What books have RIAC experts read in 2015?

Alexander Pivovarenko:
The publication of this book marks the end of an era in Russia's foreign policy and the beginning of a new one.
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Alexander Pivovarenko:
A seminal study of the Serbian foreign policy and doctrine in the period when Serbia had become autonomous, but not yet independent. The book is important in the modern context as it debunks some propaganda myths that have sprung up around the Serbs in the last 25 years.
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Sergei Khenkin:
The book, based on situation analysis data, deals with the latest and complicated period in Spain's history: exit from the crisis and adaptation to post-crisis reality. The book provides a multiple-aspect picture of present-day Spain: transformation of the political and economic landscape and the social sphere, especially foreign policy. The authors are leading Russian Spain scholars.
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Alexander Kamkin:
The author, formerly leading journalist with one of Germany's main newspapers, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, reveals the mechanisms of manipulating public consciousness and conducting information warfare in the interests of certain states and private corporations. In revealing more than 300 names of high-profile reporters involved in corruption schemes, the author dispels the myth about total freedom of speech in the West.
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Alexander Kamkin:
The book is the first systematic study of a new global instrument of geopolitical struggle and influence on the policy of entire states. The author uncovers the mechanisms of the use of the phenomenon for the benefit of certain global players, most notably, by analyzing what forces stand behind the migration crisis in Europe.
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Olga Kulkova:
The book by noted British historians and political journalists Anthony Seldon and Peter Snowdon Cameron at 10, The Inside Story 2010–2015 (William Collins, 2015) provides a comprehensive account of the years of the Conservative and Liberal-Democratic Coalition Government led by David Cameron. The book is written hot on the heels of events, drawing on more than 300 extended interviews with key figures at 10, Downing Street, including the Prime Minister himself. The authors are meticulous in presenting facts and offer an interesting interpretation of the government's activity in the period under review. It traces the history of the coalition government in retrospect, examines its ideas and plans and follows how they were implemented. The authors conclude that David Cameron is a pragmatic politician who on the whole is cooping well with the prime minister's challenging job. Critics think it is arguably the most candid and exhaustive story of the personality and activity of a sitting British Prime Minister ever published.
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Olga Kulkova:
Brexit: How Britain will Leave Europe was written by Denis MacShane, Minister for European Affairs (2002–2005) in the Blair government. The book considers the odds of Britain leaving the EU. MacShane takes a retrospective look at the complicated relationship between Great Britain and Europe over the past fifty years. He highlights the factors that make Brexit more likely. He does not sidestep the more controversial problems in British politics and provides important material for understanding what may determine Britain's European choice and its future place in the world.
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Alexei Chikhachev:
Another book on political figures of the past and present has all the hallmarks of the Robert Laffont publishing house: it looks not only at the character's political career but also his personal evolution. The author examines the eventful life of Francois Mitterand, the first Socialist President of France (1981–1995). In addition to an attempt to put together an exhaustive biography of one of the most colourful figures in the country's history in the 20th century, Roussel tries to discover the line separating an honest and refined gentleman from a cool-headed and shrewd politician. This will be an eternal theme as long as the issues of power and leadership remain eternal, and it will be particularly relevant in modern France where leaders often try to "reinvent themselves."
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Alexei Chikhachev:
An ambitious work that is sure to appeal to lovers of the history of diplomacy and foreign policy. Studying the history of their own country, the authors try to determine the role of the "military factor" in the French foreign policy and whether its interests and ambitions have always been matched by its military strength. The authors look at diverse aspects from the evolution of strategic doctrines to profiles of individuals who held key posts in the army. It is an attempt to look at foreign policy in close connection with military matters, to trace the link between the successes and setbacks in the world arena and the level of military capability. The book ends with reflections on whether the military component in French foreign policy vintage 2015 is all that important and what should be its proper place.
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Vyacheslav Sutyrin:
The book provides a Western perspective on the Ukrainian crisis. The authors seek to interpret crisis trends in a broader regional context being aware of the importance of stabilizing the relations between the West and Russia.
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Vyacheslav Sutyrin:
The author analyses the influence of Big Business on the relations between Russia and Germany. It introduces the concept of "commercial realpolitik" which may turn out to be useful in analysing the intertwining of German and Russian interests in Central and Eastern Europe.
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Vyacheslav Sutyrin:
The book, which makes easy reading, is not entirely free of ideological bias in presenting the political history of Eastern Europe. However, it is interesting in terms of assessing the impact of historical and geographical factors on the political processes in the region.
