Politics at Continuum

Saudi Arabia

The AP reported today (Friday, November 6) that Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes against "infiltrators" from Yemen but limited to areas within Saudi territories. For the full article, click here.

Continuum will be publishing International Relations of the Gulf Cooperation Council States, written by Christian Koch.

The Gulf region is a key center of international politics and security, and the GCC states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE) are carving out a role for themselves, not only to promote economic development, but also to develop concerted foreign policies. The book looks at the policymaking process and the role of the GCC as an international institution. Case studies highlight key regional and international relationships, e.g., with Iraq, Iran, Yemen, the US, Russia, Asia, and the EU.  

Christian Koch is Director of International Studies at the Gulf Research Center in Dubai. His unique and thorough analysis of the GCC states will be a key text for those studying Arab politics and for policymakers who need to understand the dynamics shaping the Gulf region.

In you are interested in the region, you may also want to look at these two published titles:

Arabs by Mark Allen click here to go to our website. 

Arab Media by Kai Hafez click here to go to our website. 

 

Berlusconi

  The highest court of Italy has overturned the law granting Berlusconi's immunity from corruption charges. If you  are interested in italian politics and especially the Berlusconi era, you may want to check our new title:

Resisting the Tide: Cultures of Opposition Under Berlusconi (2001-06)
edited by Daniele Albertazzi, Charlotte Ross, Clodagh Brook, and Nina Rothenberg

"This volume provides a  very valuable catalogue of the opposition to Berlusconi which has formed over the last 15 years in Italian politics, society, and the cultural and entertainment industries. Its examination is as accurate and exhaustive as it is fragmentary; exactly like the opposition itself. It is a useful contribution for helping us understand not just  that there isn't only Berlusconi in Italy, but also why his political success continues to grow." --Ilvo Diamanti, Professor of Political Science at the University of Urbino "Carlo Bo"

"The high and long-lasting tide of berlusconismo seems almost irresistible. Perhaps this is because Berlusconi really does represent large sectors of Italian society. As many of the contributors to this indispensable book document and argue, cultures of opposition in Italy are fragmented and prove unable to coalesce into serious political and parliamentary opposition. This excellent collection of essays focuses on all types of cultural, intellectual, and media resistance to the popular-populist tide." --Gianfranco Pasquino, Professor of Political Science at the University of Bologna and at the Johns Hopkins Bologna Center

Coming Soon: Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers - Volume 5 - 10

The next five of our 20-volume series, Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers will publish next month as follows:

Vol. 6     Edmund Burke (by Dennis O’Keeffe)
Vol. 7     Alexis de Tocqueville (by Alan S. Kahan)
Vol. 8     Michael Oakeshott (by Edmund Neill)
Vol. 9    The Salamanca School (by André Azevedo Alves and José Manuel Moreira)
Vol. 10.  Ayn Rand (by Mimi R. Gladstein) 

Some early feedback:

"Kahan's ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE is a small gem of a book written by one of the acknowledged masters of Tocqueville scholarship. The volume, organized in an original and elegant way around the themes of democracy and freedom, is remarkably clear and concise; yet it manages, in a brief format, to treat with insight Tocqueville's major sources, concepts and works. It is one of the best short introductions to Tocqueville's thinking and writing that we now have." James Schleifer, Emeritus Dean of the Library and Professor of History at the College of New Rochelle and has been a Visiting Lecturer at Yale University.

"An invigorating account that repeatedly places Burke in a context that is relevant for the present day. Written in an accessible style, O'Keeffe's book offers a reading that is at once academic and infused with a powerful moral strain." --Jeremy Black

For more information on the entire series, please visit our website by clicking here.

The Second Long March

Today China celebrates the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, with a grand parade, fireworks and more.

If you are interested in Chinese politics, you may want to check the following book:

The Second Long March: Struggling Against the Chinese Communists Under the Republic of China (Taiwan) Constitution
by Peter Kien-hong YU, Ming Chuan University, Taiwan, Republic of China.

"Yu deserves credit for formulating a basic theory. Few dare do this. His theory is heuristic. It makes one think. It is a useful framework for explaining Taiwan's success in democratizing, which still interests leaders of developing nations and scholars everywhere.

