Unbound in War? : International Law in Canada and Britain's Participation in the Korean War and Afghanistan

Summary: In Unbound in War?, Sean Richmond examines the influence and interpretation of international law in conflicts of force by two important but under-studied countries, Canada and Britain, during two of the most significant conflicts since 1945, namely the Korean War and the Afghanistan Conflict. Through an innovative application of sociological theories within International Relations (IR) and International Law (IL), and using qualitative analysis from declassified documents and original interviews, Unbound in War? delves into two arguments. First, contrary to what some dominant IR perspectives might predict, international law can play many underappreciated roles in situations where force is used. The book discusses how IR helps constitute the identity of actors within these situations and also helps regulate conduct. Secondly, Unbound in War? shows that while international law can play important roles even in "high politics" areas like armed conflict, it is unclear whether the effect is ultimately attributable to an obligatory quality in law. Looking at the Korean War and the Afghanistan conflict, the ground-breaking arguments presented in Unbound in War? promise to advance interdisciplinary debates in both IR and IL, and contribute to broader policy discussions in these fields.