Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Book Review: Superpower Struggles: Mighty America, Faltering Europe, Rising Asia , by John Redwood. (Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2005)

Book Review: Superpower Struggles: Mighty America, Faltering Europe, Rising Asia , by John... BOOK REVIEWS John Redwood, Superpower Struggles: Mighty America, Faltering Europe, Rising Asia (Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2005), ISBN 1-4039-9078-6 (pbk) and 1-4039-9077-8 (hbk), GBP17.99 (pbk) and GBP50.00 (hbk), xiv+194pp. John Redwood in this book extends the arguments made in his 2001 book on US­UK relations, Stars and Strife (Palgrave). The earlier book, written before the terrorist attacks on America BOOK REVIEWS in September 2001, warned from a Eurosceptic position, of coming rifts between Europe and the USA. The experience of the War on Terror ­ of Euro-American rows over Iraq, and the Chiracist project for using the European Union as a `balancer' of American power ­ has confirmed Redwood in his views. A flavour of his argument may be gleaned from a few selective quotations. `The Britain that claims to be America's best ally and frank friend finds herself under a government recommending a European Constitution which points in entirely the opposite direction' (p. 8). The new EU constitution `will strengthen the internal power of the EU over its members but it will not succeed in creating a mighty rival to the US' (p. 29). `The present British establishment does not believe in Britain and is actively encouraging, or conniving in, the destruction of Britishness by the forces of Europeanisation from without, and devolution from within' (p. 69). Redwood's hero, unsurprisingly, is Winston Churchill, who ­ at least according to Redwood ­ `wanted a United States of Europe involving only the continental powers' (p. 73). Redwood, like Churchill, champions the US­UK `special relationship'. Redwood rightly sees defence and intelligence cooperation as lying at the heart of the relationship, though he rather implausibly regards the `present British establishment' as likely to sacrifice special defence relations on the altar of European cooperation. The British people should and, according to Redwood, will reject the constitutional treaty. London should renegotiate its links to the European Union and revive the notion of the United Kingdom becoming part of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The book's subtitle and surrounding publicity puts much emphasis on Redwood's response to the rise of China. In fact only one chapter is devoted to China, while several others revisit familiar Eurosceptic arguments about Britain and European integration. Redwood's main point about China is that its rise ­ military as well as economic ­ will further strain transatlantic relations, making still more urgent the need for the United Kingdom to make some species of clear choice between the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. Like Stars and Strife, Superpower Struggles is extremely enjoyable to read. It is fluently written and argues its case with gusto and polemical glee. The analysis of Blair's decision to support the Iraq invasion is fascinating. Redwood acknowledges that it stimulated antiAmericanism in Britain and also `damaged the framework and fabric of British diplomatic efforts elsewhere in the world' (p. 107). The real lesson of Iraq for Redwood, however, is that, freed from Europeanism, London really can be a valuable ally of the USA. Possible lines of criticism are obvious. An expanded Europe, and one in which France and Holland have rejected the constitutional treaty, seems rather a long way from the centralizing vision articulated by Helmut Kohl at Edinburgh University in 1991. Redwood fails to deal adequately with the implications of EU enlargement and the likely future orientation of the new Eastern members. It is not easy to take the idea of British membership of NAFTA very seriously, while notions of the English-speaking `Anglosphere' draw on a well of romanticism which it is difficult to reconcile with measured analysis. The US­UK defence and intelligence relationship is still close and thriving and is not about to be supplanted by anti-American European arrangements. In a book supposedly focused on `rising Asia', there is far too little discussion of India. Redwood is brilliant and provocative. David Cameron should read his book carefully, and move swiftly on. John Dumbrell University of Leicester http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png European Foreign Affairs Review Kluwer Law International

Book Review: Superpower Struggles: Mighty America, Faltering Europe, Rising Asia , by John Redwood. (Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2005)

Dumbrell
European Foreign Affairs Review , Volume 11 (3) – Sep 1, 2006
Download PDF
2 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/kluwer-law-international/book-review-superpower-struggles-mighty-america-faltering-europe-D4X0Kz3AUJ

References

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
Kluwer Law International
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer Law International
ISSN
1384-6299
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

BOOK REVIEWS John Redwood, Superpower Struggles: Mighty America, Faltering Europe, Rising Asia (Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2005), ISBN 1-4039-9078-6 (pbk) and 1-4039-9077-8 (hbk), GBP17.99 (pbk) and GBP50.00 (hbk), xiv+194pp. John Redwood in this book extends the arguments made in his 2001 book on US­UK relations, Stars and Strife (Palgrave). The earlier book, written before the terrorist attacks on America BOOK REVIEWS in September 2001, warned from a Eurosceptic position, of coming rifts between Europe and the USA. The experience of the War on Terror ­ of Euro-American rows over Iraq, and the Chiracist project for using the European Union as a `balancer' of American power ­ has confirmed Redwood in his views. A flavour of his argument may be gleaned from a few selective quotations. `The Britain that claims to be America's best ally and frank friend finds herself under a government recommending a European Constitution which points in entirely the opposite direction' (p. 8). The new EU constitution `will strengthen the internal power of the EU over its members but it will not succeed in creating a mighty rival to the US' (p. 29). `The present British establishment does not believe in Britain and is actively encouraging, or conniving in, the destruction of Britishness by the forces of Europeanisation from without, and devolution from within' (p. 69). Redwood's hero, unsurprisingly, is Winston Churchill, who ­ at least according to Redwood ­ `wanted a United States of Europe involving only the continental powers' (p. 73). Redwood, like Churchill, champions the US­UK `special relationship'. Redwood rightly sees defence and intelligence cooperation as lying at the heart of the relationship, though he rather implausibly regards the `present British establishment' as likely to sacrifice special defence relations on the altar of European cooperation. The British people should and, according to Redwood, will reject the constitutional treaty. London should renegotiate its links to the European Union and revive the notion of the United Kingdom becoming part of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The book's subtitle and surrounding publicity puts much emphasis on Redwood's response to the rise of China. In fact only one chapter is devoted to China, while several others revisit familiar Eurosceptic arguments about Britain and European integration. Redwood's main point about China is that its rise ­ military as well as economic ­ will further strain transatlantic relations, making still more urgent the need for the United Kingdom to make some species of clear choice between the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. Like Stars and Strife, Superpower Struggles is extremely enjoyable to read. It is fluently written and argues its case with gusto and polemical glee. The analysis of Blair's decision to support the Iraq invasion is fascinating. Redwood acknowledges that it stimulated antiAmericanism in Britain and also `damaged the framework and fabric of British diplomatic efforts elsewhere in the world' (p. 107). The real lesson of Iraq for Redwood, however, is that, freed from Europeanism, London really can be a valuable ally of the USA. Possible lines of criticism are obvious. An expanded Europe, and one in which France and Holland have rejected the constitutional treaty, seems rather a long way from the centralizing vision articulated by Helmut Kohl at Edinburgh University in 1991. Redwood fails to deal adequately with the implications of EU enlargement and the likely future orientation of the new Eastern members. It is not easy to take the idea of British membership of NAFTA very seriously, while notions of the English-speaking `Anglosphere' draw on a well of romanticism which it is difficult to reconcile with measured analysis. The US­UK defence and intelligence relationship is still close and thriving and is not about to be supplanted by anti-American European arrangements. In a book supposedly focused on `rising Asia', there is far too little discussion of India. Redwood is brilliant and provocative. David Cameron should read his book carefully, and move swiftly on. John Dumbrell University of Leicester

Journal

European Foreign Affairs Review – Kluwer Law International

Published: Sep 1, 2006

There are no references for this article.