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.

26 Apr 2024
The subtitle of Chodor and Hameiri’s book is “Learning the Lessons from Australia’s COVID-19 Response.” There is one lesson in
19 Apr 2024
Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar's latest book, Why Bharat Matters, offers a deep look at the civilisational turn in India's
19 Apr 2024
America’s foreign policy has always been a battleground between isolationist and internationalist forces, according to Charles Kupchan. The tussle continues
12 Apr 2024
In the shadow of the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East it is challenging to imagine a farewell to
08 Apr 2024
How should the West view China’s rise on the global stage? Kerry Brown’s China Incorporated challenges common misconceptions of China’s
04 Apr 2024
Nicholas J. Cull highlights the importance of proactively preserving a nation’s public image. Debunking negative propaganda in retrospect might not
27 Mar 2024
O'Keefe’s book on Australian foreign policymaking provides an extensive overview, especially of Australia’s major diplomatic relationships. This work goes far
27 Mar 2024
In this thought-provoking book Yasheng Huang seeks to explain the unique stability of the Chinese political system over 1500 years
21 Mar 2024
Under Xi Jinping, China has returned to ideology-based policies and abandoned collective leadership, according to Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung.
12 Mar 2024
An interesting insight into insurgencies is that they rarely succeed. David H. Ucko’s Insurgent’s Dilemma: A Struggle to Prevail shows
23 Feb 2024
Kaamil Ahmed’s documentation of the Rohingya’s plight details their trauma, death, and despair. The book’s telling of their human longing
13 Feb 2024
In his third edition of “India after Gandhi,” historian Ramachandra Guha argues that India is now in the middle of