evans and J. Newnham, 2nd edn (Harvester Wheatsheaf: Hemel Hempstead, 1992). This very useful dictionary has a cross-referencing facility.

The Europa World Yearbook, 2 vols (Europa Publications: London, 1926–). Volume I of this highly regarded annual publication deals with international organisations and countries from Afghanistan to Jordan, while Volume 2 covers the remaining states. Each entry includes an introductory survey, a statistical survey and a directory. Europa also publishes seven excellent annual regional surveys: Africa south of the Sahara; The Middle East and North Africa; The Far East and Australasia; Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States; South America, Central America and the Caribbean; Western Europe; and The USA and Canada.

Facts on File, the Index of World Events (Facts on File: New York, 1940–). This is a weekly loose-leaf publication which presents succinct summaries of US and world affairs; very well indexed; available on CD-ROM from 1980.

International Relations Dictionary, 4th edn, by J. C. Plano and R. Olton (ABC-Clio: Santa Barbara, CA, 1988). This is not strictly a dictionary at all because the entries are grouped into sections, and an index (with cross-references) is provided. There are twelve main sequences, with headings such as ‘Arms control and disarmament’, ‘Diplomacy’ and ‘American foreign policy’. The ‘dictionary’ is useful and clearly laid out.

The International Who’s Who (Europa: London, 1935–). This well-established reference work now contains nearly 20,000 biographies of personalities of international standing in politics, diplomacy, business and finance, and other fields. It has a section devoted to reigning royal families and an obituary listing. It is especially useful for personalities whose own countries do not publish a biographical register.

Keesing’s Record of World Events [formerly Keesing’s Contemporary Archives] (Longman: London, July 1931–). Now a monthly publication, like Facts on File this is a press digest. Each issue begins with a comprehensive summary of the previous month’s world news, and is completed by a ‘reference section’ presenting political and economic data by country, international organisation and theme. It is well indexed and cross-referenced, and very easy to use. If you want to check a date or find out the main points of agreement at a recent international conference, for example, this is the place to go. Widely regarded as the most comprehensive and authoritative news digest; available on CD-ROM from 1983.

The Major International Treaties since 1945: A history and guide with texts, by J. A. S. Grenville and B. Wasserstein (Methuen: London and New York, 1987). This extremely authoritative and well-organised work is the sequel to an earlier version published by Grenville which covered the 1914–73 period. Prefaced by an introduction on ‘international treaties’, it then deals with its subject under the following main headings: the foundations of postwar diplomacy; the US treaty system; the Soviet treaty system; the German question; Western European integration; South and East Asia and the Pacific; Africa; the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean; Latin America and the South Atlantic; détente and arms control.

The Military Balance (International Institute for Strategic Studies: London, 1959–). This clearly presented and authoritative source presents an annual, quantitative assessment of the military power and defence expenditure of countries throughout the world. This will tell you, for example, how many and what type of tanks the Israelis have and what comparable fighting vehicles they face. It also contains ‘analytical essays’ on such related subjects as arms control, and always has useful appendices.

The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World, editor in chief, Joel Krieger (Oxford University Press: Oxford and New York, 1993). Described by the editor as ‘a comprehensive guide to international relations and national domestic politics throughout the world’, this work contains 650 individually authored (and signed) essays by eminent scholars from more than forty countries.

Political Handbook of the World (CSA Publications for Center for Education and Social Research, State University of New York: Binghampton, NY; previously published by Harper & Row for the Council on Foreign Relations, 1 January 1927–). This is another A-to-Z directory of world governments and politics but since 1977 has also been prefaced by a survey of regional and world issues.

The Statesman’s Year-Book, Brian Hunter (ed.) (Macmillan: London, 1864–). The popularity of this work is testified to by its longevity. It is an annual A to Z of the states of the world, plus (at the beginning) the more important international organisations. Unfortunately, though, it no longer lists the states with which each state has accredited diplomatic representatives. Look for these in the Europa regional surveys, noted above.

