Understanding International Relations

Defining International Relations.- The Development of IR Theory in the Twentieth Century.- International Relations Theory Today.- Agency, Structure and the State.- Power and Security.- The Balance of Power and War.- Global Governance.- The Global Economy.- Globalization.- The International Politics of Identity.- International Relations and the Individual: Human Rights, Humanitarian Law and Humanitarian War.- The Emerging Shape of 21st Century International Politics.

CHRIS BROWN is Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.
KIRSTEN AINLEY is Lecturer in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.

Praise for the fourth edition:   'An excellent new edition which reinforces the book's place as my preferred text for students new to International Relations. Accessible and compelling without glossing over the complexity of the issues, the fourth edition has been impressively updated to take account of real-world and theoretical developments.' Anthony F. Lang, Jr, University of St Andrews.   Reviews of previous editions'It is entirely characteristic that Chris Brown's text is unlike anybody else's; it is equally characteristic that it is written with a zest, a pace and a sense of fun that is sadly missing from much of the discipline as a whole. Students - and their teachers - will gain a great deal from it. They will also have a good time!' - N.J. Rengger, Political Studies'[A] very appealing book... The text succeeds in giving a clear account of all the main theoretical possibilities and, in a non-judgemental but not uncritical way, setting them in context... I can think of no book more likely to succeed in persuading a sceptical undergraduate - someone convinced of the existence of a self-evident world of facts - that not only is a knowledge of theory necessary to understand international relations, but it is fun.' - James Mayall, Review of International Studies