Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History

The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership

Yehuda Avner · 731 pages

Looks at the lives of Israeli prime ministers Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin, and Menachem Begin, and the events surrounding their leadership in Israel.

Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis

Graham T. Allison, Philip Zelikow · 338 pages

One of the most influental political science works written in the post World War II era, the original edition of Essence of Decision is a unique and fascinating examination of the pivotal event of the cold Cold War. Not simply revised, but completely re-written, the Second Edition of this classic text is a fresh reinterpretation of the theories and events surrounding the Cuban Missle Crisis, incor

Rise of the Vulcans: The History of Bush's War Cabinet

James Mann · 437 pages

Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America's Future

Stephen Kinzer · 274 pages

What can the United States do to help realize its dream of a peaceful, democratic Middle East? Kinzer provides a penetrating, timely critique of America's approach to the world's most volatile region, and offers a startling alternative.

The Duel: Pakistan On The Flight Path Of American Power

Tariq Ali · 304 pages

"Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world. It is the only Islamic state to have nuclear weapons. Its border with Afghanistan extends over one thousand miles and is the likely hideout of Osama bin Laden. It has been under military dictatorship for thirty-three of its fifty-year existence. Yet it is the linchpin in the United States' war on terror, receiving over $10 billion of Ameri

The Economic Consequences of the Peace

John Maynard Keynes

A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide

Samantha Power · 656 pages

""A Problem from Hell" is a path-breaking interrogation of the last century of American history. Samantha Power poses a question that haunts our nation's past: Why do American leaders who vow "never again" repeatedly fail to marhsal the will and the might to stop genocide? She provides the answer in the form of the suspenseful story of courageous individuals who risked their careers and lives in a

Empire's Workshop: Latin America, the United States, and the Rise of the New Imperialism

Greg Grandin · 292 pages

"This completely revised edition includes new information on the US invasion of Panama, US interventions in Cuba, Guatemala, and Chile, Plan Colombia and the War on Drugs, the Obama administration’s involvement in the 2009 coup in Honduras, and the current crisis at the US-Mexico border, caused by decades of misguided Washington policies. Most provocatively, Grandin argues that the origins of many

War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton and the Generals

David Halberstam · 544 pages

"More than twenty-five years ago Halberstam told the riveting story of the men who conceived and executed the Vietnam War. Today the author has written another chronicle of Washington politics, this time exploring the complex dynamics of foreign policy in post-Cold War America.". "Halberstam evokes the internecine conflicts, the untrammeled egos, and the struggles for dominance among the key figu

The Revenge Of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate

Robert D. Kaplan · 437 pages

Kaplan is a realist. This book is about the physical facts of the world we live on and what those facts mean for cultures and nations. Take for example, the two oceans that insulate the isolationist United States from any credible threats and compare this with the non-existence of any mountains or other barriers around Russia that make its’ land easy to invade and the Russians perennially insecure

The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future

Victor Cha · 552 pages

Looks at the nation of North Korea, its history, social conditions, and place in world politics as it stands today and where it is likely to end up in the future. In this book the author, pulls back the curtain on provocative, isolationist North Korea, providing our best look yet at its history and the rise of the Kim family dynasty and the obsessive personality cult that empowers them. He illumin

Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire

Chalmers Johnson · 268 pages

""Blowback," a term invented by the CIA, refers to the unintended consequences of American policies. In this sure-to-be-controversial book, Johnson lays out in vivid detail the dangers faced by our overextended empire, which insists on projecting its military power to every corner of the earth and using American capital and markets to force global economic integration on its own terms. From a cas

Descent into Chaos: The United States & the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan & Central Asia

Ahmed Rashid · 484 pages

The #1 New York Times bestselling author provides a shocking analysis of the crisis in Pakistan and the renewed radicalism threatening Afghanistan and the West.Ahmed Rashid is "Pakistan's best and bravest reporter" (Christopher Hitchens). His unique knowledge of this vast and complex region allows him a panoramic vision and nuance that no Western writer can emulate.His book Taliban first introduce

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics

Tim Marshall · 291 pages

All leaders are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. Yes, to understand world events you need to understand people, ideas and movements - but if you don't know geography, you'll never have the full picture. To understand Putin's actions, for example, it is essential to consider that, to be a world power, Russia must have a navy. And if its po

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics

John J. Mearsheimer · 561 pages

Explaining his theory of "offensive realism," the University of Chicago professor of political science discusses the methods used by states to ensure their survival through military strength and regional dominance.

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis

Jonathan Blitzer · 544 pages

The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran

David Crist · 638 pages

Truman

David McCullough · 1,120 pages

Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid

Jimmy Carter · 288 pages

President Carter, who was able to negotiate peace between Israel and Egypt, has remained deeply involved in Middle East affairs since leaving the White House. He has stayed in touch with the major players from all sides in the conflict and has made numerous trips to the Holy Land, most recently as an observer in the Palestinian elections of 2005 and 2006. In this book, President Carter shares h

Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World

Walter Russell Mead · 400 pages

Strategies of Containment: A Critical Appraisal of American National Security Policy During the Cold War

John Lewis Gaddis · 458 pages

When Strategies of Containment was first published, the Soviet Union was still a superpower, Ronald Reagan was president of the United States, and the Berlin Wall was still standing. This updated edition of Gaddis' classic carries the history of containment through the end of the Cold War. Beginning with Franklin D. Roosevelt's postwar plans, Gaddis provides a thorough critical analysis of George

The Oil Kings: How the U.S., Iran, and Saudi Arabia changed the balance of power in the Middle East

Andrew Scott Cooper · 530 pages

This is an account of an era we thought we knew: how the US decision in the mid-1970s to choose Saudi Arabia as the dominant oil power in the Mideast ultimately led to the Islamic revolution in Iran, and how oil came to dominate U.S. domestic and international affairs. The author draws on newly declassified documents and interviews with some key figures of the time to show how Nixon, Ford, Kissing

Intent to Destroy: Russia’s Two-Hundred-Year Quest to Dominate Ukraine

Eugene Finkel · 336 pages

The Untold History of The United States

Oliver Stone, Peter Kuznick · 750 pages

A companion to the ten-part documentary series outlines provocative arguments against official American historical records to reveal the origins of conservatism and the obstacles to progressive change.