Working within the framework of the neoclassical realist school of international relations, which considers the role of variables such as cultural forces in the formulation of foreign policy, Hadfield-Amkhan (Vrije Univ. Brussel) suggests that first English and then also British identity have been significant 'inputs' to the 'outputs' of British foreign policy from the late 19th century to the present. ... Read moreAfter establishing that theoretical foundation, she presents four case studies that demonstrate different aspects of that identity, drawing well on government documents, newspapers, and popular novels and nonfiction. In the 1882 Channel Tunnel Crisis, opponents of the project charged that England's insular territorial integrity would be jeopardized. The 1909 Naval Scare stemmed from the challenge to English naval dominance and national security posed by Germany in its construction of dreadnoughts. Hadfield-Amkhan argues that in a postimperial environment, the struggle over the Falkland Islands in 1982 represented Britain's determination to maintain its national self-image and a role within the wider state system, and finally, that the decision not to adopt the euro in 2003 was emblematic of its attachment to a degree of economic autonomy from Europe. Summing Up: Recommended.
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With this book Amelia Hadfield-Amkhan joins a select band of foreign policy analysts that understands the importance of history. The discipline of international relations started with such splendidly rich literature, but we seem to have lost our way in recent years. This book will do much to redress that balance.
Andrew Williams, University of St. Andrews If any scholar of international relations still believes that external, systemic factors predominate in determining state security behavior, Amelia Hadfield-Amkhan’s masterful book will provide a useful corrective. This book is an important contribution to the renaissance in studies of strategic culture, as well as to the study of cultural effects on state policy making in the field of foreign policy analysis.
Valerie M. Hudson, Texas A&M University Show Less