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International Relations: A Very Short Introduction
International relations affects everyone's their security, economic well-being, rights and freedoms, and the environment they share. Recently we have seen the transformation from a world of empires to today's world of sovereign states, which are enmeshed in a complex array of international institutions, all exercising degrees of political authority. The new global organization of political authority has far-reaching consequences.
This Very Short Introduction untangles this complex world, providing an accessible framework for understanding the contours of global political change. Christian Reus-Smit treats theory as an indispensable tool for grasping international relations, but demystifies theorizing, introducing it as an everyday human practice. He surveys a range of theories, from realism to reading them as contrasting perspectives on the global organization of political authority. Historically, such organization has been shaped by diverse social forces, four of which are discussed in shifting patterns of warfare, changing economic conditions, struggles for rights, and the politics of culture. Reus-Smit concludes with a reflection on the future of international relations in an era of profound global change.
ABOUT THE
The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
This Very Short Introduction untangles this complex world, providing an accessible framework for understanding the contours of global political change. Christian Reus-Smit treats theory as an indispensable tool for grasping international relations, but demystifies theorizing, introducing it as an everyday human practice. He surveys a range of theories, from realism to reading them as contrasting perspectives on the global organization of political authority. Historically, such organization has been shaped by diverse social forces, four of which are discussed in shifting patterns of warfare, changing economic conditions, struggles for rights, and the politics of culture. Reus-Smit concludes with a reflection on the future of international relations in an era of profound global change.
ABOUT THE
The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
160 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 23, 2025
Solid, but not revolutionary. A useful primer on the discipline, some of the main theories, and on the subjects of study, but nonetheless a bit short on detail; obviously a limitation imposed by the "very short introduction" format.
September 8, 2021
This is a good, short introduction to international relations - looking at the current global organisation of political authority, how it evolved and the consequences of it. It doesn't go into great detail on the topics covered, but does provide enough information to make you think/prompt further reading.
October 17, 2022
Above average, easy to read, helped me get back into the topic for uni
December 28, 2023
I can’t say this was the most riveting subject matter, but having read a few of the Very Short Introductions now, I can say this instalment was a good one. A well written overview of the study of international relations that was easy to read and pretty enjoyable - what more could you ask for?
March 29, 2021
An excellent overview introduction of a subject that can be deemed to be generally expansive. The attempt of giving a general idea around IR, its theories, and significant elements affecting political authority was done supremely.
Personally, I’m doing IR as a module for my foundation year, therefore, I’m not a complete beginner, but rather somewhere between there and being an intermediate. I found the book to be insightful; adding new knowledge, cementing old ones, and providing a new perspective over the subject.
I think the book could help anyone interested in getting an idea about IR, before delving into the wider spheres of the subject in a more conclusive study.
Personally, I’m doing IR as a module for my foundation year, therefore, I’m not a complete beginner, but rather somewhere between there and being an intermediate. I found the book to be insightful; adding new knowledge, cementing old ones, and providing a new perspective over the subject.
I think the book could help anyone interested in getting an idea about IR, before delving into the wider spheres of the subject in a more conclusive study.
November 12, 2025
Was a fascinating read which provided a strong framework and multiple points of view of International Relations. Its thesis that IR should focus mainly on the Global Organization of Political Authority first and relations between sovereign states secondarily is extremely interesting and has made me think.
8/10
8/10
April 7, 2026
The book is one of the Oxford University Press publications of the series of "Very Short Introduction", that was written by Christian Reus-Smit a Professor of International Relations, and was published in 2020 under the main title "International Relations" and a subtitle "A very short introduction".
My objective of reading this book is to promote my basic understanding of International Relations as exercise in real life and as an academic field of knowledge field (branch of Political science), focusing on later.
The book did fairly satisfy this objective by providing an informative and rich introduction (despite the limited pages, after all it is a "very short introduction") with a writing style that can be grasped easily due to its simple and straightforward language that avoided academic unnessesary complexities.
The book is composed of eight main chapters which covers the main & different aspects that influences the international relations system and contributes in composing its big pictur, inaddition the book was published in 2020 which is relatively close (6 years ago), and when Trump was the President of US in his first term (2017 to 2021; Second Term: 2025 - now). Both facts contributed to the book content being relevant to the current global seen, relatively current events and todays critical topics & debates.
