International Law

The book is highly successful in its stated goal of providing a critical introduction to international law; one that foregrounds (rather than, as is customary, backgrounds) the operation of power and politics deep within the discipline itself and international law’s deep connectedness to the (usually asymmetrical) exercise of power. – Obiora Okafor, Professor of International Law at Osgoode Hall, York University, Toronto
The first edition to this wonderful work promised that its critical approach would be “skeptical rather than cynical”. In analysing international law through a political lens, it was extremely successful. I am delighted that the publishers have had the foresight to commission a second edition to enlighten us all. – Roger S Clark, Board of Governors Professor, Rutgers Law School, New Jersey
International Law: A Critical Introduction reaches below the surface of international law to interrogate the assumptions on which the system rests and bring to light its intimate connections with power. The work deepens our understanding of grand projects of global regulation through law, their capabilities and ultimate constraints. – Patrick Thornberry, Emeritus Professor of International Law, Keele University
This text provides an effective and efficient compass for the reader to navigate the current contemporary international law landscape. The text is easily read, and international legal principles are clearly and lucidly explained in a way which is commensurate with their complexity. The book covers the traditional topics of an international law module but the critical analysis of the exposition provides insight by painting with a broad brush the international political background against which law is played out. International Law: A Critical Introduction is welcome and timely. – Professor Rebecca Wallace, Research Professor, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
This is a welcome addition to public international law scholarship. There is much to criticise in international law’s conventional representation as a politically neutral, rules-based system that often contrasts sharply with practice, and this book does well to peel off the layers of dogma to reveal a credible portrayal of the subject in terms of its ambitions, actors and methods. – Michael Addo, Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame, and Director of the London Law Program
A fresh and realistic approach to international law not seen in most traditional textbooks … this book provides fresh balance in its approach to the relationship between international law and power politics. – Ali Raiss-Tousi * Birkbeck, University of London *

Wade Mansell is Professor Emeritus at the University of Kent.

Karen Openshaw holds a PhD in international law from the University of Kent.

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