American Labor’s Global Ambassadors: The International History of the AFL–CIO during the Cold War, by Robert Anthony Waters Jr. and Geert van Goethem, eds.
| Date | 01 March 2015 |
| Published date | 01 March 2015 |
| Author | Gareth Curless |
| DOI | 10.1177/0020702014562726 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
organization. At first glance, it seemed odd to give invasive species its own
chapter while the other four ‘‘governance gap’’ issues (nanotechnology, food
security, global tourism, global energy strategy) are treated together. This can
likely be explained by the fact that the author has been engaged in a separate
in-depth study of bio-invasion. I found the discussion of eco-violence and the
chapter on water particularly interesting, although that likely reflects my own
preoccupations.
Stoett effortlessly winds his way through what could have been an overwhelming
number of complex agreements. Given the potential for a book of this sort to turn
into an annotated list of facts and agreements, the writing is light and punchy at
appropriate intervals. The work is self-referential at times and the text is inter-
spersed with personal asides and comments, but this certainly does not detract or
distract. For example, a number of chapters open with the author’s recollection of
an experience connected to the subject at hand.
Global Ecopolitics also has a definite Canadian flavour, which makes it surpris-
ing that there was not more on the International Joint Commission, but it does well
to cover representative issues across the globe and use examples from every con-
tinent. The book is probably most appropriate as a text for upper-level under-
graduate students and graduate seminars. Its thematic organization means that
chapters could find their way into custom course packs for classes that focus on
a particular subject such as water, or social science courses on globalization and the
environment. It would be useful as an introduction or refresher for those broadly
interested in environmental global governance, and it is a recommended read for
policymakers and activists.
Robert Anthony Waters Jr. and Geert van Goethem, eds.
American Labor’s Global Ambassadors: The International History of the AFL–CIO during the
Cold War
New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. 316 pp., $115.00 (cloth)
ISBN 9781137360212
Reviewed by: Gareth Curless, University of Exeter, UK
The foreign policy of the American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial
Organizations, particularly with regard to the rebuilding of postwar Western
Europe, the Cold War, and the decolonization struggles of the 1950s and 1960s,
is often overlooked. Its omission from the historiography on these subjects is
surprising given the prominent and often controversial role that the AFL–CIO
played. Historians’ neglect of the AFL–CIO’s international role has been typical
of the treatment of many national or international labour organizations. However,
the situation is starting to improve. There are now a number of excellent studies
that examine the history of international labour organizations, including the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the International
180 International Journal 70(1)
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