Books and Monographs
International Politics and the Russo-Ukrainian War: Concepts in Conflict
2026 - Edited Volume - Routledge
This book uses the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a compelling and dramatic case study to engage with ten key concepts of International Relations.
By focusing on enduring concepts, rather than fleeting events, it provides students and experts alike with a lasting framework for understanding 21st-century international conflicts. Each chapter is written by a leading scholar, providing innovative, critical thinking that sheds light on a specific aspect of the Russo- Ukrainian War. Rigorous analysis, expert insight, discussion of relevant debates, recent literature, and reference works provide readers with an in-depth exploration of key concepts through the lens of interstate war. The book offers readers a comprehensive approach that includes a mastery of the most important concepts in IR; an exploration of the main debates surrounding each of these concepts; and an empirical analysis of the war.​
Military Alliances in the Twenty-First Century
2022 - Book - Polity
Alliance politics is a regular headline grabber. When a possible military crisis with Russia, North Korea or China rears its head concerns are raised over the willingness of US allies to stand together. As rival powers have tightened their security cooperation, the United States has stepped up demands that its allies increase defence spending and contribute more to military operations in the Middle East and elsewhere. The prospect of former President Donald Trump unilaterally ending alliances alarmed long-standing partners even as NATO was welcoming new members into its ranks.
This book is the first to explore fully the politics that shape these security arrangements - from their initial formation through the various challenges that test them and, sometimes, lead to their demise. Although military alliances today may seem uniquely hobbled by their internal difficulties, I argue that they are in fact prone to dysfunction by their very nature.
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HanulMPlus has translated the book into Korean.
Atomic Assurance: The Alliance Politics of Nuclear Proliferation
2018 - Book - Cornell University Press
Published in the Cornell Studies in Security Affairs, this book is about how alliances curb potential and actual efforts by states to develop nuclear weapons, if they do so at all. My book looks at what makes alliances so credible as to prevent nuclear proliferation, how alliances can breakdown and encourage nuclear proliferation, and whether guarantors like the United States can use their alliance ties to end the nuclear efforts of an ally. Drawing on my own archival research, I support my argument using intensive case studies on West Germany, Japan, and South Korea as well as a series of smaller cases on Great Britain, France, Norway, Australia, and Taiwan.
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For a set of reviews, see this H-Diplo Roundtable.
Lessons from the Enhanced Forward Presence, 2017-2020
2020 - Monograph - NATO Defence College
Co-edited with Christian Leuprecht and Alexander Moens, this edited volume brings together experts from various NATO countries for the comparative study of experiences borne by the Host and Framework Nations in the enhanced Forward Presence.
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Associated Essay: Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
Conventional Deterrence and Landpower in Northeastern Europe
2019 - Monograph - US Army War College
Written with Michael A. Hunzeker, this Strategic Studies Institute policy monograph examines conventional deterrence and what role the U.S. Army can play in bolstering security in the Baltic littoral region.
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Associated essays: EastWest Institute; War on the Rocks.
A Question of Time: Enhancing Taiwan's Conventional Deterrence Posture
2018 - Monograph - Center for Security Policy Studies
Co-written with Michael A. Hunzeker and a team of George Mason University researchers, this study assesses Taiwan's defence posture and argues in favour of an elastic-in-defence posture.
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Associated essays: CIMSEC, National Interest.
