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Politics & Society » Human Rights

Most Recommended Books

A Problem from Hell by Samantha Power

“Her basic point is that the United States denounces genocide and says genocide is a terrible thing, but almost never actually acts when it counts.”

Gary Bass, Political Scientist

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The Rule of Law by Tom Bingham

“This book is cited as mandatory reading for all prospective law students at every law school in the country, but I would go further and decree it compulsory for all politicians and indeed anybody with any interest in public life.”

The Secret Barrister,

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

“It’s dated in many ways; it’s extremely sentimental. But it’s beautifully done – you can’t take a thing away from it.”

Scott Turow, Thriller and Crime Writer

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On Liberty book cover

On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

“Mill points out that very often, throughout history, people have thought that they were certainly right, and then turned out to be quite wrong.”

Peter Singer, Philosopher

Read more

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Human rights have been enshrined in international treaties for decades now, but since the UN’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, systematic infringements of it continue to be widespread. Meanwhile technology, conflict and social change continue to throw up fresh challenges about how human rights are defined and how they are defended. Our experts recommend some of the best books on the evolution, practice, breach and defence of human rights.

Professor John Tasioulas of King’s College London, Steve Crawshaw of Amnesty International, and Shami Chakrabarti of the National Council for Civil Liberties all choose their best books on the subject of human rights in general terms. We also have a number of interviews focused on countries where there have been major human rights breaches: Vanora Bennett, who covered the country for Reuters, looks at Chechnya, Philip Gourevitch of the New Yorker, who has himself written a book about the tragedy, looks at the Rwandan Genocide, and Professor Jeffrey Wasserstrom looks at June 4th 1989 in Tiananmen Square, China.

Professor David Chandler talks about Cambodia, and Andrei Lankov, of Kookim University in Seoul discusses North Korea. Professor Norman Naimark, who focuses on Eastern Europe, looks at genocide.

On particular themes related to human rights, Juan Mendez, the UN’s special rapporteur on torture, looks at torture; Claire Fox looks at freedom of speech, and Andrew Cayley, who has worked as a lawyer in genocide trials, talks about war crimes. Max Mosley talks about privacy and Trevor Phillips chooses his best books on equality.

Lastly, barrister Alex McBride looks at his best books on trial by jury and Clive Stafford-Smith chooses his best books on capital punishment.

    The best books on Transitional Justice, recommended by Colleen Murphy

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    The best books on Transitional Justice - Transitional Justice by Ruti G Teitel

    1

    Transitional Justice
    by Ruti G Teitel

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    The best books on Transitional Justice - A Human Being Died That Night by Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela

    2

    A Human Being Died That Night
    by Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela

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    The best books on Transitional Justice - Atrocity, Punishment, and International Law by Mark A Drumbl

    3

    Atrocity, Punishment, and International Law
    by Mark A Drumbl

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    The best books on Transitional Justice - Imperfect Justice: An East-West Diary by Inga Markovits

    4

    Imperfect Justice: An East-West Diary
    by Inga Markovits

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    The best books on Transitional Justice - Brothers of the Gun: A Memoir of the Syrian Civil War by Marwan Hisham and Molly Crabapple

    5

    Brothers of the Gun: A Memoir of the Syrian Civil War
    by Marwan Hisham and Molly Crabapple

The best books on Transitional Justice, recommended by Colleen Murphy

When a period of war or oppression draws to a close, how should a country face up to past wrongdoing while creating a future free of conflict? Colleen Murphy—professor of law, philosophy and political science at the University of Illinois—discusses five books that examine the issues at the heart of ‘transitional justice.’

