Reading room

It is sometimes difficult to know what books to read on international issues; thankfully the AIIA has Reading Room: the online book review section of the Australian Journal of International Affairs. Literature reviewed includes international relations, security or history, among other topics.
To suggest a title for review or to offer to review, contact australianoutlook@internationalaffairs.org.au.

25 Aug 2025
A new biography strips away the myth of Sir Basil Liddell Hart, revealing a man whose brilliance as a strategist
22 Aug 2025
In The Diary of a Rogue Diplomat, Bruce Mabley delivers a sharp critique of Canadian diplomacy and Western foreign policy.
18 Aug 2025
Isaac B. Kardon’s China’s Law of the Sea offers a comprehensive analysis of how China is reshaping maritime norms through
14 Aug 2025
How to Steal a Presidential Election gives readers a frank assessment of the 2020 election, laying bare the tactics and
12 Aug 2025
This decade may seem like high season for the imagined monsters of Antonio Gramsci as we witness the destruction of
28 Jul 2025
AUKUS is a classic case of the “tail wagging the dog.” On the back of lies, a constructed inevitability of
23 Jul 2025
Lucie Kadlecová's Cyber Sovereignty offers an ambitious and timely intervention into one of the most pressing questions in contemporary international relations: how
16 Jul 2025
Hugh White’s latest essay warns that Australia must urgently prepare for a post-American regional order shaped by great power rivalry
04 Jul 2025
The last decade has seen a substantial rise in scholarly writings on the value of diplomacy. American political scientist David
19 Jun 2025
Russia’s ambitions to become a Pacific great power have been marked by repeated failures, shaped by deep structural and historical
12 Jun 2025
Fareed Zakaria explores how periods of rapid economic and technological change often unleash cultural anxiety and political backlash. In Age
05 Jun 2025
By focusing on Stalin’s decision-making processes and the geopolitical manoeuvrings that defined Soviet-Finnish relations, Kimmo Rentola provides valuable insight into