Armstrong, David, Theo Farrell, and Bice Maiguashca, eds. Force and Legitimacy in World Politics. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Force and Legitimacy in World Politics, edited by David Armstrong, Theo Farrell, and Bice Maiguashca, takes a special issue of the Review of International Studies regarding the contemporary use of force and brings this debate to a broader audience. While some readers may already be familiar with the pieces presented here, they will be new to others — and the topics covered warrant particular attention in today’s world.

While the various chapters deal with different specific topics, there is one overarching theme that runs throughout Force and Legitimacy in World Politics: who (or what) determines when force can be used? Furthermore, there is an underlying subplot that runs through much of the text as well: is there some sort of universal authority, whatever form it may take, that regulates the use of force, and does this impact all states equally? Force and Legitimacy does not merely reiterate the "does international law matter?" question, but is actually much more nuanced, as indicated by the diversity of topics included within the various chapters.

The expected topics, such as preemption, the Bush Doctrine, and the treatment of detainees are all included — and are very well discussed in the chapter by Byers — but other, less anticipated topics are also included. For example, Hopf presents an interesting discussion about the role of identity politics vis-à-vis intervention. This discussion of Russian decision-making concerning intervention in Abkhazia, and the various linkages between the issues of legitimacy, international law, and the United States’s "Global War on Terror," helps put these issues into the larger context where they belong. These are truly global concerns, and all states are impacted by them.

In addition to the well-placed case studies, there are also much needed theoretical discussions about the various concepts and terms used. Hurrell gives a much needed discussion about the various meanings of "legitimacy" and how they change or are challenged over time. Rengger links together the Just War tradition with this reexamination of legitimacy and force. By including the normative side of the equation in the discussion, the focus is not myopically driven by positive international law, as is the case in many discussions concerning "legitimacy" and the use of force. Rengger’s piece plays a crucial role in linking together two complimentary, but often self-isolated, literatures: those of international law and the Just War tradition. By having both perspectives present in the same work, the reader is given a better understanding of both the scope and breadth of the topic at hand.

Indeed, the integration of different perspectives and foci represents the greatest contribution of this book. There are numerous facets of issues concerning the contemporary debate about the use of force, each of which is relevant in today’s world, and each of these areas is discussed here: from peacekeeping, to multilateralism, to counter-terrorism. This is important for numerous reasons, not least of which is to help us understand that all of these issues are interrelated, and decisions on one, necessarily impact decisions on the others.

For those who are new to the topic, or unfamiliar with these literatures, this book is a good place to start. All of the main elements and issues are well discussed and provide an excellent foundation concerning the issues of legitimacy, use of force, parts of international law, and the just war tradition. Additionally, the work uses well-written and timely case studies on varied topics (and with varied actors) to explore the various facets of these issues. In this respect, readers unfamiliar with these topics will walk away with a robust picture of the situation.

For those more familiar with the literature, however, the book might be greeted with a slight bit of disappointment. Since it is a reprint of a special issue of the Review of International Studies, the chapters in the book may already be familiar to some readers. In this respect, the book is somewhat disappointing in that it does not really provide anything "new."

All in all, however, the fact that this discussion is now being brought to a larger audience cannot be undervalued. With these issues at the forefront of many policy and security debates in today’s world, having a compilation of this type easily accessible to a wide audience takes on even greater importance. In this respect, the material presented should be considered recommended reading for anyone interested in use of force issues within the contemporary international community, and not just those familiar with academic journals. Force and Legitimacy in World Politics accomplishes this task.