John W. Harbeson, Donald Rothchild, and Naomi Chazan, editors

This seminal book examines the potential value of the concept of civil society for enhancing the current understanding of state-society relations in Africa. The authors review the meanings of civil society in political philosophy, as well as alternative theoretical approaches to employing the concept in African settings. Considering both the patterns of emerging civil society in Africa and issues  More >

Paul Aarts and Francesco Cavatorta, editors

What are the dynamics of civic activism in authoritarian regimes? How do new social actors—many of them informal, "below the radar" groups—interact with these regimes? What mechanisms do the power elite employ to deal with societal dissidence? The authors of Civil Society in Syria and Iran explore the nature of state-society relations in two countries that are experiencing  More >

Jude Howell and Jeremy Lind, editors

As they investigate the convergence of security and development objectives following the attacks of September 11, 2001—in particular as this relates to civil society—the authors focus on four themes: the intersection of the "war on terror" regime and national politics, the increasing regulation of civil society, attempts to co-opt parts of civil society into security and  More >

Agnès Hurwitz with Reyko Huang, editors

How do rule of law programs contribute to conflict management? What strategies best address the challenges to securing the rule of law in fragile countries? What place do rule of law policies have in efforts to achieve stable and equitable development? The authors of Civil War and the Rule of Law address these fundamental questions, analyzing rule of law programs in the context of conflict  More >

Ian S. Spears

How do disputants in Africa's civil wars—rebel movements, ethnic groups, state leaders—find security in the midst of anarchic situations? Why do some rebel movements pursue a secessionist agenda while others seek to overthrow the existing government? Under what circumstances will insurgents agree to share power? Proposing answers to these questions, Ian Spears offers a fresh  More >

Emizet François Kisangani

Wars of secession, ethnic wars, rebellions, and mutinies have been part of the political landscape of the Democratic Republic of Congo since the country became independent in 1960.  Why? And what can we learn from this seemingly unending series of internal conflicts?  Emizet François Kisangani explores these fundamental questions within a rigorously systematic and uniquely  More >

Thomas C. Bruneau and Aurel Croissant, editors

How does civilian control affect military effectiveness? Can a balance be achieved between the two? In-country experts address these questions through a set of rich comparative case studies. Covering the spectrum from democracies to authoritarian regimes, they explore the nexus of control and effectiveness to reveal its importance for national security and the legitimacy of both political order  More >

Simon Chesterman, editor

In World War I, only 5 percent of all casualties were civilian; in World War II, that number was 50 percent; and in conflicts in the 1990s, civilians accounted for up to 90 percent of those killed. Clearly, the 1949 Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians, while recognizing the changing face of war, has not succeeded in reversing the trend. Focusing particularly on the intrastate  More >

Russell A. Hart

A Choice Outstanding Book! Clash of Arms examines how the Western Allies learned—on the battlefield—to defeat the Nazi war machine. Beginning with an investigation of the interwar neglect that left the Allied militaries incapable of defeating Nazi aggression at the start of World War II, Hart examines the wartime paths the Allies took toward improved military effectiveness. He  More >

Henry Bernstein

Henry Bernstein argues that class dynamics should be the starting point of any analysis of agrarian change. Providing an accessible introduction to agrarian political economy, he shows clearly how the argument for "bringing class back in" provides an alternative to inherited conceptions of the agrarian question. He also ably illustrates what is at stake in different ways of thinking  More >