82 Books Like Neutrality in World History

I think Maartje’s book has been transformational in the study of neutrality. As she rightly points out, the study of neutrals has been skewed by more modern ideas of neutrality being a passive concept. It shows that in the nineteenth century, it was held in ‘high regard’ in diplomacy and statecraft. She superbly describes how neutrality, far from being a sideshow outside of the main events, was at the center of political thinking and shaping of the period between the Vienna Congress and the First World War.

I like how Maartje shows that neutrality after the Napoleonic Wars was self-serving. States avoided conflicts that they did not need to enter, and overall, this prevented any conflicts that did arise (such as the Crimean War) from becoming wider European conflagrations. Some states, like Belgium, were ‘neutralized’ by the larger, more powerful states to avoid conflict, whereas other countries actively sought neutralization… show more.

I’ve included Ana, Jan, and María’s book on my list not because it is entirely about neutrality and war (although that theme plays a major part in the book) but because it pushed me to appreciate the effects of the First World War at a more global level. 

The modern name of the war, of course, includes the word ‘world’ in it, but the fighting was primarily European-focused. This book shows, however, that the war had a much wider reach–influencing China, Japan, South America, Mexico, and Africa, amongst other places. For example, the book shows that there was a clash of Empires in Africa–between neutral Portugal and belligerent Germany; and in neutral Argentina, Mexico, and Spain, societies were split down the middle between the rival camps supporting the Allies and the Germans.

I found the book to be a really important demonstration that we need to think differently about wars–the… show more.

Nick Cull’s book on how British propaganda was used to influence neutral American opinion towards supporting the Allies in the early part of the Second World War, I think, remains one of the most important books analyzing propaganda activities in the twentieth century. Clearly, the US entry into the Second World War was a significant moment, not only for the war itself but also for shaping the world order in which we continue to live today. 

Cull’s very readable and engaging account of British operations between September 1939 and December 1941 outlines how propagandists sought to influence news reporting of war events such as the Dunkirk evacuation and the Battle of Britain, amongst others. I think Cull’s broader definition of propaganda encapsulating broader influence in Hollywood through the work of people such as Alexander Korda, as well as through covert operations, is an approach that has really changed the way… show more.

I’ve added Herbert and Pascal’s book to my recommendations as it provides a very thought-provoking set of chapters exploring the concept of permanent neutrality outside of specific wars. The contributors provide their thoughts firmly grounded in historical analysis, looking back over the last few centuries and seeing how the concept has emerged. They touch upon the Congress of Vienna, the League of Nations, and the UN, as well as the Spanish Civil War and the Iran-Iraq War, to demonstrate how views around neutrality have been shaped over a broad time horizon.

Just as with Leos’ book, I liked the way Herbert and Pascal bring to the fore the real dilemmas between permanent neutrality and collective security–in essence, they are opposing approaches to the same goal of achieving peace. The latter often fails when states perceive their own interests to trump the security of others, leaving the question of whether permanent… show more.

I grew up with lots of stories and books about WWII because my father was a veteran. What is different about this book’s narrative is Portugal’s position of neutrality during the Second World War and the resulting web of political intrigue. Salazar, Portugal’s dictator at the time, played both sides, aligning with the British, all the while selling off Portugal’s Tungsten, a metal used to produce armor-piercing projectiles (which apparently melted the British tanks), to the Germans for gold that the Nazi’s looted. And at the end of the war, all that gold helped Portugal emerge economically intact. 

This thought-provoking academic text outlines how corporate power and the super-rich have almost become governing institutes in their own right through funding of political parties, control of the media, and the platforms they enjoy as outsized economic actors.

It perhaps lends itself to undue pessimism about the possibility of change but is certainly powerful evidence of the need for a rebalancing of the distribution of wealth and power.

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 learn from the less savory aspects of the history of humanitarianism in order to build a better humanitarian system in the future.

Toby Ord’s sobering and deeply researched examination of existential threats explores pivotal challenges like climate change, nuclear war, and AI. I’m fascinated by his thoughtful analysis, which positions humanity at a crossroads where our choices today could determine whether we thrive or collapse.

This book aligns closely with many of my own concerns, particularly in its discussion of AI as a potential existential risk. Ord’s emphasis on responsible stewardship of powerful technologies echoes my concerns about autonomous weapons and the unpredictability of AI decision-making. His call for ethical governance and adaptation in global security is crucial as we determine AI’s role in shaping humanity’s future.

This book develops what I regard as the most important and insightful theory of why states pursue cooperation through international institutions.

The author’s argument, which innovatively brings insights from transaction cost economics to bear on the study of international cooperation, explains how such institutions deliver mutual benefits to states and why they are so enduring—even when the power structures that gave birth to them have crumbled.

A profound analysis of why the apparently global triumph of Western liberalism in 1989 turned sour for millions of those who believed they were joining a new world order – but came away disappointed.

This book traces how, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the hubris of Western elites helped spawn the populist and opportunistic leaders – from Russia’s Putin, to Hungary’s Orban and Donald Trump in the US – that emerged after the 2008 global financial crisis.

That systemic failure cracked the veneer of the competence of Western capitalism (which had long masked rising inequality and flat middle-class wages) and opened the door to a politics of chaos that seeks to capitalise on that world of chaos, not fix it.