Description: The first comprehensive account of the initial development of the 'Grotian tradition' in international relations theory, reaching entirely unexpected conclusions.
Brief description: James L. Richardson was Professor of Political Science (1975‒85), later of International Relations (1986‒98), at the Australian National University. He is author of Germany and the Atlantic Alliance (1966), Crisis Diplomacy (1994) and Contending Liberalisms in World Politics (2001). After Ursula Vollerthun's death, he devoted himself to this work.
Review Quotes: Advance praise: 'Vollerthun provides an original and balanced reading of one of the critical phases in the formation of international law. Bringing unexpected authors, such as Erasmus, to the table, she shows in which respects Grotius failed to integrate a complex discussion that responded to urgent needs of his time and would become one of international law's main tenets, Grotian or not.' Andreas Wagner, Goete Universität, Frankfurt am Main