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Vyacheslav Sutyrin:
The scholarly monograph reports the results of what may be the first comprehensive study of right-wing parties in Central and Eastern Europe. It offers insights into the prerequisites and the context in which the right came to power in Poland and Hungary.
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Vyacheslav Sutyrin:
A new edition of the classic reference book providing a comparative analysis of the geographical, historical, political-economic and elite aspects of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
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Maxim Suchkov:
The book deals with the history of Syria, Lebanon, Israel and parts of modern Jordan and Iraq. The material presented identifies the structural and geographical factors that have determined the development of the region for several centuries. Book reviewers of leading Western publishers describe it as "the best book for understanding Levant." The assessment may be debatable, but the Russian reader would be interested to become acquainted with the Western historiography and vision of the Levant, a significant subregion of the Middle East.
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Maxim Suchkov:
An American journalist and a Syrian political scholar describe the history of the emergence of the Islamic quasi-state in the context of the collapse of Iraq in the wake of the 2003 US invasion. The authors focus on ISIS tactics and on life inside the "Islamic State."
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Maxim Suchkov:
A new narrative about one of the chief threats to international stability deals with the method and ideology of ISIS (designated terrorist group in Russian Federation). It has to be noted that this is one of the few works that takes a close look at the way ISIS uses the social media to recruit supporters all over the world.
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Maxim Suchkov:
In 2015 the topic of Syria, already popular with students of the region, was again the subject of a large number of works on the country's history. Situated at the crossing of three continents, Syria has always attracted foreign conquerors. The author traces the country's history from the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire to the current bloody war. McHugo makes the bold statement that the current crisis in Syria is "the last proxy conflict of the Cold War" and warns that unless it is stopped now, the spread of the conflict beyond the Syrian borders is only a matter of time. It is a good book for getting basic facts about modern Syria containing a brief history of political trends and assessment of the main political figures. Orientalists may feel that it is lacking in depth, but it is a good book to start with for the lay readers and those who are only beginning to study the region professionally.
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Maxim Suchkov:
Wilford Hugh, a history professor with California State University, writes about the American intelligence's political games in the Middle East. Using simple and vivid language to describe the details of special operations and government coups and the involvement of the grandsons of famous American families (Kermit and Archie Roosevelt) the author writes about the secret channels of US diplomacy in Iran, Egypt and Syria. The author makes fascinating forays into the history of the creation of leading American universities in the region analyzing their political significance in building up pressure on the local elites and forming a new class of political mangers. A useful read for all those interested in the US Middle East policy.
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Larisa Smirnova:
The new book by Yan Xuetong came out in September 2015. The author, who boasts the highest recognition factor in the world among Chinese international affairs scholars, claims to have created a new universal theory of international relations called "moral realism." He insists that it is not just Chinese, but universal. The main question of "moral realism" is how can "a rising country" (China) take the position of the "leading country" (USA)? In Yan's opinion, this can be achieved by winning over more allies than the USA through a morality-based foreign policy strategy which, according to Yan, implies a departure from imposing its values and double standards, attention to the interests of partners and keeping one's promises. Although Russia is somewhat humiliatingly referred to as "a regional power" both specialists and all those concerned would do well to read the book: for it is the first complete theory of international relations created by a Chinese scholar. The book makes easy and even entertaining reading, with numerous references to ancient Chinese wisdom which is still relevant today. A Russian translation of the book is to be brought out by Ekonomika Publishing House.
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Larisa Smirnova:
The collective work from a long-term partner of the RIAC, the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, can be described as "an encyclopedia of modern Russia-China relations". The authors hold positions close to the official process of foreign policy decision-making and they cover every aspect of bilateral relations. Although Feng Yujun is often seen as leading the camp of pessimists with regard to the development of Russia-China relations, he himself thinks his views reflect "the objective reality". The authors recall that "although at present Russia-China relations are developing positively, one shouldn't expect friendly cooperation to be an automatic process" (p. 394). The book will interest specialists: it is written in scientific style with a large number of statistical and other data.

Larisa Smirnova:
The book by the legendary LKY, the Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, had been published earlier, but became a world best-seller again because of the death of its author in March 2015. If one were to characterize the book by Lee Kuan Yew (with a preface by his friend Henry Kissinger) in two words it would be "common sense". The main cause of Singapore's economic miracle is everlasting inputs by Lee in talented people whom he sought to make the "owners of Singapore": "My main task was to make every citizen in our country personally interested in its future". The book abounds in colourful political anecdotes and psychological profiles of many political leaders with whom Lee Kuan Yew met during his long career, including A.N. Kosygin, Mao Zedong, M.S. Gorbachev and Deng Xiaoping. An instructive read for politicians, civil servants, scholars and all those interested in every aspect of state building.
