Prisoners of America's Wars: From the Early Republic to Guantanamo - Hardcover

Carvin, Stephanie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 023170156X ISBN 13: 9780231701563

Verlag: Columbia Univ Pr, 2010

Inhaltsangabe

Book by Carvin Stephanie

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Reseña del editor:

"The laws of war have been criticized and revered, but little understood especially in relation to politics. Stephanie Garvin deepens our understanding of this vexing topic, especially concerning prisoners of war in irregular armed conflict. She takes the controversial policies of the Bush administration after 9/11 and puts them in historical perspective, emphasizing the political values that drive legal interpretation. The result is a readable and intriguing analysis of national ideology, policy-making and international law."-David P. Forsythe, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and author of The Humanitarians: The International Committee of the Red Cross

"This is a readable and engaging study of an important topic. Stephanie Garvin manages the difficult feat of writing about some very controversial issues in a calm and dispassionate way, providing us with the historical context necessary to understand American policy vis-a-vis POWs. The very opposite of a dry legal analysis, the book presents a clear account of the political values and ideologies that have underpinned the US position on international law in general and prisoner-of-war rights in particular. Very highly recommended."-Chris Brown, Department of International Relations, London School of Economics

"A well-written and thoroughly researched work that makes a valuable contribution to debate on the US military and the development of the politics of the law s of war in relation to the treatment of prisoners of war and prisoners in war."-Ruth Blakeley, University of Kent

Prisoners of war have featured in virtually every conflict that the US has engaged in since its revolutionary beginnings. Today visitors to Washington will frequently see a black POW flag flying high on government buildings or war memorials in silent memory. This act of fealty towards prisoners reflects a history in which they have frequently been a rallying point, source of outrage and problem for both military and political leaders. This is as true for the 2003 Iraq War as it was for the American Revolution.

Yet, the story of prisoners in American wars (both enemies taken and soldiers captured) reveals much about the nation itself; how it fights conflicts and its attitudes towards laws of war. A nation born out of an exceptional ideology, the United States has frequently faced the contradictory imperatives of being both exemplary and secure: while American diplomats might be negotiating a treaty at The Hague, American soldier could be fighting a bloody insurrection where it seems that few if any rules apply.

By taking a historical approach, this book demonstrates that the challenges America faces regarding international law and the war on terror are not entirely unique or unprecedented. Rather, to be properly understood, such dilemmas must be contextualized within the long history of those prisoners captured in American wars.

Biografía del autor:

Stephanie Carvin is a lecturer in international relations at Royal Holloway university of London. A native of Canada, she previously worked as a research officer for the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies in Toronto.

Über diese Auflage

• Verlag: Columbia Univ Pr
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2010
• ISBN 10: 023170156X
• ISBN 13: 9780231701563
• Einband: Tapa dura
• Anzahl der Seiten: 336