The New World Disorder

how the West is destroying itself
Peter R. Neumann (trans. David Shaw)

‘The New World Disorder is a great piece of work. In the face of countries such as China and Russia challenging the US-led international order, Neumann’s book is a plea to Western countries to acknowledge their mistakes — but not to abandon the very values that have inspired others around the world.’

Emma Sky, author of The Unravelling

‘This is a lucid and immensely readable analysis of how our current polycrisis emerged, less from malign intent than from a failure to understand humanity as it is, not as we wish it was. Showing how there are fundamental differences of perspective and no global agreement on how societies should be run, it goes beyond despondency to provide an impressive, evidence-based argument for geopolitical pluralism.’

John, Lord Alderdice, Senior Research Fellow, Harris Manchester College, Oxford, and Executive Chairman of the Changing Character of War Centre, Pembroke College, Oxford

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‘The New World Disorder presents a concise and highly readable description of how the West went from post-Cold War triumph to its current despair. In this compelling book, Peter Neumann issues a powerful call for the West not only to recognise its mistakes, but also to renew itself and live up to its ideals.’

Daniel L. Byman, Director and Professor of the Security Studies Program, Georgetown University, and author of Spreading Hate

‘Peter Neumann provides an incisive tour d’horizon of the mistakes and failures of the past three decades that have divided and weakened the West and undermined its liberal ideals. With clarity and concision, The New World Disorder explains both why this has happened and what can be done to reverse it.’

Bruce Hoffman, author of God, Guns, and Sedition

Praise for Bluster: Donald Trump's war on terror:

‘In this important book, Neumann argues that Donald Trump has undermined counterterrorism efforts by conflating terrorism with immigration and emboldening the far right at home while torching the United States’ soft power around the world. A timely, persuasive, and utterly devastating critique of Trump’s role in America’s longest war.’

Erica Chenoweth, Berthold Beitz Professor in Human Rights and International Affairs at Harvard University

Praise for Radicalised:

‘Neumann, basing his work on research by his International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King’s College, London, suggests that under “aggressive containment,” ISIS will collapse under its own contradictions. He traces the group’s rise in a concise, informative summary, and looks at both overall ideology and the personal narratives of individual fighters. Striking a readable balance between academic prose and anecdotal journalism, this book provides a start in “realistically evaluating a phenomenon that will define the new wave of terrorism.’

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Old and New Terrorism:

‘This book is suitable for everybody who wants to understand the basic principles and driving forces behind current terrorist groups as well as those wishing to in-depth knowledge of the history of terrorism. Despite the complexity of the evidence about the gradual changes that have led to a transformation in the phenomenon of terrorism, the overall thesis of the book is easy to comprehend, and all arguments are easy to follow.’

Central European Journal of International and Security Studies

‘A far-sighted analysis of the world order, and an urgent warning of what the future may hold in store.’

Peter Frankopan, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Silk Roads

A coruscating analysis of current international relations, setting out the dangers the world will face if the West does not succeed in reinventing itself.

The West is facing an unprecedented crisis. Russia has launched a war of aggression against Ukraine — just months after the USA suffered a foreign policy debacle in Afghanistan. And China, the West’s rival in the battle for system superiority, has long since become a decisive superpower.

Yet the triumph of the West had seemed unstoppable not that long ago. After the end of the Cold War, the democratic market economy took hold in the former Eastern Bloc, Russia went from being an enemy to a partner, and even China turned to capitalism. Then came the major turning point: the terrorist attacks of 9/11 that shook the West. The American War on Terror destabilised an entire region of the world; the Arab Spring only brought forth new autocracies; and, following the annexation of Crimea, the confrontation with Russia intensified. Instead of a liberal world order, a new world disorder has emerged.

Peter R. Neumann, an internationally acclaimed expert on terrorism and geopolitics, shows how this transpired and what must happen now. He offers an unsparing critique of the current situation of the West, which has fatally overestimated itself.

Emma Sky, author of The Unravelling

John, Lord Alderdice, Senior Research Fellow, Harris Manchester College, Oxford, and Executive Chairman of the Changing Character of War Centre, Pembroke College, Oxford

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Daniel L. Byman, Director and Professor of the Security Studies Program, Georgetown University, and author of Spreading Hate

Bruce Hoffman, author of God, Guns, and Sedition

Praise for Bluster: Donald Trump's war on terror:

Erica Chenoweth, Berthold Beitz Professor in Human Rights and International Affairs at Harvard University

Praise for Radicalised:

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Old and New Terrorism:

Central European Journal of International and Security Studies

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Details

Format:Paperback

Size: 234mm × 153mm

Extent:368pp

ISBN (13):9781761380242

RRP:$36.99

Pub date:30 Jan 2024

Rights Held: World English

High-res cover:Download Image

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AUTHOR

Peter R. Neumann

Peter R. Neumann is Professor of Security Studies at King’s College London, where he directed the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) for many years. As an internationally sought-after expert, Neumann served as advisor to the USA at the United Nations in 2014. In 2017 he was special representative to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). He also writes for The New York Times and Der Spiegel, among others. His book The New Jihadists was a bestseller. He lives in Oxford.

TRANSLATOR

David Shaw

David Shaw works as a journalist for Germany’s international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, as well as translating from several languages, including German, Dutch, Russian, and French. He lives in Berlin.