To view prices and purchase online, please login or create an account now.



War Law: Understanding International Law and Armed Conflict

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title War Law: Understanding International Law and Armed Conflict
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Michael Byers
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:224
Dimensions(mm): Height 210,Width 140
ISBN/Barcode 9780802142948
ClassificationsDewey:341.6
Audience
General
Edition First Trade Paper Edition

Publishing Details

Publisher Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press
Imprint Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date 15 March 2007
Publication Country United States

Description

International law governing the use of military force has been the subject of intense public debate. Under what conditions is it appropriate, or necessary, for a country to use force when diplomacy has failed? Michael Byers, a widely known world expert on international law, weighs these issues in War Law. Byers examines the history of armed conflict and international law through a series of case studies of past conflicts, ranging from the 1837 Caroline Incident to the abuse of detainees by U.S. forces at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Byers explores the legal controversies that surrounded the 1999 and 2001 interventions in Kosovo and Afghanistan and the 2003 war in Iraq; the development of international humanitarian law from the 1859 Battle of Solferino to the present; and the role of war crimes tribunals and the International Criminal Court. He also considers the unique influence of the United States in the evolution of this extremely controversial area of international law. War Law is neither a textbook nor a treatise, but a fascinating account of a highly controversial topic that is necessary reading for fans of military history and general readers alike.

Reviews

"If Britain suspected that a Boston bar barbored IRA terrorists, would it be justified in lobbing cruise missiles into the city? Byers . . . achieves plenty of similar provocations in this lucid primer." "Should be read, and pondered, by those who are seriously concerned with the legacy we will leave to future generations." -- Noam Chomsky "Succinct, highly readable, and important."