Yu also provides an interesting look at Taiwan's politics as he goes. He is a homegrown observer and knows the ins and outs of how the system works in principle and in practice. He adds tidbits of inside information along the way, many of which have not been cited or at least assessed by other scholars. This makes the book a more interesting read.

The Second Long March is recommended to all who want to view Taiwan's history and politics, especially its democratization, from a unique perspective. Why is this so important? Taiwan is the only non-negotiable issue between the United States and the People's Republic of China, the sole superpower and the world's foremost rising power, and the relationship between them is the basis of stability in the global economy and international politics." -- John F. Copper, Stanley J. Buckman Professor of International Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the author of more than 25 books on mainland China and Taiwan

For more details, click here.

The British Conservative Party and One Nation Politics

The British Conservative Party and One Nation Politics by David Seawright will be published in November.

"The label, One Nation, has been central to the politics of British Conservatism for nearly 150 years. Often used as code in internal conflicts or as short-hand for a complex electoral strategy, it has seldom been analysed systematically. David Seawright’s book addresses and remedies this by exploring the evolution of the concept of One Nation politics, locating it in the party’s history and demonstrating its continued importance in contemporary Conservatism. The British Conservative Party and One Nation Politics is a significant contribution to our understanding Conservative politics in Britain." --Andrew Taylor, Professor of Politics,University of Sheffield.     

"David Seawright knows his subject backwards. His book is a persuasive blend of history and social science: it demonstrates definitively that One Nation politics, far from being some kind of centrist alternative to Thatcherism, has always been a microcosm of the creative tensions that have made the Conservative Party, at its best, Britain’s natural party of government." --Tim Bale, author of The Conservative Party from Thatcher to Cameron

"David Seawight’s new book offers an important contribution to understanding the Conservative Party in Britain as it returns to centre stage.  Meticulously researched, the book sets the party into historical context focussing on the idea of One Nation.  But One Nation Conservatism discussed here is presented in a new, more sophisticated and nuanced way.  More than a scholarly work, it presents the challenges that David Cameron will have to meet, especially in the difficult economic and financial context he is likely to inherit.  This book should be read by anyone interested in where British politics is heading over the next decade" --Professor James Mitchell, Author of Conservatives and the Union

Series: International Relations for the 21st Century

International Relations for the Twenty First Century is a series of coursebooks aimed at upper-level undergraduate and graduate students.

Volumes in the series will focus on the security issues that befuddle us all in the post-Cold War and post- 9/11 era. All of the books in the series will address at least one facet of the confusing mix of security issues we face today. Authors will include scholars and practitioners.

The series is edited by Chip Hauss, Professor at George Mason University and Government Liaison for the Alliance for Peacebuilding.

Titles being considered for the series include:

- Rethinking Military Security

- New Challenges for Security

- Intervention

- Global Migration

- and more!

If you would like to contribute a volume, please contact me at mantoine@continuum-books.com

Marie-Claire Antoine
Acquisitions Editor, Politics & IR

Norman Podhoretz

Norman Podhoretz has been in the news lately, following the publication of his new book, Why Are Jews Liberal? (You can read the review from the New York Times Book Review, 9/13 by clicking here.

In November 09, Continuum will publish Norman Podhoretz and Commentary Magazine: The Rise and Fall of the Neocons, by Nathan Abrams.

In this unique scholarly work, Abrams asks what does the term “neoconservative” mean? Who are we talking about and where did they come from? Abrams answers those very questions through a detailed and critical study of neoconservatism’s leading thinker, Norman Podhoretz, and the magazine he edited for 35 years, Commentary. Podhoretz has been described as “the conductor of the neocon orchestra” and through Commentary Podhoretz powerfully shaped neoconservatism.

Rich in research, the book is based upon a wide range of sources, including archival and other material never before published in the context of Commentary magazine, including Podhoretz’s private papers.

It does not indulge in hagiography. It punctures, where necessary, the mythology that surrounds the movement and its magazine. It argues that much of what has been said about neoconservatism is the product of willful distortion and exaggeration both by the neoconservatives themselves and their many enemies.

