When examining history, one must be careful not to blame rapid political change solely on famine, war, economic inequality, or structural disfunctions alone. These conditions may linger for decades without social upheaval. Successful revolution requires two triggering elements: a crisis or conjuncture and revolutionary actors who are organized in a dedicated revolutionary party, armed with a radical ideology, and poised to act. While previous revolutions were ignited by small collectives, many in the twentieth century relied on strategic relationships between two exceptional leaders: Marx and Engels (Communism), Lenin and Trotsky (Russia), Ghandi and Nehru (India), Mao and Zhou (China), and Castro and Guevara (Cuba). These partnerships changed the world.In Revolutionary Pairs: Marx and Engels, Lenin and Trotsky, Gandhi and Nehru, Mao and Zhou, Castro and Guevara, Larry Ceplair tells the stories of five revolutionary struggles through the lens of famous duos. While each relationship was unique -- Castro and Guevara bonded like brothers, Mao and Zhou like enemies -- in every case, these leaders seized the opportunity for revolution and recognized they could not succeed without the other. The first cross-cultural exploration of revolutionary pairs, this book reveals the undeniable role of personality in modern political change.

"A wonderful starting point for anyone seeking to understand the politics and society of China today."—Chen Shen, American Journal of Chinese StudiesPraise for the previous edition:"An ideal introductory textbook..

“An extremely valuable and usable introductory textbook.” —Simon Lewis, African Studies ReviewThe sixth edition of Understanding Contemporary Africa, and the first under the editorship of Peter Schraeder, combines the strengths of the previous editions with coverage of new topics suggested over the years by the many instructors who regularly assign the text in their classes.Entirely new chapters on the politics of public health, the changing roles of women, LGBTIQ rights, environmental challenges, and population and urbanization, along with new treatments of such classic topics as geography, history, politics, economics, international relations, and more, make for an unparalleled introduction to the complexities of Africa today.

When the United States entered World War I, President Woodrow Wilson declared to Congress that the objective was not merely to bring "a new balance of power," but rather to bring a "just and secure peace" to the world by the end of the conflict. In this famous speech, known as "The Fourteen Points," Wilson offered the world a road map toward a more equitable international system in the midst of unprecedented global conflict, including ideas on the interconnectedness of democracy, trade, and the concept of a forum for peaceably resolving international disputes. Even decades after the end of the First World War, Wilson's ideas remained important and influenced many of his successors. But now, in the twenty-first century, there are forces at work in the world that Wilson could never have imagined, and those forces call for a new plan toward peace.In Fourteen Points for the Twenty-First Century: A Renewed Appeal for Cooperative Internationalism, Richard H. Immerman and Jeffrey A. Engel bring together a diverse group of thinkers who take up Wilson's call for a new world order by exploring fourteen new directions for the twenty-first century. The contributors -- scholars, policymakers, entrepreneurs, poets, doctors, and scientists -- propose solutions to contemporary challenges such as migration, global warming, health care, food security, and privacy in the digital age. Taken together, these points challenge American leaders and policymakers to champion an international effort, not to make America great again, but to work cooperatively with other nations on the basis of mutual respect.

“An invaluable piece of literature for students of intelligence studies and cognate disciplines.” —Aidan Parkes, Journal of Asian Security & International Affairs"A highly recommended reference text for understanding the characteristics of intelligence in about two dozen Asian countries. The editor succeeded in compiling many different pieces in English about countries that are largely absent from intelligence studies research. " —Ryan Shaffer, Intelligence and National SecurityHow are intelligence systems structured in countries across Asia and the Middle East—from Russia to India, from Turkey to China and Japan, from Kazakhstan to Saudi Arabia? In what ways did decolonization and the Cold War influence their organization? What is their mission, and to what extent do they come under public scrutiny?The authors of this comprehensive reference delve into these questions, and more, to provide a unique, systematic survey of intelligence practices and cultures in 22 countries.

“Provides both a comprehensive survey of scholarship on violence against civilians and a plausible theory to help explain why armed actors target civilians with violence.” —Carrie Manning, The Journal of Social EncountersConventional wisdom tells us that targeting civilians in civil wars makes little sense as a combat strategy. Yet, the indiscriminate violence continues. Why?To tackle this vexing question, Jürgen Brandsch looks closely at the on-the-ground impact of indiscriminate violence—and what he finds shows that there often is, in fact, a method to the madness. Making the provocative argument that slaughtering innocent civilians may be rational behavior on the part of the perpetrators, Brandsch provides an important piece in the puzzle of how to understand, and ultimately prevent, such atrocities.

In the last three decades the Australian Left has shaped national life. The collapse of the socialist project in the eighties enabled the rebirth of the Australian Left as a force of government. The Left of the Labor Party has moved from the fringes to a central position in the party while the Greens have built an electoral basis outside Labor. Questions of legal liberalism, indigenous rights and sexual identity have become central in Left politics, but mostly not economics. This New Left has grappled with the remnant past radicalisms, such as Marxism and radical feminism, but also new challenges: religious fundamentalism, right-wing populism, the crisis in many Indigenous communities, the global economic crisis and the rise of the Greens as a challenge to Labor. This New Left has been underpinned by the rise of intellectual celebrities and practices such as human rights law, together with a left-wing way of everyday life.