The Strategic Survey (International Institute for Strategic Studies: London, 1967–). This is an annual survey of military developments which focuses both on general themes, such as arms control and the superpower relationship, and on the regions – Europe, the Middle East, and so on. It concludes with useful chronologies of the previous year, by region and with regard to East-West arms control developments.

Survey of International Affairs 1920/23–1963 (Oxford University Press, for the Royal Institute of International Affairs: London, 1925–1973). This well-known multivolumed and faintly intimidating work is only regarded as a reference work by virtue of its scope and its detail. In fact, it is a work of historical scholarship.

The Times Survey of Foreign Ministries of the World, by Z. Steiner (ed.) (Times Book: London, and Meckler: Westport, CT, 1982). This is also a very scholarly work. Zara Steiner is a well-known Cambridge historian of the British Foreign Office, and each chapter has been authored by an expert from the country in question. Twenty-four foreign ministries are covered, including those of China (three contributions here), the United States and the Soviet Union. Organisation charts and bibliographies are also included. Now dated but still useful for historical origins.

UN Monthly Chronicle (UN, May 1964–). This is a periodical produced by the UN to give an up-to-date record of the activities of the organisation and its related agencies.

World Armaments and Disarmament: SIPRI Yearbook (Oxford University Press: Oxford and New York, 1970–). This very substantial annual is produced by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which is financed mainly by the Swedish parliament. Contributions are individually authored. All sections are supplemented by a great wealth of tables, documents and other appendices and the work has the great merit of being indexed. It has always been especially useful on the international arms trade.

The World Financial System, R. Fraser, 2nd edn (Longman: London, 1992). This volume outlines the way in which the world financial system has evolved, and deals in detail with the aims, structures, methods and operations of the major international and regional organisations with particular responsibilities in this field. Fraser now has a World Trade System: A Comprehensive Reference Guide (Longman: London, 1991) as well.

The World in Conflict. War annual: contemporary warfare described and analysed, by J. Laffin (Pergamon-Brassey’s: London, 1987–). War annual 3 has chapters on thirty-two major military conflicts. This is a clearly written and well-presented reference work, with many useful maps.

World Politics since 1945, by P. Calvocoressi, 6th edn (Longman: London and New York, 1991). This is a crisp, comprehensive and authoritative textbook not only of postwar diplomatic history but also of important internal political developments in all of the world’s main regions. Its author wrote the RIIA’s Survey of International Affairs (cited above) from 1947 until 1953.

Yearbook of International Organizations, 3 volumes, edited by the Union of International Associations (published intermittently since 1908; latest edition, 1995–96, K. G. Sauer: Munich, New Providence, London and Paris). This is a work of awesome detail, covering a vast number of international organisations’: aims, structure, members, key events, addresses, etc. It is extremely useful.

Year Book of the United Nations (UN: New York, 1947–). This annual publication provides a full account of the issues debated in the UN and who voted which way on what. Important Resolutions, for example of the Security Council, are reproduced in full. In effect, it is a summary of the full published minutes of the General Assembly and Security Council which are not held by many college and university libraries. The volumes used to take a long time to appear but by 1995 the series had reached 1992.

Index

ABMs 107, 112 n. 12

Abyssinia 157

Afghanistan 90, 104, 125, 196, 199

agents in place 85, 86

agricultural interests 36, 37, 40

aid see foreign aid

Allende, Salvador see Chile

alliances 72, 82, 171–7

see also grand alliance, NATO, Warsaw Treaty Organization

Ames, Aldrich 85

anarchy, international 72

Angola 56, 104–5, 136

Angola/Namibia negotiations 184, 193, 199

appeasement 167...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Preface to the first edition
• Preface to the second edition
• Preface to the third edition
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Part A States and their setting
• Part B The instruments of conflict
• Part C The states-system
• Appendix 1 Notes on reference books
• Index