The Gentle Civilizer of Nations

The Rise and Fall of International Law 1870–1960

Ranked #34 in International Law

Koskenniemi traces the emergence of a liberal sensibility relating to international matters in the late 19th century, and its subsequent decline after the Second World War. He combines legal analysis, historical and political critique and semi-biographical studies of key figures, including Hersch Lauterpacht, Carl Schmitt and Hans Morgenthau. Finally, his discussion of legal and political realism at American law schools ends in a critique of post-1960 "instrumentalism". This wide-ranging study provides a unique reflection on the future of critical international law. less

Similar Books

If you like The Gentle Civilizer of Nations, check out these similar top-rated books:


Learn: What makes Shortform summaries the best in the world?