New from Harvard University Press:
Justice Among Nations: A History of International Law (Feb. 2014), by
Stephen C. Neff (University of Edinburgh). A description from the Press:
Justice among Nations tells
the story of the rise of international law and how it has been
formulated, debated, contested, and put into practice from ancient times
to the present.
Stephen Neff avoids technical jargon as he
surveys doctrines from natural law to feminism, and practices from the
Warring States of China to the international criminal courts of today.
Ancient China produced the first rudimentary set of doctrines. But
the cornerstone of later international law was laid by the Romans, in
the form of natural law—a universal law that was superior to early laws
and governments. As medieval European states came into contact with
non-Christian peoples, from East Asia to the New World, practical
solutions had to be devised to the many legal quandaries that arose. In
the wake of these experiences, international legal doctrine began to
assume its modern form in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
New challenges in the nineteenth century encompassed the advance of
nationalism, the rise of free trade and European imperialism, the
formation of international organizations, and the arbitration of
disputes. Innovative doctrines included liberalism, the nationality
school, and solidarism. The twentieth century witnessed the formation of
the League of Nations and a World Court, but also the rise of socialist
and fascist states and the advent of the Cold War. Yet the collapse of
the Soviet Union brought little respite. As Neff makes clear, further
threats to the rule of law today come from environmental pressures,
genocide, and terrorism.
A few blurbs:
“Justice among Nations is by far the
best general survey of the history of international law to date. It will
be mandatory reading for both students and scholars in the field.”—Randall Lesaffer
“Like Vattel’s 1758 Law of Nations,
this sparkling and intelligent history is intended for a broad audience.
Vattel reached his audience: George Washington and other Founding
American Fathers are known to have possessed copies. Their vision for
the new United States in the world was plainly influenced by it. Neff’s Justice among Nations
refreshes Vattel for our time and our even more pressing need to
understand what international law is and what it can accomplish for our
common humanity.”—Mary Ellen O’Connell
More information is available
here.
