Students come to study International Relations at university driven by a variety of motives and active concern to study great contemporary issues, such as the causes and persistence of war, threats of nuclear proliferation and terrorism, the persistence of global poverty amid globalization's riches and longer term threats to sustainable development. Building on the success of the first edition, Issues in International Relations 2ed provides students with a clear, but stimulating, introduction to the most significant issues within international relations in the 21st Century. Written by experienced teachers in a jargon-free way, it assumes no prior knowledge of the subject, and allows students approaching International Relations for the first time to gain confidence in what is an often complicated and confusing discipline. Completely revised throughout with the addition of ten new chapters, this textbook; introduces key conceptual issues, including theories of international relations, power, sovereignty and globalisation considers contemporary global problems such as: force and security; law and military intervention; terrorism; the environment; religion explains the relationship between global politics and economics with chapters on international organisations, international political economy and development provides students with boxed 'revision-style' notes and case studies throughout the text and a guide to further reading and websites at the end of each chapter. This book is ideal reading for students on introductory international relations courses.

Despite the dramatic changes in the international environment since 1989, it remains the case that force, and the threat of force, retain utility. The volume deals with the nature of security, international conflict and co-operation, deterrence, crisis management and prevention, arms control and disarmament, insurgency and low intensity conflict, Third World security, alliances and the role of land, air and naval power. The book takes a predominantly traditional approach, but also introduces students to other perspectives and approaches relating to security and to the security of the Third World.