Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict (International Security Readers) [Paperback]

Michael E. Brown (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262522241 | ISBN-13: 978-0262522243 | Publication Date: April 22, 1997

Most of the wars of the 1990s have been complex and bloody internal conflicts driven to a significant degree by nationalism and ethnic animosity. Dozens of wars—in Bosnia, Rwanda, Somalia, the former Soviet Union, and elsewhere—have killed or displaced millions of people. Scholars and diplomats have been frustrated in their attempts to understand and control these wars.

The first part of Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict addresses the roots of nationalist and ethnic wars, focusing in particular on the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, the former Soviet Union, and Kashmir. The second part of the book, which explores options for preventing and resolving such conflicts, develops proposals for international action ranging from military intervention to partition to a reconsideration of the idea of the state in Africa.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael E. Brown is Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 452 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (April 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262522241
• ISBN-13: 978-0262522243
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,011,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ethnic Conflict, February 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict (International Security Readers) (Paperback)

This book is a must for any student of ethnic politics combining some of the best articles in print on the subject. The reader is accessible for students at both an undergraduate and graduate level, but is written in such a fashion that anyone can follow the logic of the authors' respective arguments. Mike Brown's edited volumes are always excellent, this one is his very best.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Needs a lot more work, July 6, 2007

By 

Lehigh History Student (Bethlehem, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict - revised edition (International Security Readers) (Paperback)

This combined book that synthesizes several articles on the ideas of nationalism and ethnic conflict is simply horrible. Not only are the articles chosen theoretically inconsistent in many places there are also problems with examples used. The argument that air power is even considered in cases of managing immigration from conflict zones is laughable. The arguments put forth about how ethnic conflicts come about are not theoretically consistent with the norms of international relations from either the realist or the neoliberal intuitionalist perspective. I was shocked that what is regarded as one of the best books on this subject would do such a poor job in representing the complex ideas related to ethnic conflicts. While this book would be useful to spark discussion it is very poor for use in teaching. There are however two useful things that can be learned from this book. One is that historical tensions do not primarily cause ethnic conflicts and more often than not have little to do with them. The second is that partitioning of areas can work for solving ethnic conflicts if the international system is willing to agree that it is impossible to solve the conflict. I am only just starting out in this area so I cannot recommend a better book but I am sure there are ones.