Introduction to International Law By J G Strake 10th Edition

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Introduction to International Law By J G Strake 10th Edition. This book Introduction to International Law By J G Strake is of great value for the prospective international official or the diplomatic recruit who may wish to obtain a clear and concise picture of international law. One should not expect, however, to find in it any consistent historical or philosophical approach to the law of Nations. The practical standpoint prevails throughout and the author himself takes pains, in his Preface, to make it clear that the book is addressed to “those who will have to deal with the subject in actual practice”. This, of course, restricts its usefulness but it certainly reflects, on the part of the author, a better appreciation of the actual value of his book than was the case when, in the Preface of his first edition (1947), he addressed it to university students as well. As far as the latter are concerned, the book might come in handy as a sup- plement to the case method; however, there is no dearth of other treatises and manuals that will provide the student with more stimulating thinking on the basic issues that confront us today. It would have been useful, for instance, to have the author’s thoughts on the fact that “new States (in particular the Afro-Asian group which held a Conference at Bandung . . .) have challenged certain of the basic principles of international law” (p. 12); likewise, it would have been of “practical” use, even in a book which purports to offer an Introduction to International Law, to discuss at some length the implications of the Soviet approach to the State and the Law (although it must be admitted that most recent treatises leave this subject aside). However, bearing in mind these limitations, it must be said that Mr. Starke’s Introduction justifies the description printed on the jacket, commending his “attractive style and lucid exposition”. He gives a concise yet accurate statement of the Law, although his conciseness may -at times lead him to deal perfunctorily with major controversies, e.g., the international as against the national standard as a basis for State responsibility. Introduction to International Law By J G Strake 10th Edition