Aleksa's Book Review: States Vs. International Laws
The more one reads about international law, the more one understands it's cobbled together with wood splinters, toothpaste, and a stern demeanour. This book explains the genesis and history of the League of Nations and its successor, the United Nations. Somewhat explained are the process, costs and benefits of joining - however, conspicuously absent is the fact that Switzerland didn't join until 2002.
A bit too much time is paid to individual persons (Boutros-Boutros Gali, Kofi Annan, etc.) and that's essentially the only gripe I have with the book. Otherwise, it soberly and objectively explains the procedural and substantive rules that govern (and I use that word with the largest quotation marks possible) modern international law. The UN is presented to be an old retainer from another age, whom nobody listens to but is kept around anyway like a disliked elderly relative.
What most interested me is the fact that international law can be broken with impunity by the likes of Russia, China, the U.S. and even Israel and Saudi Arabia. Even though every nation gets the same vote (Vanuatu and the U.S.A. both get one) some nations are a bit more equal than others. Also examined was the corruption that is ever-present in UN programs such as Oil-for-Food, which is something that never goes amiss.
If you want to understand how the UN actually works and how international law is supposed to work (but doesn't) then this book is for you. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
9/10
