Customer Reviews

Alignment Despite Antagonism: The United States-Korea-Japan Security Triangle (Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian In)

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I can't say that the work that went into this book isn't impressive. To present a theory of this sort is very bold, as it has been highly criticized-particularly those with a background in international relations. Even more impressive is the magnitude of the historical detail he presents within a mere 300 pages or less. However, when addressing his main argument, I can't fully support it-Cha provides only the examples that sustain his thesis, but when it comes to his criticism of other theories, he completely ignores his own standards (anyone who has studied political science knows that historical studies are not the best measurement of future action, this book is no exception). If you are interested in a book US-Korea-Japan political histories, there are books that can more thoroughly cover the subject. If you are interested in international relations theory, this book is somewhat beneficial-not only as an alternative to the historical animosity argument, but also because the overall idea is extremely fascinating. Not your typical leisurely reading-and not designed to be.

The Korea and Japan dyad cannot be analyze without looking at the US. The relations between US-RoK and US-Japan have always been influenced by the relations or the tension between RoK and Japan. Pro. Cha combines in his excellent book a theoretical discussion and empirical analysis of the US-Japan-RoK triangle. Japan and the RoK are important player in East Asia. Analyzing the complexity of the relations within the triangle - the fear of abandonment or the fear of entrapment are important factor in the mechanism of the complexity and beauty of East Asia. One should read the book, in order to understand the tensions and the problematic of the security and foreign relations in East Asia. This book is an important book for scholars and students in Asian Studies and theory of IR.

Dr. Cha made an outstanding job out of Gleen H. Snyder's Alliance Theory, his analytic structure is nearly impeccable. It offers an clear and powerful explanation on U.S. influence on Eastern Asian affair. If you are an IR student interested in sub-fields like theory of conflict, or alliance cohesion, don't miss it. As to his historical part, everybody knows it's very hard to get rid of those critique like "Cooking the book", especially when we are working on a deductional way. In order to justify our own theory, under most circumstances, authors have to riddle his material through a screen, seperating those chaff. No studies go without drawback like this, Glenn Snyder's historical study was limited only to race between triple alliance vs triple entente from 1870-1914, as Stephen Walt, John Mearsheimer..., all of them have their restrictions on their theories. It's beyond doubt, should one day, Uncle Sam withdraws his troops out of Eastern Asia, Dr. Cha will face a whole new situation. By the time, this book will become obsolete, however, I won't stop recommending it strongly, until that day.

This is a great book. Cha is one of the foremost authorities on current international relations, particulary East Asian security. The book does an excellent job of placing salient issues in American-Japanese-Korean relations in their historical context, and provides insightful predictions for the future of these relationships. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in international security. The commentary by Bob Jervis on the back is also a major plus. I think Cha ought to be president. I plan to name my first son Victor. I really recommend this book