    The best books on Free Speech, recommended by Timothy Garton Ash

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    The best books on Free Speech - On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

    1

    On Liberty
    by John Stuart Mill

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    The best books on Free Speech - How to Cure A Fanatic by Amos Oz

    2

    How to Cure A Fanatic
    by Amos Oz

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    The best books on Free Speech - Defending My Enemy: American Nazis, the Skokie Case, and the Risks of Freedom by Aryeh Neier

    3

    Defending My Enemy: American Nazis, the Skokie Case, and the Risks of Freedom
    by Aryeh Neier

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    The best books on Free Speech - Giving Offense: Essays on Censorship by J.M. Coetzee

    4

    Giving Offense: Essays on Censorship
    by J.M. Coetzee

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    The best books on Free Speech - The Master Switch by Tim Wu

    5

    The Master Switch
    by Tim Wu

The best books on Free Speech, recommended by Timothy Garton Ash

Free speech is the bedrock of a healthy society, but how do we deal with the torrents of horrible comments—and worse—we see on the internet every day? Timothy Garton Ash, author of Free Speech: Ten Principles for A Connected World, outlines a plan for navigating the complexities and recommends the best books to help us think about free speech.

    The best books on Alternative Futures, recommended by Catherine Mayer

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

    1

    Brave New World
    by Aldous Huxley

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - Idoru by William Gibson

    2

    Idoru
    by William Gibson

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

    3

    The Left Hand of Darkness
    by Ursula Le Guin

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

    4

    Binti
    by Nnedi Okorafor

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

    5

    The Handmaid's Tale
    by Margaret Atwood

The best books on Alternative Futures, recommended by Catherine Mayer

Catherine Mayer—author, journalist and president of the Women’s Equality Party—talks to Five Books about her optimism for a more equal future for society by way of her favourite science fiction visionaries and their work.

    The best books on North Korea, recommended by Hyeonseo Lee

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    The best books on North Korea - Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick

    1

    Nothing to Envy
    by Barbara Demick

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    The best books on North Korea - North Korea Confidential by Daniel Tudor & James Pearson

    2

    North Korea Confidential
    by Daniel Tudor & James Pearson

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    The best books on North Korea - Kim Jong-il: North Korea's Dear Leader by Michael Breen

    3

    Kim Jong-il: North Korea's Dear Leader
    by Michael Breen

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    The best books on North Korea - The Invitation-Only Zone by Robert S. Boynton

    4

    The Invitation-Only Zone
    by Robert S. Boynton

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    The best books on North Korea - North Korea: State of Paranoia by Paul French

    5

    North Korea: State of Paranoia
    by Paul French

The best books on North Korea, recommended by Hyeonseo Lee

Kim Jong-un’s posturing over nuclear weapons is a distraction from more pressing concerns: the extreme poverty and disenfranchisement of his people, says North Korean defector Hyeonseo Lee.  She chooses five books for understanding the hermit kingdom.

    The best books on Human Rights, recommended by John Tasioulas

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    The best books on Human Rights - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

    1

    The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

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    The best books on Human Rights - Making Sense of Human Rights by James Nickel

    2

    Making Sense of Human Rights
    by James Nickel

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    The best books on Human Rights - The Idea of Natural Rights by Brian Tierney

    3

    The Idea of Natural Rights
    by Brian Tierney

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    The best books on Human Rights - The Law of Peoples by John Rawls

    4

    The Law of Peoples
    by John Rawls

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    The best books on Human Rights - On Human Rights by James Griffin

    5

    On Human Rights
    by James Griffin

The best books on Human Rights, recommended by John Tasioulas

What are human rights? Are they reducible to the rights enshrined in law or do they somehow objectively exist? Philosopher John Tasioulas picks the best five books on human rights.

