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.

28 Oct 2024
Allan Behm's undertaking of the odd couple relationship that characterises the Australia-American relationship is refreshing and bold. Australia's foreign policy
23 Oct 2024
In ”Smoke and Ashes,” Amitav Ghosh takes the reader through a broad, yet deeply personal exploration of opium's history, its
14 Oct 2024
The US has stumbled into at least two “New Cold Wars,” according to David Sanger. And as he writes, this
09 Oct 2024
I Will Show You How It Was is a personal Ukrainian perspective on the realities of the Russian invasion of
01 Oct 2024
Gary Bass's new book takes the reader through a detailed account of the “Tokyo Trials”; court sessions held by the
26 Sep 2024
Named after a particularly eventful year in German history, 1923 is a book that examines the economic and political context
16 Sep 2024
Indonesia’s farming sector is shrinking, with modern challenges like urban migration, reliance on imports, and declining land availability threatening food
11 Sep 2024
America in the World is a collection of key US diplomatic documents from the Spanish-American War to the Biden administration.
02 Sep 2024
This history of Japanese earthquake prediction provides a compelling account of how disaster policies are made and unmade. It offers
29 Aug 2024
It’s an achievement for Adrian Karatnycky to analyse over three decades of Ukrainian independence and six presidents in 306 pages.
16 Aug 2024
This book analyses the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan post-2021, examining how the group's governance strategies and international relationships
08 Aug 2024
Base Towns investigates the emergence of anti-US military movements across East Asia. The author's study highlights significant local differences, offering