Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2022 -

Historians usually remember the League of Nations--if at all--for its failure to prevent World War II. Historian Biltoft (Geneva Graduate Institute, Switzerland) has a different, far more interesting story to tell. She examines the League as a creator of the news--even "truth"--and a restless promotor of liberalism in the increasing illiberal interwar world. In this short but illuminating work, Biltoft argues that the League attempted to "rebrand the world" to encourage discussion rather than war, provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, and ultimately create a new, healthier--and less violent--international order. The League did this in several ways: by taking on the language barrier, including the correct answer to that issue, Esperanto; currency/money in the aftermath of the widespread mega-inflation of the 1920s; and the elimination of false news in the media. That the League was unsuccessful in these endeavors is less important--at least to 21st-century people--than Biltoft's intelligent, richly documented examination of these noble, if at times problematic, attempts. For an age still plagued by "fake news" from Moscow to Florida, this book is required reading.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty and general readers.

The UN's 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a landmark achievement, the first truly global statement of human values and aspirations. It has had a dramatic influence on international and domestic law, and dozens of treaties codifying the rights laid out in the Declaration have followed. Despite its importance, the story of how the Declaration was created and what its drafters intended is not well-known. The book covers every article of the Declaration in its own succinct chapter, detailing the individuals in the room, their distinct motivations, the sources of their ideas, and the complex negotiations across multiple drafts that led to the final document. The narrative is engaging and very accessible, and Morsink (emer., Drew University) notes the relevance of the Declaration to contemporary issues. This book is perfect for undergraduates. Libraries would be wise to have it on hand for students conducting research projects, and some instructors may find it useful to assign for classes on human rights.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates and graduate students.

Using Kazakh and American archival sources, Kassenova (Univ. of Albany, SUNY) skillfully analyzes the intricacies of Kazakhstan's transformation into a nonnuclear-weapon state after inheriting 104 nuclear missiles when the Soviet Union collapsed. She exposes the devastating human toll of 40 years of nuclear tests, which harmed more than a million people. The Soviet government first denied the human toll and then neglected to address the consequences of widespread radioactive contamination. Kassenova examines the complicated process of post-Soviet denuclearization. She discusses the domestic political debate over whether to keep nuclear weapons and how the combination of strong antinuclear popular sentiment and reputational arguments played a role in Kazakhstan's decision to join the Nonproliferation Treaty as a nonnuclear-weapon state. An especially engrossing chapter describes the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program and Project Sapphire. The conclusion meditates on the place of a denuclearized Kazakhstan in the global nuclear order and the prospects and limitations of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. A useful addition to Mitchell Reiss's Bridled Ambition: Why Countries Constrain Their Nuclear Capabilities (CH, Oct'95, 33-1178), this excellent book makes an important contribution to the literature on nuclear arms control and disarmament.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty and professionals.

In Cuban Privilege, Eckstein (global studies, Boston Univ.) applies primary research and builds on her previous, foundational works to offer a revealing account of how Cuban immigrants to the US--through a politicized refugee/asylee status--have experienced a privileged political position in American politics. From President Eisenhower to President Obama and through legislative processes, Cubans' standing has been strategic, purposeful, and political. Though shifts occurred with President Obama and President Trump, Cuban Americans continue to enjoy tremendous advantages compared to other immigrants; Eckstein distinctly documents the comparison to Haitian and Dominican immigrants. The privileges Cuban Americans experience precipitate more privileges. Imperialism, race/racism, classism, and the like play an enormous role in why Cubans and Cuban Americans enjoy such privileges. Eckstein's incomparable research clearly demonstrates the exact dynamic, even after the end of the Cold War, and includes a comprehensive exploration of "old" and "new" waves of Cuban immigration. Cuban Privilege will likely be the authoritative text on the making of immigrant inequality in the US and will be an exceptional complement to Latin American studies literature and ethnic studies courses.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates, graduate students, and general readers.

Kyle (Univ. of Nebraska, Omaha) and Reiter (Mount Holyoke College) examine civil-military relations in the context of military courts. The authors' purposes are to interrogate the extent to which civilian judiciaries establish legal control over the armed forces within particular countries and to elucidate valuable lessons about the appropriate ways to strengthen civilian control of military justice systems around the world. This work is global in scope and remarkable in breadth. The authors employ a data set from 120 countries across 200 years, including detailed case studies of Portugal, Colombia, Indonesia, Fiji, Brazil, Pakistan, and the US. In doing so, Kyle and Reiter demonstrate the importance of military justice reform within democracies and illuminate pathways for future improvement. The book is thought-provoking in tenor, significant in substance, and lucid in presentation, and the authors achieve their stated goals and much more. This book should be required reading for anyone with an interest in military justice, civil-military relations, human rights, and the many vital linkages between them.Summing Up: Essential. Undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers.

Wolfley (US Military Academy, West Point) analyzes military statecraft--the dynamic relationship between military power and foreign policy--by focusing on one particular component, "shaping," wherein nations employ militaries to pursue foreign policy goals. In short, Wolfley highlights the myriad ways that armed forces exert influence abroad. He covers four logics of shaping--attraction, socialization, delegation, and assurance--through a series of compelling case studies. The author supports his lucid narrative with meticulous notes, leveraging a broad array of sources. He also compiles a useful appendix that delves deeply into his research design. In the end, Military Statecraft and the Rise of Shaping in World Politics reminds readers that the boundaries between hard and soft power are malleable. Wolfley convincingly shows how and why assets traditionally considered hard power can be employed in ways that achieve the goals of soft power. Wolfley's writing is clear, his argumentation is persuasive, and his conclusions are important. Readers interested in the armed forces and foreign policy, and the interplay between them, will greatly benefit from this valuable work.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty and general readers.

Contrary to what many political scientists today believe, Chung (Univ. of Utah) proposes that a secure, confident sense of national identity in East Asia may be a far more effective way of promoting peaceful international relations than globalism or universalism. In this novel approach, Chung argues that strong, well-established national values can reduce political distrust, guilt avoidance, and negative perceptions, which have accumulated through a history of past aggression--invasion, war, or colonial dominance--and create better mutual understanding and increased cooperation. Citing examples of the long-standing hostilities between China, South Korea, and Japan and the difficulties those countries face in achieving and maintaining productive bilateral relationships, Chung notes that positive outcomes can be reached through the discovery of commonalities, which permit a singular psychological shift from hatred to reconciliation, if not complete acceptance. This intriguingly fresh idea--that national identify can serve as a pacifying rather than a divisive force--should be welcome news because it is highly unlikely that any of these regional powers will ever abandon their well-developed national pride. This book paves new paths forward for international relations in East Asia.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty and general readers.