    The best books on June 4th, 1989, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom

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    The best books on June 4th - Neither Gods nor Emperors by Craig Calhoun

    1

    Neither Gods nor Emperors
    by Craig Calhoun

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    The best books on June 4th - The Pro-Democracy Protests in China: Reports from the Provinces by Jonathan Unger

    2

    The Pro-Democracy Protests in China: Reports from the Provinces
    by Jonathan Unger

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    The best books on June 4th - New Ghosts, Old Dreams by Geremie Barme and Linda Jaivin

    3

    New Ghosts, Old Dreams
    by Geremie Barme and Linda Jaivin

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    The best books on June 4th - The People's Republic of Amnesia by Louisa Lim

    4

    The People's Republic of Amnesia
    by Louisa Lim

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    The best books on June 4th - The Gate of Heavenly Peace by Carma Hinton

    5

    The Gate of Heavenly Peace
    by Carma Hinton

The best books on June 4th, 1989, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom

In contrast to Eastern Europe, the 1989 protests in China did not lead to the overthrow of the Communist Party. But if China’s leaders chose the right course on June 4th, 1989, why are they still frightened to come to terms with it? Sinologist and historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom picks the best books to understand events at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and around China on that hot summer night.

    The best books on Capital Punishment, recommended by Clive Stafford Smith

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    The best books on Capital Punishment - We, the Accused by Ernest Raymond

    1

    We, the Accused
    by Ernest Raymond

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    The best books on Capital Punishment - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    2

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    by Harper Lee

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    The best books on Capital Punishment - The Green Mile by Stephen King

    3

    The Green Mile
    by Stephen King

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    The best books on Capital Punishment - In the Place of Justice by Wilbert Rideau

    4

    In the Place of Justice
    by Wilbert Rideau

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    The best books on Capital Punishment - The Execution Protocol by Stephen Trombley

    5

    The Execution Protocol
    by Stephen Trombley

The best books on Capital Punishment, recommended by Clive Stafford Smith

The lawyer, who’s defended many clients on death row, tells us why the legal system in capital cases is set up to fail, and says all of us should know more about what happens in an execution

    The best books on Genocide, recommended by Norman Naimark

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    The best books on Genocide - Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning

    1

    Ordinary Men
    by Christopher Browning

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    The best books on Genocide - The Years of Extermination by Saul Friedländer

    2

    The Years of Extermination
    by Saul Friedländer

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    The best books on Genocide - Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder

    3

    Bloodlands
    by Timothy Snyder

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    The best books on Genocide - Blood and Soil by Ben Kiernan

    4

    Blood and Soil
    by Ben Kiernan

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    The best books on Genocide - A Problem from Hell by Samantha Power

    5

    A Problem from Hell
    by Samantha Power

The best books on Genocide, recommended by Norman Naimark

Genocide isn’t the preserve of fanatics and racist thugs – it’s part of human nature, says Stanford historian Norman Naimark. He tells us how genocide happens, who denies it, where it could return, and the best books to read about it.

    The best books on Freedom of Speech, recommended by Claire Fox

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    The best books on Freedom of Speech - On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

    1

    On Liberty
    by John Stuart Mill

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    The best books on Freedom of Speech - On Tolerance by Frank Furedi

    2

    On Tolerance
    by Frank Furedi

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    The best books on Freedom of Speech - The Human Stain by Philip Roth

    3

    The Human Stain
    by Philip Roth

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    The best books on Freedom of Speech - The Crucible by Arthur Miller

    4

    The Crucible
    by Arthur Miller

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    The best books on Freedom of Speech - Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada

    5

    Alone in Berlin
    by Hans Fallada

The best books on Freedom of Speech, recommended by Claire Fox

Modern society has interpreted John Stuart Mill’s concept of tolerance to mean that we should avoid giving offence. The director of the Institute of Ideas tells us about books that show how far we’ve departed from what was meant

    The best books on Torture, recommended by Juan Mendez

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    The best books on Torture - The Treatment of Prisoners Under International Law by Nigel S Rodley

    1

    The Treatment of Prisoners Under International Law
    by Nigel S Rodley

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    The best books on Torture - The Little School by Alicia Partnoy

    2

    The Little School
    by Alicia Partnoy

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    The best books on Torture - Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman

    3

    Death and the Maiden
    by Ariel Dorfman

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    The best books on Torture - Torture Team by Philippe Sands

    4

    Torture Team
    by Philippe Sands

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    The best books on Torture - Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