Chapters were as follows:
1 What is international relations?
2 The global organization of political authority.
3 Theory is your friend.
4 War.
5 Economy.
6 Rights.
7 Culture.
8 An essential political science.
Finally, the book enable me to know the basics of the International Relations field & it's key theories through a contemporary perspective. I recommend it for general knowledge (about IR) and for those whom are new to the field and do seek yo specialised in it.
My objective of reading this book is to promote my basic understanding of International Relations as exercise in real life and as an academic field of knowledge field (branch of Political science), focusing on later.
The book did fairly satisfy this objective by providing an informative and rich introduction (despite the limited pages, after all it is a "very short introduction") with a writing style that can be grasped easily due to its simple and straightforward language that avoided academic unnessesary complexities.
The book is composed of eight main chapters which covers the main & different aspects that influences the international relations system and contributes in composing its big pictur, inaddition the book was published in 2020 which is relatively close (6 years ago), and when Trump was the President of US in his first term (2017 to 2021; Second Term: 2025 - now). Both facts contributed to the book content being relevant to the current global seen, relatively current events and todays critical topics & debates.
Chapters were as follows:
1 What is international relations?
2 The global organization of political authority.
3 Theory is your friend.
4 War.
5 Economy.
6 Rights.
7 Culture.
8 An essential political science.
Finally, the book enable me to know the basics of the International Relations field & it's key theories through a contemporary perspective. I recommend it for general knowledge (about IR) and for those whom are new to the field and do seek yo specialised in it.
July 22, 2025
My reading of this book was influenced by three things. 1. My application to become an Officer in the British Army Reserve. 2. My want to (at some point) pursue a masters degree with contemporary relevance. 3. My missing academic study since graduating university.
As someone deeply interested in making sense of things and the broader picture of how we understand the world as operating - international relations seemed a fruitful venture to meet all three.
Reus-Smit’s text is a great start. Its central concern is to articulate that international relations need not focus on simply interactions between states, but on the wider, global, ‘organisation of political authority’. In this way he is able to speak to historic ways that polities have organised themselves, whilst acknowledging the contemporary boundaries that are drawn onto maps of the world. It is a deeply interesting book, and draws together large and deep themes without leaving those (like myself) who have not forayed into International Relations study before at loss. A very good introduction.
As someone deeply interested in making sense of things and the broader picture of how we understand the world as operating - international relations seemed a fruitful venture to meet all three.
Reus-Smit’s text is a great start. Its central concern is to articulate that international relations need not focus on simply interactions between states, but on the wider, global, ‘organisation of political authority’. In this way he is able to speak to historic ways that polities have organised themselves, whilst acknowledging the contemporary boundaries that are drawn onto maps of the world. It is a deeply interesting book, and draws together large and deep themes without leaving those (like myself) who have not forayed into International Relations study before at loss. A very good introduction.
October 16, 2020
Me ha resultado un poco difícil de leer aún teniendo tan pocas páginas. La verdad es que no estoy acostumbrada a leer en inglés tantos tecnicismos.
En cuanto al contenido, ha habido de todo. Algunos capítulos introductorios, aunque siendo introductorios no eran demasiado accesibles, y después capítulos que trataban distintos temas. El capítulo de la economía se me hizo infumable, pero el de teoría política, derechos humanos y cultura estuvieron interesantes.
La verdad me veo releyendo algunos capítulos para el examen 😭
En conclusión, un buen resumen de menos de 200 páginas de lo que son las Relaciones Internacionales en 2020 (con datos y perspectivas muy actuales, una posición izquierdista en lo social pero "no demasiado" bastante políticamente correcta, a la vez que una posición liberal en cuanto a lo económico, en mi opinión el futuro de los países desarrollados), aunque un cubo de agua fría para mí en cuanto a su legibilidad.
En cuanto al contenido, ha habido de todo. Algunos capítulos introductorios, aunque siendo introductorios no eran demasiado accesibles, y después capítulos que trataban distintos temas. El capítulo de la economía se me hizo infumable, pero el de teoría política, derechos humanos y cultura estuvieron interesantes.
La verdad me veo releyendo algunos capítulos para el examen 😭
En conclusión, un buen resumen de menos de 200 páginas de lo que son las Relaciones Internacionales en 2020 (con datos y perspectivas muy actuales, una posición izquierdista en lo social pero "no demasiado" bastante políticamente correcta, a la vez que una posición liberal en cuanto a lo económico, en mi opinión el futuro de los países desarrollados), aunque un cubo de agua fría para mí en cuanto a su legibilidad.
