Evaluating the English School

Abstract

The English School of International Relations: A Contemporary Reassessment. By Andrew Linklater, Hidemi Suganami. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 318 pp., $80.00 cloth (ISBN: 0-521-85835-6), $29.99 paper (ISBN: 0-521-67504-9). Interest in the English School approach to international relations theory continues to grow. Recent contributions to the literature have included works exploring the ideas of prominent figures and key books—such as Ian Hall's (2006) study of Martin Wight; Karl Schweizer and Paul Sharp's (2007) book on Herbert Butterfield; Brunello Vigezzi (2005) historically focused analysis of The British Committee; and an edited collection reassessing The Anarchical Society (Little and Williams 2006). Other contributions have focused on key concepts—such as Barry Buzan's (2004) effort to deepen the concept of “world society” and develop the links between the English School and US international relations theory. In The English School of International Relations: A Contemporary Reassessment , Andrew Linklater and Hidemi Suganami seek to provide a comprehensive account of the English School as an approach to the study of international relations. They have undoubtedly provided the best overall assessment of the School in terms of the clarity of their analysis, the broad coverage of the issues and major figures involved, and the depth and sophistication of their understanding of the English School's central aims and purposes. In contrast to those who have viewed the English School in open and pluralistic terms, Linklater and Suganami reassert the importance of the School's core focus on the idea of …