    5

    Nineteen Eighty-Four
    by George Orwell

The best books on Torture, recommended by Juan Mendez

Can torture ever be justified? No, says the UN special rapporteur, who tells us how torturers try to excuse themselves and what remedies should be available to surviving victims

    The best books on Human Rights, recommended by Steve Crawshaw

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    The best books on Human Rights - Shah of Shahs by Ryszard Kapuściński

    1

    Shah of Shahs
    by Ryszard Kapuściński

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    The best books on Human Rights - The Power of the Powerless by Vaclav Havel

    2

    The Power of the Powerless
    by Vaclav Havel

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    The best books on Human Rights - A Problem from Hell by Samantha Power

    3

    A Problem from Hell
    by Samantha Power

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    The best books on Human Rights - King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild

    4

    King Leopold's Ghost
    by Adam Hochschild

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    The best books on Human Rights - Freedom from Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi

    5

    Freedom from Fear
    by Aung San Suu Kyi

The best books on Human Rights, recommended by Steve Crawshaw

Amnesty International’s director of international advocacy chooses books that illuminate historical and contemporary human rights issues, from the Belgian Congo to Iran

    The best books on Human Rights, recommended by Shami Chakrabarti

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    The best books on Human Rights - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    1

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    by Harper Lee

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    The best books on Human Rights - Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

    2

    Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix
    by J.K. Rowling

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    The best books on Human Rights - The Rule of Law by Tom Bingham

    3

    The Rule of Law
    by Tom Bingham

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    The best books on Human Rights - Churchill’s Legacy by Peter Oborne and Jesse Norman

    4

    Churchill’s Legacy
    by Peter Oborne and Jesse Norman

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    The best books on Human Rights - The Ghost by Robert Harris

    5

    The Ghost
    by Robert Harris

The best books on Human Rights, recommended by Shami Chakrabarti

Director of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti says Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a thinly veiled metaphor for the War on Terror

    The best books on Privacy, recommended by Max Mosley

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    The best books on Privacy - The Rule of Law by Tom Bingham

    1

    The Rule of Law
    by Tom Bingham

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    The best books on Privacy - Flat Earth News by Nick Davies

    2

    Flat Earth News
    by Nick Davies

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    The best books on Privacy - The News of the World? by Peter Burden

    3

    The News of the World?
    by Peter Burden

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    The best books on Privacy - Bounce by Matthew Syed

    4

    Bounce
    by Matthew Syed

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    The best books on Privacy - Brainwash by Dominic Streatfeild

    5

    Brainwash
    by Dominic Streatfeild

The best books on Privacy, recommended by Max Mosley

The former FIA president discusses privacy very openly, with candid views on the press and his own personal scandal. Recommends books on everything from media distortion to mind control

    The best books on Freedom, recommended by John Kampfner

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    The best books on Freedom - Smoke and Mirrors by Pallavi Aiyar

    1

    Smoke and Mirrors
    by Pallavi Aiyar

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    The best books on Freedom - Yeltsin by Timothy J Colton

    2

    Yeltsin
    by Timothy J Colton

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    The best books on Freedom - Russia, Lost in Transition by Lilia Shevtsova

    3

    Russia, Lost in Transition
    by Lilia Shevtsova

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    The best books on Freedom - Freedom for the Thought That We Hate by Anthony Lewis

    4

    Freedom for the Thought That We Hate
    by Anthony Lewis

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    The best books on Freedom - The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    5

    The Thing Around Your Neck
    by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The best books on Freedom, recommended by John Kampfner

The veteran British journalist and chief executive of Index on Censorship  discusses five books that address concepts of democracy and freedom

    The best books on Equality, recommended by Trevor Phillips

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    The best books on Equality - Bleak House by Charles Dickens

    1

    Bleak House
    by Charles Dickens

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    The best books on Equality - The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

    2

    The Wind in the Willows
    by Kenneth Grahame

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    The best books on Equality - The Black Jacobins by C L R James

    3

    The Black Jacobins
    by C L R James

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    The best books on Equality - Bowling Alone by Robert D Putnam