Dignity in a Teacup' chronicles the five years Christine Cummins spent working as a torture and trauma counsellor with asylum seekers detained on Christmas Island, Australia’s remote Indian Ocean outpost. It provides a first-hand account of Australian immigration detention during a period of dramatic change and controversy. With exclusive access to the stories shared by hundreds of asylum seekers, Christine describes the reasons people were forced to flee their homelands. These true stories are compelling and reveal the lives of ordinary people seeking a safe new life. It’s an inspiring, intimate memoir about resilience and the tenacity of love. This book fills the gap in our understanding of people pursuing protection in a conflict-ridden world.

For those who want to understand Australian politics today - Why does Australia change its prime ministers so often? Has the job of prime minister become more difficult? It has certainly become more insecure, with six changes in the eleven years between 2007 and 2018. Here is the story of how all twenty-nine former prime ministers lost their jobs.

"A good starting place for anyone seeking a better understanding of Japanese thinking on imperial and Second World War historical issues." —Joel Campbell, International AffairsMemories can be shared—or contested. Japan and Korea, just one case in point, share centuries of intertwined history, the nature of which continues to be disputed, particularly with regard to World War II. The authors of History, Memory, and Politics in Postwar Japan explore Japan's historical narratives, and their impact on both domestic politics and diplomatic relations, as they have evolved from 1946 to the present. Presenting the results of more than a decade of collaborative research, their book is a rich contribution to our understanding not only of Japanese politics, but also of how the historical narratives that we embrace have far-reaching consequences.

“It’s really a horror to live in a war”, Antoine Makdis told me in Aleppo. And over the next ten days we were witnesses to that horror. “The war has aged me not just psychologically but in my way of thinking. It aged me in my body. I have pain when I walk. I have pain when I’m sleeping. I’m not wiser but I’m older.” Featuring stories of human rights violations and struggles in a world of human- and earth-destroying globalised capitalism, the RTÉ What in the World? television series has filmed in over fifty countries across Africa, Asia and The Americas. This is the second book published by The Liffey Press based on the award-winning series. With a focus on war and its consequences, this book tells profoundly moving stories of how conflict has convulsed the lives of people caught up its insidious grip, plunged people into the depths of despair and crushed the hopes and dreams of whole generations. None of this is accidental. Wars don’t just happen. They are the inevitable result of the military industrial complex, the colonial legacy, the economic dividends of war. War, Suffering and the Struggle for Human Rights describes the suffering of ordinary people in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mexico, Russia, South Sudan, Syria, Uruguay, Western Sahara, Palestine/Israel, Brazil, South Korea, Somalia and Timor Leste. Above all, the reader will be left with an understanding of how wars live on in the lives and bodies of the injured and the traumatized long after they are deemed officially over.

Alan Doss offers a rare window into the real world of UN peacekeeping missions in Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Doss's story is one of presidents and prelates, warlords and warriors, heroes and villains, achievements and disappointments—and innocent people caught in the midst of deadly violence. As he shares his front-line experiences, he reflects on the reasons for successes and failures and on the qualities that leaders need to successfully guide efforts to rebuild peace and prosperity in devastated societies. Not least, he also considers the UN's future role in conflict prevention and peacekeeping in a climate of increasing resistance to intervention in "other people's wars."

The previous edition of Understanding the Contemporary Middle East was published soon after the Arab uprisings, and the authors—writing across disciplines—captured those moments of possibility. Now, more than six years later, the Middle East is substantially changed, with three protracted civil wars, several retrenched authoritarian regimes, possibly one emerging democracy, and social and economic conditions that have been profoundly affected by the new political environment.This thoroughly revised and updated edition explores both the impact of recent events in shaping the region and the continuities with established patterns of political, economic, and social relations.

"Comprehensive and nuanced..

How do emerging donors conceptualize the relationship between security and development? How, and why, do the policies they pursue in conflict-affected states differ from the liberal peacebuilding model of traditional donors? Addressing these questions, the authors of The New Politics of Aid shed light on the increasingly complicated and complex donor landscape. Their work is an essential contribution to our understanding of both the changing dynamics of foreign aid and the processes of postconflict reconstruction and peacebuilding.

The second edition of Inside African Politics, updated throughout to reflect political developments across the continent, not only provides thorough coverage of the full range of core topics, but also furthers an awareness and understanding of key theoretical issues and current debates. Drawing on their extensive teaching and fieldwork experience, Pierre Englebert and Kevin Dunn offer a straightforward, accessible style, making even complex ideas easy to understand, and a balanced approach, exposing multiple perspectives on contested issues; a focus on both states and citizens, politics from above and below; discussions of existing policies, as well as policy implications of different approaches; and an abundance of rich data and illustrative examples. The result is both an essential text and a long-term resource for students and scholars alike.