Advanced Introduction to International Conflict and Security Law Nigel D. White

The idea behind this book is to bring together the legal regimes addressing the basic issue of regulating violence between states and increasingly within states, within a coherent and accessible introductory text. The intention, though, it not simply to provide readers with a set of 'rules' governing uses of force, armed conflict and the various actors involved in collective security, since international law does not work in this way in such a highly politicized area of international relations. Instead, the normative framework that have been developed to shape political action are identified and analyzed in terms of legitimacy and efficacy as well as legality.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.

Advanced Introduction to International Conflict and Security Law provides a concise and insightful guide to the key principles of international law governing peacetime security, the use of force, conflict and post-conflict situations. Nigel D. White explores the complex legal regimes that have been created to control the level of armaments, to limit the occasions when governments can use military force to mitigate the conduct of warfare and to build peace.

Key Features include:
* A comprehensive survey of the relevant international law
* In-depth coverage written in an accessible style, structured into short, focused chapters
* A combination of law, practice and politics that introduces the reader to the complexities of the law
* Detailed coverage of international legal regimes not normally gathered together in one place
* A critical evaluation of the direction, purposes and content of international conflict and security law, with particular reference to arms control, use of force, collective security, armed conflict, post-conflict situations and private security actors

Written in a sharp and engaging style this authoritative introduction provides a unique overview of international conflict and security law. It will be an essential resource for students and researchers in international law and international relations.