Why read Amidst the Debris?

Book cover of Amidst the Debris: Humanitarianism and the End of Liberal Order

Book description

For many liberal commentators at the turn of the 1990s, the collapse of the Soviet Union represented a final victory for Western reason and capitalist democracy. But, in recent years, liberal norms and institutions associated with the post-Cold War moment have been challenged by a visceral and affective politics. Electorates…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Amidst the Debris as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Julia F. Irwin

Author

Connecting the recent past with our contemporary moment, this book shows that humanitarian agendas have shaped the post-Cold War world in deeply unsettling ways.

I love this book because it brings together both academics and practitioners in a single volume, putting them into conversation with each other. All of the contributors are specialists in humanitarianism, but they approach this subject from very different angles and perspectives. Together, they raise provocative questions about humanitarian governance in the 21st century.

This book made me think deeply about the political and economic relationships involved in humanitarian activities. Above all, it invites us to…

From Julia's list on the origins of modern humanitarianism and its consequences for the contemporary world.