From this unique perspective, Abrams examines the origins, rise, and fall of neoconservatism. In understanding Podhoretz, a figure often overlooked, this book sheds light on the origins, ideas, and intellectual pedigree of neoconservatism.

Nathan Abrams was educated at the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham where he graduated with a PhD in American Studies. He is currently a Senior Lecturer and Director of Graduate Studies at Bangor University in Wales.

Coming Soon: British Conservative Party and One Nation Politics

The British Conservative Party and One Nation Politics, by David Seawright, will be published in November 2009.

"The label, One Nation, has been central to the politics of British Conservatism for nearly 150 years. Often used as code in internal conflicts or as short-hand for a complex electoral strategy, it has seldom been analysed systematically. David Seawright’s book addresses and remedies this by exploring the evolution of the concept of One Nation politics, locating it in the party’s history and demonstrating its continued importance in contemporary Conservatism. The British Conservative Party and One Nation Politics is a significant contribution to our understanding Conservative politics in Britain." --Andrew Taylor, Professor of Politics,University of Sheffield.

"David Seawright knows his subject backwards. His book is a persuasive blend of history and social science: it demonstrates definitively that One Nation politics, far from being some kind of centrist alternative to Thatcherism, has always been a microcosm of the creative tensions that have made the Conservative Party, at its best, Britain’s natural party of government." --Tim Bale, author of The Conservative Party from Thatcher to Cameron

For more information on this title, visit our website at http://www.continuumbooks.com

New at Continuum: Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism

Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism: How Bureaucracies Reacted  to the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing by Alethia Cook, East Carolina University, will be published in November 2009.

"The 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing forced the population in the interior of the United States to recognize that the “heartlands” were not immune from a massive terrorist attack. In the period following the bombing understandable emotion often clouded an objective analysis of how the authorities responded to the tragedy. Alethia H. Cook has  taken advantage of the passage of time to develop an excellent analytical framework and an impressive empirical approach largely based on interviews to provide an important anatomy of the crucial first twelve hours after a major terrorist incident.

Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism should be required reading for policy makers, organizations and  operational personnel that are responsible for responding to terrorists attacks and other major catastrophes. It should also be an essential part of any scholar or student who is involved in the increasingly vital and growing field of emergency management."

-- Stephen Sloan, Lawrence J. Chastang Distinguished Professor of Terrorism Studies, Office of Global Perspectives, The University of Central Florida; Professor Emeritus, The University of Oklahoma

New Series: Continuum Intelligence Studies

Continuum is launching a new series, called Continuum Intelligence Studies.

The aim of the series is to present new research to enhance both the study and practice of intelligence.

The volumes cover theory, concepts, teaching methods, new research, methodologies, best practices, and more across all fields of intelligence studies. The focus is on contemporary issues and new research.

Composed of coursebooks, monographs, practical guides, and reference works written by scholars and experts, the series is geared toward students in intelligence and security studies, as well as intelligence practitioners.

The first volume to be published will be a textbook called Sociocultural Intelligence: A New Discipline In Intelligence Studies by Kerry Patton. This unique text offers an in-depth examination of sociocultural intelligence (SOCINT), a discipline that proposes using the social sciences to gain a systematic understanding of the customs, moral attitudes, and cultures of foreign populations in order to enhance the efficacy of national security initiatives. 

There are  more volumes in the works, too! If you are interested in contributing to the series, please contact me at mantoine@continuum-books.com.

Looking forward to it!

Marie-Claire Antoine
Acquisitions Editor, Politics & International Relations

Political Economy of Southeast Europe from 1990 to the Present

Political Economy of Southeast Europe from 1990 to the Present by Bruno Sergi and Qerim Qerimi was reviewed in the Italian Cultura & Società:

"[The book] is about the troubled history of the Balkan peninsula, with specific reference to the Kosovar secession, all dealt with great mastery and wisdom. A journey through ten chapters and 180 pages that are very accessible thanks to a writing style that is both analytical and descriptive. A useful study both for university students and the general public."  --Giuseppe Leanza

Adam Smith

James Otteson, author of our upcoming book, Adam Smith, was quoted in an article from Investor's Business Daily. You can read the article at http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=483382.

