Document Type

Article

Disciplines

International Law

Abstract

In the last five years, the bookshelf has begun to fill with works on international law which take a sharply political tone, and which often seem to reflect a fairly crass reverse-engineering of history and precedent to justify a contemporary political agenda. Against this background, it is a pure delight to come across a work of traditional scholarship which makes a significant contribution to the subject matter, is reasonably oblivious to current partisan casuistry and is certain to endure precisely for that reason. Mark Janis' The American Tradition of International Law is a treasure trove with illuminating discoveries at every turn. Among its refreshing and redeeming qualities is that it is not remotely prescriptive, though it does offer keen insights into the attitudes of a number of figures who played important roles in the first 125 years of American thinking about international law, introducing in this process a number of figures not well known even among international law experts in this country.

One may well ask how any serious scholar could address the American tradition in international law in a scant 162 pages. To this, two answers appear. First, the author's aim is to sketch an intellectual history only - to chart key animating figures and ideas. Second, this is the first volume of a multi-volume series, and a second book already appears in the works based on recent presentations that Professor Janis has made at the Association of the Bar.

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