The World in Conflict: Understanding the world’s troublespots

So far in the twenty-first century, the USA and its allies have invaded Afghanistan; Russia has waged war with Georgia; the brutal Islamic State (IS) has emerged in the Middle East; and a constant contest for precious minerals in Africa has provoked – and financed – war and carnage. Other conflicts are less bloody, but still dangerous – the nervous stand-off between India and Pakistan in Kashmir, for instance, or the continuing stalemate between North and South Korea. Whether explosive or simmering, the number of violent conflicts in the world is high enough to surprise, intrigue and sober any reader.

In The World in Conflict, John Andrews tackles head-on the reasons why global conflict is ever-present in our lives. He analyses today’s conflicts region by region, considering the causes, contexts, participants, impacts and likely outcomes. He looks at recently-ended wars that still spawn intermittent fighting. And, crucially, he considers where, why and how new conflicts might erupt.