Documents on the Laws of War. - Review - book review

Aerospace Power Journal, Spring, 2001 by Dr. Marcus Hanke

Documents on the Laws of War, 3d ed., edited by Adam Roberts and Richard Guelff. Oxford University Press (http://www.oup-usa.org/index.html), 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016, 2000, 781 pages, $35.00 (paper), $85.00 (cloth).

Sooner or later, most historical treatments of war and military operations deal with questions of legality and morality. Therefore, both legal and military historians should have access to a good collection of relevant international statutes.

Documents on the Laws of War fills that need, and its 46-page introduction is probably the most important part of the book for readers who are not specialists in the field of international law. In this condensed yet very understandable chapter, the editors explain the sources of international law as well as its application in conflicts.

Naturally, most of the book consists of the documents themselves, each one preceded by a short introduction detailing its history. These documents, which reflect recent developments in international law, include extracts from several statutes of international courts, as well as an opinion on nuclear weapons; a UN secretary-general's bulletin; and even rules of engagement printed on a pocket card issued to US troops during Operation Desert Storm.

Despite the undisputed usefulness of Documents on the Laws of War, we historians need a collection of the laws of warfare that lists all rules valid within a certain time frame (e.g., World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, etc.). It is time someone published such a work.