Book Review: North America
| Published date | 01 March 2002 |
| Date | 01 March 2002 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/03058298020310020226 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
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on Turkey and Israe l is particularly valuable because it provides clear
insights into the complexities underlying their bilateral relations.
Turkey at the Crossroads aim s to address a wide audience, including
both academic specialists and general readers, as stated in the introductory
chapter. Indeed, it is very clearly written and the chapters follow both a
logical and chronological order. The first part gives a general, very useful
historical background and the latter part of the book provides four specific
themes suiting the specialist reader. However, there are two critiques worth
pointing out. First, the theoretical framework laid out in Chapter 2 runs a
risk of going past the general reader as it assumes that one is s ufficiently
versed w ith the term s and co ncepts involved. Second, to introduce the
concepts of globalisation and the ‘end of territoriality’ in the conclusion is
not very convincing, taking into consideration their immense and separate
debates. In this case, it is used to illustrate the catalyst behind the emergence
of an abstract entity known called ‘a Greater Middle East ’, which in turn
challenged Kemalism. However, rendering the tangible conce pt of state
territory as obsolete in the face of ‘a Greater Middle East’ is to walk on thin
ice since the latter is highly sub jective. Therefore, the book would ha ve
benefited if the con cept of ‘a Greater Middle East’ had been defined in
more detail at an earlier stage. Notwithstan ding these comments, the book
is highly accessible and fulfils its aim. It should be read by anyone interested
in Turkey’s complex situation in the contemporary world tod ay.
CAROLINA HEPP
Carolina Hepp is a MA Stu dent (International Peace and Security) in the
Department of War St udies and the School of Law at King’s College,
London
North America
William Blum, Rogue State: A Guide to the World’s Only Superpower (London:
Zed Books, 2001, 308 pp ., £9.99 pbk.).
‘America cherishes her enemie s. Without enemies, she is a nation without
purpose and direction.’ So writes William Blum in the introduction to Rogue
State (p. 15). It is a conte ntion that resonates at the time of writing, with
the ‘war on terror ’ providing justification and/or a smokescreen for
international and domestic measures th at will surprise no one familiar
with the broad trends in US policy since World War II. These in clude
mass ive increas es i n m ilitary sp ending; har d-heade d un ilater alism
Millennium
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