Awards

• Winner of A 2011 Foreign Affairs Best Book of the Year C.

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9780801478796

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Reviews

<p> Returning to the Western sources of humanitarianism, Michael Barnett offers a history in the longue duree, from the antislavery movement to contemporary killing fields and refugee camps. His lucid and honest analysis of the ideologies and practices, ambitions and engagements, ambiguities and contradictions of the humanitarian movement questions the moral foundations of our politics of compassion. -Didier Fassin, James D. Wolfensohn Professor in the School of Social Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, and coauthor of The Empire of Trauma: An Inquiry into the Condition of Victimhood

Michael Barnett'sEmpire of Humanity: a History of Humanitarianismprovides an insightful analysis of humanitarianism and humanitarian action focusing on its evolution and globalization especially after World War II.... This is thus a fundamental book for all those who work with humanitarian issues, both academics and practitioners, since it not only explores with rigor and detail the main trends of humanitarian action, but also because it sheds light on the most urgent and important challenges and dilemmas to be addressed when it comes to reinforcing and improving the international humanitarian system. Daniela Nascimento, Human Rights Review(March 2013)

<p> In Empire of Humanity, Michael Barnett gives a critical history and a contemporary account of humanitarian practice. Each phase is differentiated by the particular sociohistorical combination of three sets of forces-destruction (states and warfare), production (capitalism), and compassion (norms in international relations). Barnett surveys the variety of dilemmas humanitarians have faced and the choices they have made; his compelling account is the most comprehensive and sophisticated single-volume analysis of the history and practice of humanitarianism currently available. -Stephen Hopgood, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, author of Keepers of the Flame: Understanding Amnesty International

Author Information

Michael Barnett is University Professor of International Affairs and Political Science at The George Washington University.

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