    4

    Bowling Alone
    by Robert D Putnam

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    The best books on Equality - Identity Economics by George A Akerlof and Rachel E Kranton

    5

    Identity Economics
    by George A Akerlof and Rachel E Kranton

The best books on Equality, recommended by Trevor Phillips

The chairman of the Equalities & Human Rights Commission says discrimination and social injustice won’t be changed by what happens in courtrooms or parliament but by how we all behave

    The best books on War Crimes, recommended by Andrew Cayley

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    The best books on War Crimes - Nuremberg by Airey Neave

    1

    Nuremberg
    by Airey Neave

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    The best books on War Crimes - Five Days in London by John Lukacs

    2

    Five Days in London
    by John Lukacs

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    The best books on War Crimes - Nelson by Christopher Hibbert

    3

    Nelson
    by Christopher Hibbert

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    The best books on War Crimes - The Poems of Wilfred Owen by Wilfred Owen

    4

    The Poems of Wilfred Owen
    by Wilfred Owen

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    The best books on War Crimes - If This Is a Man by Primo Levi

    5

    If This Is a Man
    by Primo Levi

The best books on War Crimes, recommended by Andrew Cayley

Having served as the International Co-Prosecutor of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia, Andrew Cayley QC draws on his firsthand experience to nominate the best books on war crimes.

    The best books on Trial By Jury, recommended by Alex McBride

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    The best books on Trial By Jury - Howe & Hummel by Richard H. Rovere

    1

    Howe & Hummel
    by Richard H. Rovere

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    The best books on Trial By Jury - The Trial by Sadakat Kadri

    2

    The Trial
    by Sadakat Kadri

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    The best books on Trial By Jury - The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V Higgins

    3

    The Friends of Eddie Coyle
    by George V Higgins

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    The best books on Trial By Jury - The Tyrannicide Brief by Geoffrey Robertson

    4

    The Tyrannicide Brief
    by Geoffrey Robertson

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    The best books on Trial By Jury - Codes of the Underworld: How Criminals Communicate by Diego Gambetta

    5

    Codes of the Underworld: How Criminals Communicate
    by Diego Gambetta

The best books on Trial By Jury, recommended by Alex McBride

Alex McBride, criminal barrister and author of Defending the Guilty, chooses books that illustrate the history of trial by jury. He points to influential cases in British legal history, and shows how poor regulation of the legal profession in the 19th century resulted in some questionable practices.  

    The best books on The Rwandan Genocide, recommended by Philip Gourevitch

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    The best books on The Rwandan Genocide - Life Laid Bare by Jean Hatzfeld

    1

    Life Laid Bare
    by Jean Hatzfeld

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    The best books on The Rwandan Genocide - Rwanda by Rakiya Omar

    2

    Rwanda
    by Rakiya Omar

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    The best books on The Rwandan Genocide - Le Tribunal des Vaincus by Thierry Cruvellier

    3

    Le Tribunal des Vaincus
    by Thierry Cruvellier

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    The best books on The Rwandan Genocide - The Discovery of the Source of the Nile by John Hanning Speke

    4

    The Discovery of the Source of the Nile
    by John Hanning Speke

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    The best books on The Rwandan Genocide - My Traitor's Heart by Rian Malan

    5

    My Traitor's Heart
    by Rian Malan

The best books on The Rwandan Genocide, recommended by Philip Gourevitch

The journalist and author of We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families, an account of the Rwandan genocide, explores five books on the events that left 800,000 dead in 100 days.

