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The New World Disorder

how the West is destroying itself

Peter R Neumann author David Shaw translator

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Scribe Publications

Published:9th Nov '23

Should be back in stock very soon

The New World Disorder cover

‘A far-sighted analysis of the world order, and an urgent warning of what the future may hold in store.’ Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads

‘Excellent ... 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

The West has fatally overestimated itself. What does this mean for the world?

Over the last thirty years, through a mixture of naivety and arrogance, the West has lost its global advantage. Today’s challenges are profound: climate change, polarisation in society, and tensions with Russia and China. Instead of a liberal world order, a new world disorder has emerged.

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 terrorist attacks of 9/11 that shook the world. The War on Terror destabilised an entire region; the Arab Spring only brought forth new autocracies; and, following the annexation of Crimea, the confrontation with Russia intensified. The West is under pressure, and it has only itself to blame. It’s time for a new start: modernity must become sustainable if it is to survive.

Peter R. Neumann, an internationally acclaimed expert on terrorism and geopolitics, uncovers the mistakes that led to our present situation and sets out the dangers the world will face if the West fails to reinvent itself.

‘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

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

‘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

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

‘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 Studi

ISBN: 9781915590145

Dimensions: 234mm x 153mm x 30mm

Weight: unknown

368 pages