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Anton Tsvetov:
The book by Princeton University Professor Thomas Christensen proposes not to look at China-USA relationship as a zero-sum game. The author believes that the USA should contribute to integrating China in the world order while resisting possible aggression in the Asian region. Christensen believes that Chinese patriots are entitled to resisting the Westernization of China, but cannot deny the fundamental values of human rights and democracy as such.
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Anton Tsvetov:
The book is perhaps the most complete collection today of information on India's current military capability and on how decision-makers in that country see the use of traditional instruments of "hard power". The author believes that the Indian security strategy is gradually shifting away from the traditional fixation on threats from the closest neighbours and resorting to possible power projection.
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Anton Tsvetov:
Strategy in Asia is a collection of articles on strategic security issues in the Asia-Pacific Region, mainly by American contributors. Some of the texts are devoted to the influence of geography on the outlines of the military-political situation and some focus on the strategic cultures of the countries regions. Several texts describe the military strategies and reforms in Asian states in a more specific manner.
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Olga Kulkova:
The book by British scholar Richard Bourne offers a new look at the complicated and controversial history of Nigeria from the time it was formed in its present borders in 1914 until the present time. It draws on the author's own research and interviews and considers both the country's past and its current political, social and economic problems (issues of democratization, overcoming poverty that exists in the country in spite of its abundant resources, the role of religious contradictions, the problem of the Boko Haram terrorist movement). This makes it a very valuable book for anyone who wants to know more about one of the biggest and most dynamic nations on the African continent. Nigeria plays an important role in determining the direction in which Africa develops.
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Olga Kulkova:
The book is likely to interest all those who study the problem of "failed" and unstable states. The author's approach to the topic is creative. Taking his examples from various regions of the world, including Africa, the author shows why this or that state suffers setbacks in politics or economics (the reasons may vary widely), but also outlines practical ways in which this or that state can seek to obtain stability. The book draws on research carried out in more than 30 countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. The author tries to answer the question of what is needed for states to recover and how various actors in and outside the region can help that process.
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Olga Kulkova:
This book is an interesting analysis of how external actors are developing the mineral riches of Africa at the current stage under the circumstances of competition for resources, who benefits from it and what role African players have in it. The author, a Financial Times writer on Africa, notes that in 2010, $333 billion worth of fuel and minerals was exported from Africa, which is 7 times more than the amount of foreign aid to Africa. "But who pockets the profits from the sale of these resources?" the author asks and seeks to provide an exhaustive answer to the question.
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Aleksey Dundich:
The author provides a many-sided analysis of the Russian conceptualization of the post-Soviet space with due account, among others, of the Polish position. In accordance with the MGIMO research school, the main stages of Russia's policy since 1991 are analyzed along with the problem area of the relations between Russia and the EU in the post-Soviet space.
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Aleksey Dundich:
The monograph deals with the influence of various aspects of statehood on the evolution of political regimes in Ukraine and Georgia. The author draws on a wide range of theoretical sources to generalize contemporary scholarly approaches. Through comparative analysis and a study of the turning points in post-Soviet transit the author gets at the causes of the current state of Ukraine and Georgia. He introduces an original system of statehood operationalization.
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Aleksey Dundich:
The work examines the policy of the Baltic states since 2004 against a massive historical background. The foreign policy of the Baltic states is examined from two angles: the Euro-Atlantic policy of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia and their Eastern/Russian policy.
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Alexander Pivovarenko:
The study based on archive materials shows how the Yugoslav state's relations with the superpowers and the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement developed, how the concept of the Third World took shape to become part and parcel of the current conceptual apparatus of world politics. The book is replete with curious details of meetings and correspondence between state leaders of the time.
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Vyacheslav Sutyrin:
A collective monograph providing a comprehensive academic view of the history of Ukraine. The broad historical context gives a deeper insight into the current Ukrainian crisis.
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Pavel Sharikov:
Professor Robert Rimini of the Illinois State University in Chicago is a prominent American historian known as an expert on the early history of the United States and the author of brilliant biographies of American historical personalities: Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, Martin van Buren and Daniel Webster. One of his latest books, A Short History of the United States, has been translated into Russian. It acquaints the reader with the highlights of American history.
