Description: In case studies from the former Yugoslavia, Somalia, Iraq, and Colombia, the contributors argue that early intervention to stabilize social, economic, and political systems offers the greatest promise, whereas military intervention at a later stage is both costlier and less likely to succeed.
Review Quotes: "The issue of state failure and fragility is one of the most important topics, if not the most important topic, in international affairs and international relations today and for the foreseeable future. This new volume succeeds in its stated goal of discussing and exploring the various aspects of [this issue] and brings together a variety of perspectives on a range of related topics by established scholars."--Patrick James, Dornsife Dean's Professor of International Relations, University of Southern California