The Balance of Power in World History

by Stuart J. Kaufman (Editor), Richard Little (Editor), William C. Wohlforth (Editor)

The balance of power is one of the most influential ideas in international relations, yet it has never been comprehensively examined in pre-modern or non-European contexts. This book redresses this imbalance. The authors present eight new case studies of balancing and balancing failure in pre-modern and non-European international systems.

Genres: History, International Relations

289 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2007

About the author

Kaufman is a professor, Political Science and International Relations at the University of Deleware. He is well versed in issues involving U.S. national security, the war in Iraq, U.S. foreign policy and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He specializes in ethnic conflict, U.S. national security strategy and international relations history.

He has previously served as the Director for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian Affairs for the U.S. National Security Council Staff in 1999.

Reviews

[John Hess · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent corrective to the eurocentric bias of most IR theorizing. By extending the range of empirical data the authors are able to considerably nuance neorealist insights while demonstrating the essential value of IR theory for understanding world history. Should be required reading for grad students and advanced undergraduates. Highly recommended.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The necessary antidote to the silly fashionable talking point that 'realism is eurocentric' (when in fact it is the only major IR theory which exists which certainly is not, existing as it does in some form in every observable major civilization throughout the times). This book should be mandatory early on reading for IR students.