Polity is one of the world's leading publishers in politics, political theory and international relations. We publish many of the key scholars in the field and our list has earned a reputation for innovative, cutting-edge publications. We also have a strong list of textbooks in politics which are widely adopted at colleges and universities around the world.
Our authors include internationally renowned political theorists and political scientists such as Brian Barry, David Miller, Quentin Skinner, Carole Pateman, Anne Phillips, Jürgen Habermas, David Held, Andrew Gamble, Norberto Bobbio, Zygmunt Bauman, Anthony Giddens, John Gray, Claus Offe, David Beetham, John Keane, Alex Callinicos, Richard Rose, Paul Hirst, Mary Kaldor, Ken Booth, Steve Smith, Richard Falk and Andrew Linklater. We also publish books by leading political figures and commentators, such as Will Hutton and Romano Prodi, which make a significant contribution to current political debate.
Visit our highlights page for more information on our new and forthcoming general interest titles.
Held: Models of Democracy 3/e (NEW EDITION!)
'The great global struggles today are not over democracy versus other forms of government but over the meanings and practices of democracy themselves. There is no better critical and engaged survey of the complex histories and contemporary struggles over this deeply contested concept than David Held's third and improved edition of Models of Democracy , precisely because it is written in awareness of its own contestability.'
James Tully, University of Victoria
Visit the exceptionally supportive Models of Democracy website
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Dannreuther, International Security.
International Security: The Contemporary Agenda is a cutting-edge introduction to key security challenges and developments in the post-Cold War world. Drawing on a wide range of contemporary examples, it is an essential guide for students seeking to understand the theoretical and empirical debates over the fast-changing nature of international security today.
"I was pleasantly and genuinely surprised by the depth and intensity of analysis and argument contained in the book despite its wide-ranging subject matter ... Students of international affairs who long for books that go beyond the minutiae of globalization and look at the big picture should consider this book compulsory reading."
Nick Grimwade, Times Higher Education Supplement
Clarifies the notion of globalization, and places contemporary developments in a historical context. It provides detailed accounts of how the current phase of globalization is transforming modern societies in the areas of politics, economics, culture and communication, migration, environmental issues, law and military affairs. Throughout the book the authors bring out the implications of globalization for the sovereignty and autonomy of states and for the practice of modern politics and democracy.
Please visit the accompanying website at www.polity.co.uk/global
Ramsbotham, Woodhouse and Miall, Contemporary Conflict Resolution 2/e (NEW EDITION!)
The book has been extensively revised and expanded, with new chapters added on peace-building from below; reconciliation; responding to terror; gender issues; the ethics of intervention; dialogue, discourse and disagreement; culture and conflict resolution; and future directions for the field.
Please also see the accompanying Contemporary Conflict Resolution website, which contains sample chapters, author information, and more.
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Bellamy, Williams & Griffiths, Understanding Peacekeeping
‘…one of the few that attempts to provide a comprehensive and historical treatment of the subject…an excellent introduction'.
Paul F. Diehl, University of Illinois in Choice
Kingdom, Government and Politics in Britain
"A formidable and highly commendable introduction to British politics. It is packed with illustrations and boxed quotations. Its range, depth of understanding and ability to catch and retain the reader's attention are impressive."
Times Higher Education Supplement
Swift, Political Philosophy : A Beginners' Guide for Students and Politicians 2/e (NEW EDITION!)
‘A triumph of a book that illuminates the last two decades of politics and points the way to the next…How does philosophy affect politics? Through books like this.'
James Purnell, MP
Leftwich, What is Politics?
‘This is a superb volume, which should quickly establish itself at the top of politics reading lists at all levels. No student of politics can afford not to read it; its publication is cause for considerable celebration.'
Collin Hay, University of Birmingham
Held & McGrew, Globalization/Anti-Globalization (NEW EDITION!)
The second edition of this successful book tests the claims of those who dismiss the continuing significance of globalization through a comprehensive assessment of contemporary global trends. In the aftermath of September 11th, and the war in Iraq, there has been much talk of the end of globalization. Held and McGrew argue that these post-mortems for globalization are entirely premature. They focus upon the primary structures of world order namely: patterns of governance, organized violence, and cultural, ecological and economic exchange with particular emphasis given to global patterns of inequality, exclusion and domination.
Milton-Edwards, Contemporary Politics in the Middle East 2/e (NEW EDITION!)
The second edition of this dynamic textbook has been fully revised and updated to provide a comprehensive introduction to contemporary politics in the Middle East for those coming to the subject for the first time. Purposefully employing a clear thematic structure and including a wide range of case studies, the book explores and analyses the major issues which define the politics of this region of the globe.
These concise books offer authoritative overviews of conflicts in some of the world’s most notorious political ‘hot spots’. Written for a broad audience of students and general readers, they provide invaluable introductions to key regional and sub-regional conflict zones.
This ground-breaking series provides intellectually rigorous introductions to core topics in War and Conflict Studies, drawing on a wide range of modern examples. Written by internationally renowned scholars, the books will aim to provide new empirical and/or analytical insight and make a clear contribution to public debate.
This series makes available to a wide audience the ideas of some of the most influential thinkers of our time. Cutting across the boundaries between academic disciplines and between different traditions of thought, the series addresses European as well as Anglo-American thinkers. The books are written in a clear and concise way, making them suitable for students and for the interested general reader.
New and published titles of particular interest to politics students and lecturers are listed below. Please check other subject pages for further titles in this series.
Forthcoming
Key Concepts is a series of concise and accessible textbooks exploring core concepts in the social sciences. The books focus on concepts that are central to each discipline and have a high degree of complexity surrounding them. For more information on individual titles please see the series webpage: www.polity.co.uk/keyconcepts.
Political Profiles is a new series of books providing authoritative introductions to major political figures of the modern world. Each volume will integrate a biographical and historical treatment of the leader’s life and career with a comprehensive analysis of his/her contribution to political developments and debates on a national, regional and international level.
A major new series of innovative and lively short introductions to the main areas of the social sciences and humanities. For information on individual volumes please go to the series webpage: www.polity.co.uk/shortintroductions.
This ground-breaking series sets a new agenda for debates in the social sciences and humanities. Each volume in the series sheds light on a particular issue or theme shaping social, political, economic, and cultural life in the new millennium. Written by internationally renowned scholars who are leaders in their field, books in this series provide original and accessible overviews of some of the most important topics of our age.
