Rory Stewart & Gerald Knaus distil their remarkable firsthand experiences of political & military interventions into a potent examination of what we can & cannot achieve in a new era of ”nation building”. As they delve into the massive, military-driven efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan & the Balkans, the expansion of the EU, & the bloodless ”colour” revolutions in the former Soviet states, the authors reveal each effort`s enormous consequences for international relations, human rights & our understanding of state-building. Stewart & Knaus carefully parse the philosophies that have informed interventionism
- from neoconservative to liberal imperialist
- & draw on their diverse experiences in the military, non-governmental organisations & the Iraqi provincial government to reveal what we can ultimately expect from large-scale interventions & how they might best realise positive change in the world.