Roundtables are where we get to hear from multiple experts on either a subject matter or a recently published book. These collections of essays allow for detailed debates and discussions from a variety of viewpoints so that we can deeply explore a given topic or book.
Roundtables
Book Review Roundtable: Claire Vergerio’s “War, States, and the International Order”
In this roundtable review of “War, States, and the International Order: Alberico Gentili and the Foundational Myth of the Laws of War,” the contributors engage with Vergerio’s analysis of canon-making by suggesting ways to broaden its historical scope and highlighting what limits interdisciplinary dialogue.
Book Review Roundtable: The Soviet Search for Recognition as a Superpower
In this roundtable review, Mark Pomar, Kathryn Stoner, Carol Saivetz, Natasha Kuhrt, and Onur İşçi offer their thoughts on Sergey Radchenko’s new book, “To Run the World: The Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power.” These contributors offer a diverse range of perspectives on Soviet foreign policy — and implications for Russian policy today. Plus, Radchenko offers a response.
Book Review Roundtable: Russian Ways of Thinking About Deterrence
In this roundtable review, Michael Kofman, Dara Massicot, Cynthia Roberts, and Michael Petersen discuss Dima Adamsky’s new book, “The Russian Way of Deterrence: Strategic Culture, Coercion, and War.”
Book Review Roundtable: Why a Political Sensibility Is Important to Successful Military Command
In his book, “Command: The Politics of Military Operations from Korea to Ukraine,” Lawrence Freedman highlights why an understanding of politics is a central component of military leadership. In this roundtable review, Jason Dempsey, Raphael Cohen, Susan Bryant, and Sonya Finley consider the lessons that leaders can draw from Freedman’s book and the importance of a political sensibility that allows commanders to navigate complex military and political environments.
Book Review Roundtable: Considering the Inheritance of America’s Post-9/11 Wars
Conducting a post-mortem review after a war is an important but fraught exercise. In “The Inheritance: America’s Military After Two Decades of War,” Mara Karlin draws on her experience as a policymaker and academic to assess the legacy of the post-9/11 wars for the military and society and identify lessons for the future. In this roundtable review, our contributors consider Karlin’s analysis and draw on their own expertise to examine the legacy of 20 years of war.
Book Review Roundtable: The Other Great Game in Asia
At this time of growing concerns about tensions in East Asia and great-power competition, TNSR brought together four experts to review “The Other Great Game: The Opening of Korea and the Birth of Modern East Asia” by Sheila Miyoshi Jager. Jaehan Park, Paul Behringer, Sangpil Jin, and Seo-Hyun Park consider some of the important historical lessons in the book and how those might apply to global politics today.
Book Review Roundtable: Lost Opportunities for Peace in the Middle East
Debates in Washington over how to respond to wars involving Israel have a long history. In this review, our contributors consider what lessons to learn from Galen Jackson’s book “A Lost Peace: Great Power Politics and the Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1967–1979.”
Book Review Roundtable: After Saigon’s Fall
The impacts of the war in Vietnam did not end when Saigon fell. Our contributors review Amanda C. Demmer’s “After Saigon’s Fall: Refugees and US-Vietnamese Relations, 1975-2000” and consider remembrance, policymaking, and humanitarianism in U.S.-Vietnamese relations after the U.S. withdrawal.
Remembering Robert Jervis
In this roundtable, our contributors look back on the life and work of Robert Jervis. A towering figure in international relations, Jervis made crucial contributions to multiple academic fields as well as the U.S. government. He is remembered for his scholarly work as well as his generosity as a teacher, mentor, and colleague.