History and International Relations: From the Ancient World to the 21st Century - Softcover

A comprehensive review of the literature on international relations, covering the field from ancient to modern times. Placing that literature in context makes this a valuable asset in analyzing contemporary events. Clear, accessible, and mercifully jargon free.
Erik Goldstein, Professor of International Relations and History, Boston University, USA

If this excellent work does not rapidly become required reading for all final year and graduate students of International Relations (IR) I will be very surprised. Indeed few, if any, IR professors would fail to benefit from it. Written by a distinguished American historian of Britain, it seeks to interrogate the relationship between history and IR and in the process provides an account of the evolution of the IR discipline that is one of the fullest, most thoughtful and wide ranging I have read. In clear, informative prose that engages the reader throughout it offers what is essentially an ongoing dialogue between history and IR, not the least of whose merits is to provide an authoritative account of the key developments that have shaped the structure and dynamics of world politics since ancient times.
David Armstrong, Emeritus Professor, University of Exeter, UK

History and International Relations examines, from a historian's perspective, the evolution of international relations as a discipline and charts its engagement with the history of war, peace, and foreign relations from the ancient world to the present day. In three parts, it looks at the field's development, its contribution to historical narrative, and its contemporary practice:

Part I: 'The History of a Discipline' locates the development of IR scholarship in its own historical contexts, examining the origin of dominant IR theories, their use of historical evidence, and their relation to other social science disciplines.

Part II: 'IR and International History' explores key moments in the history of war and peace, from the Peloponnesian War to the Cold War and beyond, and the role they played in constructing the discipline.

Part III: 'Contemporary IR and the Uses of History' reflects on the current ferment in IR over its Eurocentric theory and practice, its key concepts of state and sovereignty, the impact of non-state actors and human rights, and 'the return of history.'