November 13, 2025
An interesting overview but perhaps too rudimentary.
The central effort of the author is to define and explore the global arrangement of political authority (rather than state-to-state relations). As such, there is a lot of 'introspection' into how this authority is generated, expressed, and influenced by various actors/groups and institutions (such as war, culture, etc), both within a polity and between different polities. But such exploration is sometimes too basic (to the tune of, e.g. economy influences political authority, and political arrangements influence economy, here's how).
As a result, the insights are not as helpful, though there are still some educational excerpts, e.g. in describing individual/human rights and the relationship of their evolving primacy (in some respects) to political developments, or in the presentation of major international relations theories.
The central effort of the author is to define and explore the global arrangement of political authority (rather than state-to-state relations). As such, there is a lot of 'introspection' into how this authority is generated, expressed, and influenced by various actors/groups and institutions (such as war, culture, etc), both within a polity and between different polities. But such exploration is sometimes too basic (to the tune of, e.g. economy influences political authority, and political arrangements influence economy, here's how).
As a result, the insights are not as helpful, though there are still some educational excerpts, e.g. in describing individual/human rights and the relationship of their evolving primacy (in some respects) to political developments, or in the presentation of major international relations theories.
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August 30, 2022What is even the protocol for rating textbooks? Like I have no background in international relations to even tell you if this is a good textbook. It actually was kind of a fun read though. Like it did not read like a traditional textbook and was much more conversational. I feel like I got a pretty good base understanding for what my class is going to be about but I also feel like this text expects you to have more preexisting knowledge on international relations or maybe just politics in general so it wasn't like super accessible. I will say that the guy who wrote this loves to repeat the same thing over and over again to emphasize his point. Global organization of political authority might be tattooed into my brain forever. Live, Laugh, Love PLIR 1010.
April 6, 2026
As a first approach to the concept, and being someone who was benighted to it. The book helped me to understand the foundations with worldwide examples. The author at the same time puts a bit of himself on each chapter to help you build your own perspective. Last but not least, it does justice (and also it is written in every chapter) to the words "this is just a brief explanation".
November 22, 2020
Chapters on culture and human rights were more interesting, including facts and perspectives new to me. The chapter on theory was too repetitive.
Mostly an OK overview as always for the VSI series.
Mostly an OK overview as always for the VSI series.
January 22, 2022
An interesting glimpse at the subject of IR. Although, such a VERY short introduction format isn’t, in my opinion, suitable to introduce such a new and quite different views in such complexe field of study.
Read
April 20, 2021no think
April 29, 2021
school read
February 2, 2023
Read this for university and it was very nice
October 28, 2024
read for class
January 18, 2025
A great primer serving exactly the purpose proclaimed.
Read
July 20, 2025I think these very short introductions don't work for me when the topic is so broad and theoretical...
August 27, 2025
3.5/5
November 3, 2025
very clinical and informative! Interesting and digestible read
January 20, 2021
Got some really interesting information from this book. A good starter on academically understanding international relations.
If you is interested in literally any topic, the Oxford University Press Very Short Introductions are the books for you. I promise you, there’s a book for almost everything. Including: ‘Aesthetics’, ‘The Trojan War’, and ‘The Meaning of Life’, to name a few.
3,5 stars.
If you is interested in literally any topic, the Oxford University Press Very Short Introductions are the books for you. I promise you, there’s a book for almost everything. Including: ‘Aesthetics’, ‘The Trojan War’, and ‘The Meaning of Life’, to name a few.
3,5 stars.
September 5, 2023
Surprisingly uninformative.
October 18, 2022
(A note to my friends here: I have to read up to 7 books from this series for my job, so be warned).
I have been a dedicated reader of "Foreign Affairs" and "Le Monde Diplomatique" for a very long time. However, I obviously don't have any formal training in IR. This book serves its purpose well and introduces the main issues of the field in a very accessible manner. Loved the idea to approach international relations as a study of the global organisation of political authority and its human and environmental implications.
I have been a dedicated reader of "Foreign Affairs" and "Le Monde Diplomatique" for a very long time. However, I obviously don't have any formal training in IR. This book serves its purpose well and introduces the main issues of the field in a very accessible manner. Loved the idea to approach international relations as a study of the global organisation of political authority and its human and environmental implications.
Read
July 9, 2025Illuminating, consistent, consise.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews