In this section of the blog you can read reviews of all the latest books on politics. Each Sunday we publish three new reviews, aiming to cover a wide range of academic and non-academic books on all aspects of public policy and politics. Whether you’re interested in Benjamin Disraeli’s influence on David Cameron’s policies, the inside story of the Miliband Labour leadership battle, or the history of women in British politics since the 1700s, you’re sure to find all the essential information on these pages. Scroll down to browse the archive.
If you’d like to read more reviews of academic titles from across the social sciences, visit our sister blog, the LSE Review of Books. And if you’re interested in writing a review for the blog or if you would like to see your book reviewed here, please contact our our book reviews editor Amy Mollett at a.b.mollett@lse.ac.uk.
Latest Reviews
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This Blessed Plot: Britain and Europe from Churchill to Blair
In order to help put the current discussion about the UK’s relationship with the EU into context, our sister blog EUROPP looks back at the history of the debate, with a contemporary review of This Blessed Plot. First published in 1998, it is seen by many as one of the most important books published on the UK’s relationship with the EU. The book takes a close look at how Britain’s interests evolved both towards, and away from Europe, all against an on-going backdrop of euroscepticism. Claudia Trauffler finds that 15 years after it was first published; Hugo Young’s work remains incredibly relevant to contemporary debates about the UK and the EU, and still offers insights for policy-makers and politicians alike. Read more…
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Defending the Realm? The Politics of Britain’s Small Wars Since 1945
Britain is often revered for its extensive experience of waging ‘small wars’. Its long imperial history is littered with high profile counter-insurgency campaigns, thus marking it out as the world’s most seasoned practitioner of this type of warfare. In Defending the Realm? Aaron Edwards details the tactical and operational dynamics of Britain’s small wars, arguing that the military’s use of force was more heavily constrained by wider strategic and political considerations than previously admitted. Andrew Holt finds a concise, readable text that should be of interest to students and scholars of British foreign policy, international relations, and security studies. Read more…
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