The Third World Security Predicament: State Making, Regional Conflict, and the International System

This book is a much-needed exploration of the multifaceted security problems facing the Third World in the aftermath of the Cold War. Ayoob addresses what he perceives to be the major underlying cause of conflict and insecurity in the Third World - i.e., the early stage of state making at which postcolonial states find themselves - drawing comparisons with the West European experience. He argues that this approach provides richer comparative data and less ephemeral conclusions than approaches that adopt development or dependency as their basic organizing concepts.