First published 2001
William Shawcross examines what really happens when the international community decides to intervene on humanitarian grounds. Television images of refugee lines prompt calls that "something must be done," but Shawcross reveals the complex machinery behind such interventions and their aftermath. He traveled to conflict zones across Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, Bosnia, Iraq, Kosovo, Somalia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and East Timor to document peacekeeping efforts over the past decade. Through privileged access to global policymakers, leading diplomats and key humanitarian officials, Shawcross exposes the gap between noble intentions and political realities. The book shows readers what actually occurs when troops and aid agencies deploy, revealing a world where high aspirations collide with ignoble realpolitik. Shawcross offers an insider's view of modern humanitarian intervention.
Genres: history, political-science, politics, non-fiction, current-affairs, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: high-aspirations-vs-realpolitik, insider-view
Setting: Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia, Cambodia, East Timor, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
432 pages · Paperback · Bloomsbury