The State, War, and the State of War. (book reviews)

Russell J. Leng, Middlebury College

Since World War II, the traditional view of the relationship between the state and war among American students of international politics has been one version or another of political realism. States are treated as unitary actors who compete with one another for power and influence in an anarchic global system. Interstate war is seen as a natural consequence of the unrestrained competition and insecurity of states. The realist perspective, however, has never been without its challengers. K. J. Holsti's provocative new book is the most recent entry in ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.