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Zbigniew Iwanowski:
The publication, prepared by an authoritative group of Russian and foreign specialists, covers the centuries-long history of the Bolivian people. Biographies of well-known political figures, writers and philosophers. Of particular interest is the chapter devoted to the presidency of Evo Morales who became the head of state in 2006 and radically changed the country's domestic and foreign policy.
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Zbigniew Iwanowski:
This collective study shows the impressive progress in the development of the agrarian sector in Latin America with particular focus on the powerful agro-industrial complexes as an inalienable part of the global food system. The authors also note the region's growing role in the Russian market affected by Western sanctions.
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Anastasia Borik:
A team of authors specializing in Central and South American states presents a collection of articles on electoral processes in Latin America from Mexico to Chile. The book includes unique materials on the features of the political process in such little-studied countries as Guatemala or Paraguay. Every article describes the internal political aspects of the latest electoral campaigns providing the reader with profound analysis which is not however overloaded with details.
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Anastasia Borik:
David Soifer is not just a specialist on Latin America, but a recognized expert in the field of comparative studies. His works are noted for a solid approach to research: in addition to the theoretical foundations on the problems of state building and regime stability the book offers a comparative analysis of the processes of state building in Mexico, Columbia, Chile and Peru.
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Anastasia Borik:
A textbook by Latin America scholar Sudarev, though billed as material for students, may be of interest to international affairs experts because of its comprehensive approach to identifying the challenges facing the countries in the region.
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Andrey Zagorsky:
The first modern Russian comprehensive and at the same time concrete study primarily of the legal aspects of delimitation of the seas and especially the continental shelf of the Arctic Ocean. The book provides a general picture of the legal regulation of the maritime borders in the Arctic and brings together numerous details concerning how problems in the region have been handled over the past century and a half. The study draws on a vast body of documentary material.
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Andrey Zagorsky:
The book presents an interest, being an attempt to analyze the formation of regional governance regimes in the Arctic against the background of contemporary processes of regionalization in the world as well as a specific analysis of the policies of Arctic (Canada, USA, Russia) and non-Arctic (China, Republic of Korea, Japan) states on concrete issues of international regulation and solving security problems in the region.
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Alexander Yermakov:
As we continue to mark the centenary of World War I a detailed work on Russian participation in that war must be on the shelf of anyone interested in military history. It is sure to become a rarity over the years.
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Alexander Yermakov:
Another work by prominent British historian of carrier-borne aviation and aircraft carriers is, as always, up to the highest standard. The author knows whereof he writes having served with the Royal Navy for thirty years and made 800 deck landings.
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Alexander Yermakov:
Written by a Russian scholar, the book provides the first detailed analysis of the war in Iraq in 2003 in Russian, uses English- and Arab-language sources and has no banal myths about "donkeys loaded with gold". The author himself publishes and distributes the book. It is lamentable that our publishing houses tend to ignore young Russian authors and at best make do with translating foreign works with a lag of several years. Even so, the fact that such enthusiasts exist enables one to look into the future with optimism.
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Alexander Yermakov:
This interesting work by Robert Kaplan saw its first Russian publication this year. It makes entertaining reading both for political scientists and those for whom history is a hobby.
His work Monsoon. The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Politics first published this year also merits attention.
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Viktor Katona:
The memoirs of Ben Bernanke who headed up the Federal Reserve System of the USA in 2006–2014 is one of the most topical and comprehensive works on the financial crisis that broke out in 2008. Ben Bernanke argues that the prime cause of the crisis was loss of trust in the financial sector and the economy generally. In his book he explains in detail and without undue emotionalism how the quantitative easing measures promoted by him and his team helped the United States to overcome "the first financial crisis in human history".
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Viktor Katona:
The book by Harvard Professor Dani Rodrik makes a plea for burnishing the name of economics especially because following a series of financial crises in the past eight years economists have lost much of their former authority. Dani Rodrik maintains that the use of economic models is the only right way to analyze economic events: but the model should be correctly chosen. The perception of the economy as correct and objective use of models (i.e. not to prove one's point of view but to get at the truth) is a very timely appeal to present-day and future economists.
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Viktor Katona:
A useful addition to existing literature on the distinctive features of economic development of Europe comes from Professor Philip Hoffman of the California Institute of Technology. In the period between 1492 and 1914 the European states conquered 84% of the Earth territory thanks to their military and economic superiority over their rivals, the author claims. War was the basis for the existence of medieval states the bulk of whose budgets went into maintaining the army and navy, and it was the perpetuation of war that ensured Europe's technological superiority. Other states had every chance of conquering the greater part of the planet, but they were more inward-looking.
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