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

Michael E. Brown (Editor), Owen R. Coté Jr. (Editor), Sean M. Lynn-Jones (Editor), Steven E. Miller (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0262523159 | ISBN-13: 978-0262523158 | Edition: revised edition

Most recent wars have been complex and bloody internal conflicts driven to a significant degree by nationalism and ethnic animosity. Since the end of the Cold War, dozens of wars -- in Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, Somalia, the former Soviet Union, and elsewhere -- have killed or displaced millions of people. Understanding and controlling these wars has become one of the most important and frustrating tasks for scholars and political leaders.This revised and expanded edition of Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict contains essays from some of the world's leading analysts of nationalism, ethnic conflict, and internal war. The essays from the first edition have been updated and supplemented by analyses of recent conflicts and new research on the resolution of ethnic and civil wars.The first part of the book addresses the roots of nationalistic and ethnic wars, focusing in particular on the former Yugoslavia. The second part assesses options for international action, including the use of force and the deployment of peacekeeping troops. The third part examines political challenges that often complicate attempts to prevent or end internal conflicts, including refugee flows and the special difficulties of resolving civil wars.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

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

Product Details

• Paperback: 475 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; revised edition edition (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262523159
• ISBN-13: 978-0262523158
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #834,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #86 in Books > History > Europe > Yugoslavia

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.