E-International Relations has partnered with Bloomsbury to produce a fully featured textbook for beginners. With a diverse set of authors and chapters covering topics including race, colonialism, gender, sexuality, digital globalization, the environment and security studies, this textbook takes into account the historical development of International Relations and the web of dynamics that forms the subject, resulting in a clear analysis of the field from a variety of perspectives. The book is complimented by a website, featuring interactive learning material that expands on each chapter of the book. As this book is published by Bloomsbury, we are unable to offer a full free-to-download version but we have made available an earlier version of the book.
Foundations of International Relations
As this book is published by Bloomsbury – who have invested a substantial sum in producing the book to such a high quality – E-International Relations is unable to offer a free-to-download version of the full book. However we have made available a full chapter excerpt via the free PDF download button (above). In addition, a complete version of an earlier edition of this book from 2017 is available free on E-International Relations – though note the 2017 version does not have the full range of chapters, or features, of the 2022 version.
E-International Relations has curated an extensive online area with free multimedia resources to accompany each chapter of the book. Instructor resources, including powerpoints, essay questions and a multiple choice question bank for each chapter are available from Bloomsbury.
All royalties from the sale of this book are invested by E-International Relations to support future open access publications.
Table of contents
GETTING STARTED
1. Introduction to International Relations – Stephen McGlinchey
PART ONE: HISTORY AND THEORY
2. International Relations and the Global System (read online) – Stephen McGlinchey
3. Discovery, Conquest and Colonialism – Robbie Shilliam
4. Towards Global International Relations – Sahil Mathur and Amitav Acharya
5. Levels of Analysis – Carmen Gebhard
6. Traditional and Middle Ground Theories – Stephen McGlinchey and Dana Gold
7. Critical Theories – Stephen McGlinchey, Rosie Walters and Dana Gold
PART TWO: GLOBAL STRUCTURES
8. International Organisations – Shazelina Z. Abidin
9. Global Civil Society – Raffaele Marchetti
10. International Political Economy – Günter Walzenbach
11. International Law – Knut Traisbach
12. Religion and Culture – John A. Rees
13. Gender and Sexuality – Rosie Walters
PART THREE: GLOBAL ISSUES
14. International Security – Natalie Jester
15. Transnational Terrorism – Katherine E. Brown
16. Migration – Anitta Kynsilehto
17. Poverty and Wealth – James Arvanitakis and David J. Hornsby
18. Global Health – Mukesh Kapila
19. Environment and Climate – Raul Pacheco-Vega
20. Connectivity and Exploitation in the Digital Age – Clare Stevens and Andreas Haggman
REFLECTING ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
21. Crossings and Candles – Peter Vale
About the authors
Stephen McGlinchey is a Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE Bristol). He is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of E-International Relations.
Shazelina Z. Abidin is the Director General of the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations of Malaysia. She received her PhD from the University of Sheffield.
Amitav Acharya is Distinguished Professor in the School of International Service, American University.
James Arvanitakis is the Executive Director of the Australian American Fulbright Commission and an Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University.
Katherine E. Brown is a Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Birmingham.
Carmen Gebhard is a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of Edinburgh.
Dana Gold works in regulatory strategy and research for the Ontario Public Service. She was a PhD candidate in Political Science at the Western University between 2012 and 2018.
Andreas Haggman is Head of Cyber Advocacy at the United Kingdom’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. He holds a PhD in Cyber Security from Royal Holloway, University of London.
David J. Hornsby is Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) and Professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University.
Natalie Jester is a Lecturer in Sociology and Criminology at the University of Gloucestershire.
Mukesh Kapila CBE is Professor Emeritus of Global Health and Humanitarian Affairs at the University of Manchester. He is a former Director at the World Health Organization and the United Nations.
Anitta Kynsilehto is a Senior Research Fellow at Tampere Peace Research Institute, Tampere University.
Raffaele Marchetti is a Professor of International Relations at LUISS.
Sahil Mathur is a PhD candidate in International Relations and an adjunct instructor at the School of International Service, American University.
Raul Pacheco-Vega is an Associate Professor at the Methods Lab of the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) Sede Mexico.
John A. Rees is a Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Notre Dame Australia.
Robbie Shilliam is a Professor of International Relations at Johns Hopkins University.
Clare Stevens is a Teaching Fellow in International Security with the Portsmouth Military Education team at the University of Portsmouth.
Knut Traisbach is Adjunct Professor of International Law and Human Rights at the University of Barcelona and at ESADE, University Ramon Llull.
Peter Vale is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria, and Nelson Mandela Professor of Politics Emeritus at Rhodes University.
Rosie Walters is a Lecturer in International Relations at Cardiff University.
Günter Walzenbach is a Senior Lecturer in European Politics at the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE Bristol).
An immensely user-friendly introduction to International Relations, replete with diagrams, maps, illustrations and helpful summaries of the material covered. Such care for a student text has not been taken for a very long time.
Foundations of International Relations delivers a comprehensive explanation of International Relations that includes a thorough introduction to critical theories and non-western viewpoints alongside established IR theories and narratives. The approachability of the text and relevant case studies will leave students with the tools needed to understand and analyse international events.
The core strength of this textbook is the clarity it brings to explaining the many concepts and theories that make up International Relations – it introduces students to the nuance and complexity of the field in an exciting and accessible way. An excellent educational resource.
This introduction to International Relations is one of the most original and interesting to come to the market in a long while. Moving away from a purely European perspective, students will gain an understanding of traditional ideas about international organisation, whilst also appreciating how issues such as COVID and food security are truly international in scope.
Stephen McGlinchey has brought together a fantastic collection of authors who together present a wide-ranging, critical and accessible introduction to International Relations. Supported by helpful case studies, key insights and key term features, the book will enable its readers to navigate the complexities of global politics.
Foundations of International Relations is a wonderfully rich, yet highly accessible, introduction to International Relations, both as a subject and as a discipline. Students are brought on an engaging intellectual journey through a range of contending perspectives and issues, whilst being encouraged to think critically throughout. They will find it challenging and rewarding in equal measure.
This innovative and well-written textbook takes students on an exciting historical, theoretical, geographical and thematic journey of International Relations. It is truly attentive to the multiplicity of (state and non-state) actors in global politics, as well as non-Western approaches. The book presents an impressive and well-thought pedagogical outline leaving students critically engaged and encouraged to apply their new knowledge of IR to specific, concrete cases. I highly recommend this unique book to both beginner and more advanced students.
