New publications written by Goodenough Alumni (April 2022)
The Insurgent’s Dilemma: a Struggle to Prevail by David H Ucko (Hurst, March 2022)
Goodenough Alum Dr David Ucko (WGH 2003-04) considers why, when most insurgencies fail, some nonetheless work–and why they work so well.
Even when insurgents manage to claim territory and threaten governmental writ, they typically face a military backlash too powerful to withstand. The insurgents’ dilemma is the difficulty of asserting oneself, of violently challenging authority, and of establishing sustainable power. David explores three adaptive strategies being adopted by insurgents to exploit the vulnerabilities of our times and their implications for response. He argues that there are options for response, but fresh thinking is urgently needed – about society, legitimacy and political violence itself.
Dr David Ucko is professor of international security studies at the College of International Security Affairs (CISA), National Defense University. He serves as Chair of the War and Conflict Studies Department and as director of the Regional Defense Fellowship Program (RDFP). He also serves as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, where for many years he oversaw the Conflict, Security and Development Research Group (CSDRG).
“One of the most important books on insurgency and political violence to appear in decades. Ucko’s analysis, based on historical vignettes, is clear and compelling. This book will help readers understand how to think about insurgent and terrorist organizations as the first step toward developing strategies in response to them.” (H R McMaster, former US National Security Advisor and author of Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World).
The book is available in hardback and digital formats from Hurst and other good booksellers.
NB: Goodenough Alumni can claim a 25% discount off the retail price of David’s book by visiting Hurst and using the code (UCK025)
David is also running a seminar at the College on ‘Ukraine and the aggressor’s dilemma: implications for future war’, on Monday 9 May 2022.
Sustainable Hedonism: a Thriving Life that Does Not Cost the Earth by Orsolya Lelkes (Bristol University Press, 2021)
Alum Orsolya Lelkes (LH 1997-2000) uses her new book, Sustainable Hedonism, to explore how we can create a thriving life for everyone that doesn’t come at the price of ecological destruction.
This book calls on us to explore our collective and personal convictions about success and good life. Orsolya draws on science and ancient Greek philosophers to set out how we can cultivate our skills for enjoying life without harming ourselves or others, and can live an autonomous, creative and connected life.
Orsolya is an independent scholar and psychological counsellor, her previous roles include Deputy Director at the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research in Vienna and Head of Economic Research at Hungarian Ministry of Finance.
The book is available to order now in hardback and paperback from Bristol University Press and other booksellers. Orsolya is also running a seminar at the College on 25 May 2022.
War and Peace in the Worlds of Rudolf H Sauter: a Cultural History of a Creative Life by Jeffrey S Reznick (Anthem Press, March 2022)
Alum Jeffrey S Reznick (LH 1995-96) has written the first book to examine the creative life and worlds of Rudolf H Sauter (1895–1977), the German-born artist, poet, cultural observer and nephew of the famous novelist John Galsworthy. Revealing him to be a creative figure in his own right, Jeffrey examines Sauter’s early life as a German immigrant in Britain, his formative years during the run-up to the Great War, his wartime internment as an ‘enemy alien’ and the postwar development of his intriguing body of artistic and literary work. in examining Sauter’s life provides new insights into war, love, memory, travel and some of the existential concerns of modern times.
Jeffrey S Reznick is Chief of the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
The book is available in hardback and digital formats from Anthem Press and other good booksellers.