Adam Smith is a volume in our Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers series, which will be published in September 10. For more information, you can visit our website at http://www.continuumbooks.com/books/detail.aspx?BookId=130995&SearchType=Basic

Coming soon: Putin's Oil by Martin Sixsmith

PUTIN’S OIL is the story of Russia’s energy wars and their consequences for Moscow and the world. The struggle to control the country’s oil wealth sparked a titanic conflict between Vladimir Putin and private business that changed the political course of the nation.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the oligarch owner of the country’s biggest oil firm, Yukos, was the richest and one of the most powerful men in Russia. But in October 2003 President Putin sent machine gun carrying troops to intercept his plane on a Siberian airfield and haul him back to Moscow in handcuffs.

Putin had flexed his political might, but Khodorkovsky held the key to Russia’s economy with control over a vast part of its oil resources. Now the two men were at war – Putin wanted the oil back, and Khodorkovsky wanted to be president.

In the months before his arrest, Khodorkovsky had bought into nearly every party in Russia’s parliament and was talking of a bid for power. He had begun negotiations to sell Yukos and its oil to American interests, and in a stormy confrontation in the Kremlin he had insulted Putin and accused him of corruption.

Putin knew that crushing Khodorkovsky would make him look like a tyrant and scare away Western investors, but he also knew that oil was crucial for his country’s future. Later, he would use it as a means to blackmail other states, and in the 2008 elections he would ensure his continuing hold over Russian politics.

Putin’s Oil investigates the complex world of Kremlin politics, with its conspiracies and conspiracy theories; suspicions of betrayal and double agents in the Kremlin and in Yukos; murder charges against Khodorkovsky’s partners, and the KGB defector who claims they were carried out by Kremlin agents.

Martin Sixsmith, former BBC Moscow Correspondent, has gained unprecedented access to many of the players in the drama. The resulting book is both a thriller and an analysis of the defining moments of Putin’s presidency and their ongoing impact in Russian and world politics.

For more information, visit our website by clicking here.

Series: Reader's Guides

Our Reader's Guides series offers clear and accessible introductions to key texts. In each volume, you will find:

• the political, cultural, and philosophical context in which the work was written
• an overview of the themes discussed in the text
• a section on reading the text --the core of the book-- including discussion points and questions
• a discussion of the reception and influence of the work
• a detailed bibliography and further reading selection
• an index

For sample titles in the series, please visit our website at http://www.continuumbooks.com

If you are interested in contributing a volume, please contact me at mantoine@continuum-books.com.

Looking forward to it!

Marie-Claire Antoine
Acquisitions Editor, Politics & International Relations

Coming Soon: China Against the Tides, 3rd Ed.

China Against the Tides, 3rd Edition by Marc Blecher will be published in November 2009.

    “Marc Blecher moves ahead of the introductory texts and general surveys by providing four analytical approaches to understanding China's realities.He then leaves the others far behind by proposing that China is a new type of political regime. He carries the reader along, whether student, observer or specialist,by the sheer excitement of his presentation. A distinctive achievement.”  -- Robert Benewick, Emeritus Professor of Politics, University of Sussex

    "The best textbooks combine scope with more than a dash of 'attitude.'  Marc Blecher's China Against the Tides is just that sort of effort.  Blecher masterfully interprets China's turbulent 20th century and points readers toward questions that will bedevil China's leaders for years to come. History, politics, social and economic change, international relations: it's all here, deftly woven into a compelling narrative that also has real analytical bite." --Kevin J. O'Brien, Alann P. Bedford Professor of Asian Studies and Political Science,University of California-Berkeley, and editor of Popular Protest in China (Harvard, 2008)

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.continuumbooks.com/

International Relations Titles in the Works

2009-2010 will see a recrudescence of Continuum titles in the fields of International Relations, including:

China Against the Tides, 3rd Edition by Marc Blecher

International Conflict Resolution, 2nd Edition by Charles Hauss

The International Relations of Sub-Saharan Africa by Ian Taylor

Conflict Resolution of the Boruca Hydro-Energy Project by Warren Haffar & Jurgen Carls

For more information on the politics list, please visit our website at www.continuumbooks.com

Just In: Resisting the Tide

We are proud to announce the publication of Resisting the Tide: Cultures of Opposition under Berlusconi (2001-06).

Edited by Daniele Albertazzi, Clodagh Brook, Charlotte Ross, and Nina Rothenberg, the book focuses on Berlusconi's term as Prime Minister from 2001-06.

"This volume provides a  very valuable catalogue of the opposition to Berlusconi which has formed over the last 15 years in Italian politics, society, and the cultural and entertainment industries. Its examination is as accurate and exhaustive as it is fragmentary; exactly like the opposition itself. It is a useful contribution for helping us understand not just  that there isn't only Berlusconi in Italy, but also why his political success continues to grow." --Ilvo Diamanti, Professor of Political Science at the University of Urbino "Carlo Bo

"The high and long-lasting tide of berlusconismo seems almost irresistible. Perhaps this is because Berlusconi really does represent large sectors of Italian society. As many of the contributors to this indispensable book document and argue, cultures of opposition in Italy are fragmented and prove unable to coalesce into serious political and parliamentary opposition. This excellent collection of essays focuses on all types of cultural, intellectual, and media resistance to the popular-populist tide." --Gianfranco Pasquino, Professor of Political Science at the University of Bologna and at the Johns Hopkins Bologna Center

For more information, please visit our website by clicking here.

Just In: Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers Volumes 1-5

The first five of twenty volumes that make up Continuum's Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers series are published. They are:

1. Thomas Hobbes by R.E.R. Bunce
2. John Locke by Erick Mack
3. David Hume by Christopher Berry
4. Joseph A. Schumpeter by John Medearis
5. The Modern Papacy by Samuel Gregg

For more information, visit our website at: http://www.continuumbooks.com

"The volumes in this timely series comprise the most comprehensive body of material on conservative and libertarian thought yet published in a single project devoted to the subject. The series will prove an indispensable tool not only for those concerned with the history of political thought but also for those who confront the challenging task of constructing a viable contemporary conservative identity. Professor Meadowcroft had a difficult editorial task, to which he has responded with a judicious choice of thinkers and topics." -- Noel O'Sullivan, Professor of Political Philosophy, the University of Hull, UK.

And coming this October:
6. Edmund Burke by Dennis O'Keeffe
7. Alexis de Tocqueville by Alan S. Kahan
8. Michael Oakeshott by Edmund Neill
9. The Salamanca School by Andre Alves and Jose Manuel Moreira
10. Ayn Rand by Mimi Gladstein

Just In: Misinterpreting Modern Russia

Congratulations to Bruno Sergi on the publication of his latest book, Misinterpreting Modern Russia: Western Views of Putin and his Presidency. 

Bruno Sergi argues, in this new study, that the way to know the complete story behind how Putin’s presidency has been viewed in Russia, is to examine closely the hard realities that conditioned Putin’s policies and responses. Misinterpreting Modern Russia: Western Views of Putin and his Presidency looks beyond the stereotypes to the hard logic of the 1990s, and asks a range of provocative questions about the disintegration of the old Soviet empire and the extraordinary riches that have caused so much opportunity and turmoil in recent years.

For more information on this exciting new title, please visit our website at http://www.continuumbooks.com

 

BRIC Meeting

Yesterday, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China met to discuss how they can diminish they reliance on the US amongst other issues. You can read about it in today's New York Times.

The BRIC group is of great interest and, here at Continuum, we are looking to publish more about it and the countries involved. We already have some new exciting books, includin:

China Against the Tides, 3rd edition by Marc Blecher (October 2009)
The Second Long March by Peter YU  (March 2009)
Misinterpreting Modern Russia by Bruno Sergi (June 2009)
Latin America's Politics by David Scott Palmer (2012)
The Dragon's Will: The Exercise and Limitation of China's Power from Pyongyang to Khartoum by Jing-Dong Yuan (2011)

... And more in the pipeline!

If you would like to submit a query or proposal, please contact Marie-Claire Antoine, Acquisitions Editor in Politics and IR at mantoine@continuum-books.com

(photo from the New York Times, 6/17/09 - Sergei Ilnitsky/European Pressphoto Agency; Lula da Silva of Brazil, Dmitri Medvedev of Russia, Hu Jintao of China, and  Manmohan Singh of India.)