Five Masters of International Law

This book...filled me with admiration. It is so typical of certain features of Nino's character, especially his intellectual curiosity and his modesty. Nino, himself a great master of international law, felt the need to interview five masters of international law. It is also highly significant that he emphasizes and praises the human qualities of the interviewees, which were also his own, such as simplicity, affability, gentleness, urbanity, esprit de finesse and witty irony. Each interview makes for lively and interesting reading: one grasps the rich and different personalities of the interviewees...In spite and beyond their differences, they present important common features. All of them embraced legal positivism, though to varying degrees. -- Peter Leuprecht * Journal of International Criminal Justice Volume 10 *
While it is not a textbook by any stretch of the imagination, the reader comes out of the book with the feeling of actually having learned something, not so much on the level of technical detail ... but rather on the level of inspiration: what it means to be an international lawyer and to work, in one way or another, for the common good. Cassese's interviews follow roughly identical patterns but, fortunately, he has been wise enough to let his conversation partners expand a bit whenever they were so inclined: it is the combination of Cassese's astute questioning and his liberal handling of the interviews which makes for lively, engaged reading. ...this is a lovely book, and it might well be a good idea to repeat the effort with other international lawyers reaching the end of long and distinguished careers. -- Jan Klabbers * Global Law Books *
In short, Five Masters is a unique and fascinating work, and the field of international law would be poorer without it. One can only hope that similar books will be produced by and with the current and future generations of great international lawyers. -- Sondre Torp Helmersen * Zeitschrift fur Auslandisches *