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Books & Reviews

Review Essays

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Review Essay,
Jan/Feb
2012
The Strange Triumph of Liberal Democracy
Shlomo Avineri

Intelligent observers of Europe in the 1930s thought its future belonged to communism or fascism and would have ridiculed the notion that decades later the entire continent would be democratic. New books by Jan-Werner Müller and Eric Hobsbawm illuminate the changing fortunes of the continent’s great ideologies.
Review Essay,
Jan/Feb
2012
Poor Choices
Timothy Besley

Three new books look at poverty from the bottom up, painting a vivid portrait of the lives poor people live. In focusing on individual behavior, however, the books neglect a crucial political question: how to get governments to improve the situation.
Review Essay,
Jan/Feb
2012
War No More
Timothy Snyder

In his new book, the acclaimed psychologist Steven Pinker argues that despite the horrors of the twentieth century, global violence is actually on the decline over the long term. The empirical trend Pinker describes is real, but his explanation for it overlooks the crucial relationship between individuals and states.

Capsule Reviews

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Capsule Review,
Jan/Feb
2012
South Africa Pushed to the Limit: The Political Economy of Change
Hein Marais
Nicolas Van De Walle

This book, by one of South Africa’s most prominent progressive journalists, is a thought-provoking analysis of the weaknesses and failures of the country’s leadership since the end of apartheid. After reviewing the ruling African National Congress’ record on economic policymaking, HIV/AIDS, education, and antipoverty measures, the book examines the country’s coalition politics and details the ascent of President Jacob Zuma in recent years. Not everyone will agree with Marais’ assessment that governance has suffered from the excessive influence of corporate capital.
Capsule Review,
Jan/Feb
2012
Making War in Côte d’Ivoire
Mike McGovern
Nicolas Van De Walle

Under the leadership of President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who managed Côte d’Ivoire’s transition to independence, the country was perceived as one of West Africa’s few success stories, at least until the late 1980s. Domestic political stability and close relations with France aided steady growth in the economy, which was based on agricultural exports, most notably cocoa. By the time Houphouët-Boigny died, in 1993, the Ivoirian miracle had already been seriously tarnished after a collapse in cocoa prices. But few predicted the country’s descent into ethnic polarization and civil conflict.
Capsule Review,
Jan/Feb
2012
Southern Africa: Old Treacheries and New Deceits
Prof. Stephen Chan
Nicolas Van De Walle

The main subject of this sometimes rambling but always readable account of the recent history of southern Africa is the close relationships between the region’s political leaders. Although Botswana and Zambia make occasional appearances, Chan focuses on South Africa and Zimbabwe and emphasizes the many links between them, from the attempts by former South African President Thabo Mbeki and the current president, Jacob Zuma, to broker a peace deal in their northern neighbor to the three million or so Zimbabwean refugees currently living in South Africa.

Foreign Affairs Books

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Foreign Affairs Books are collections of seminal essays which first appeared in the pages of Foreign Affairs. Whether policy analysis, reportage or review essay each piece offers lasting value. Collectively these articles frame current debates over crucial issues in American foreign policy and world politics. You can find ordering information for Foreign Affairs Books on the individual book pages listed below.

The Clash of Ideas

This special eBook collection drawn from the archives of Foreign Affairs traces, in real time, the great intellectual debates that defined the twentieth century—and are molding the twenty-first.

 
The U.S. vs. al Qaeda

Released to coincide with the 10th anniversary of 9/11, The US vs. al Qaeda offers a history of the War on Terror through three decades of the best Foreign Affairs coverage on the subject.
The New Arab Revolt

This collection sets the intellectual stage for understanding the revolutions in the Middle East and includes seminal pieces from Foreign Affairs, ForeignAffairs.com, and CFR.org.