    The best books on Chechnya, recommended by Vanora Bennett

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    The best books on Chechnya - Hadji Murad by Leo Tolstoy

    1

    Hadji Murad
    by Leo Tolstoy

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    The best books on Chechnya - The North Caucasus Barrier by Marie Bennigsen Broxup (ed)

    2

    The North Caucasus Barrier
    by Marie Bennigsen Broxup (ed)

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    The best books on Chechnya - A Small Victorious War by Thomas de Waal and Carlotta Gall

    3

    A Small Victorious War
    by Thomas de Waal and Carlotta Gall

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    The best books on Chechnya - The Oath by Khassan Baiev

    4

    The Oath
    by Khassan Baiev

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    The best books on Chechnya - A Small Corner of Hell by Anna Politkovskaya

    5

    A Small Corner of Hell
    by Anna Politkovskaya

The best books on Chechnya, recommended by Vanora Bennett

Award winning reporter and novelist says there are no superlatives too superlative for Anna Politkovskaya, who, after three books and innumerable investigative reporting trips to Chechnya, was murdered in Moscow

    The best books on Humanitarian Intervention, recommended by Philip Cunliffe

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    The best books on Humanitarian Intervention - From Kosovo to Kabul and Beyond - New Edition by David Chandler (University of Westminster)

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    From Kosovo to Kabul and Beyond - New Edition
    by David Chandler (University of Westminster)

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    The best books on Humanitarian Intervention - Human Rights and Empire by Costas Douzinas

    2

    Human Rights and Empire
    by Costas Douzinas

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    The best books on Humanitarian Intervention - Global Governance and the New Wars by Mark Duffield

    3

    Global Governance and the New Wars
    by Mark Duffield

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    The best books on Humanitarian Intervention - Philosophy of Right by G. W. F. Hegel

    4

    Philosophy of Right
    by G. W. F. Hegel

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    The best books on Humanitarian Intervention - Saviours and Survivors by Mahmood Mamdani

    5

    Saviours and Survivors
    by Mahmood Mamdani

The best books on Humanitarian Intervention, recommended by Philip Cunliffe

Lecturer in international conflict says the idea that it is right and legitimate for states to intervene in others’ affairs is a very dangerous trend, especially in the name of humanitarianism

    The best books on Nazi Hunters, recommended by Guy Walters

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    The best books on Nazi Hunters - The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth

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    The Odessa File
    by Frederick Forsyth

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    The best books on Nazi Hunters - The House on Garibaldi Street by Isser Harel

    2

    The House on Garibaldi Street
    by Isser Harel

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    The best books on Nazi Hunters - Blind Eye to Murder by Tom Bower

    3

    Blind Eye to Murder
    by Tom Bower

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    The best books on Nazi Hunters - The Last Days of Hitler by H. R Trevor Roper

    4

    The Last Days of Hitler
    by H. R Trevor Roper

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    The best books on Nazi Hunters - The Real Odessa by Uki Goni

    5

    The Real Odessa
    by Uki Goni

The best books on Nazi Hunters, recommended by Guy Walters

The Times journalist calls Simon Wiesenthal a liar. He’s just not this secular saint that everyone says he is – his memoirs all contradict each other and are at odds with the rest of the evidence

    The best books on Human Rights, recommended by Gary Bass

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    The best books on Human Rights - The case against the Nazi War criminals by Robert Houghwout Jackson

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    The case against the Nazi War criminals
    by Robert Houghwout Jackson

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    The best books on Human Rights - Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations by Michael Walzer

    2

    Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations
    by Michael Walzer

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    The best books on Human Rights - A Problem from Hell by Samantha Power

    3

    A Problem from Hell
    by Samantha Power

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    The best books on Human Rights - Endgame by David Rohde

    4

    Endgame
    by David Rohde

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    The best books on Human Rights - Legalism by Judith Shklar

    5

    Legalism
    by Judith Shklar

The best books on Human Rights, recommended by Gary Bass

Political scientist Gary Bass picks the five best books on Human Rights.

    The best books on Cambodia, recommended by David Chandler

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    The best books on Cambodia - Angkor and the Khmer Civilization (Ancient Peoples and Places) by Michael D. Coe

    1

    Angkor and the Khmer Civilization (Ancient Peoples and Places)
    by Michael D. Coe

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    The best books on Cambodia - (Kindle) Pol Pot by Philip Short

    2

    (Kindle) Pol Pot
    by Philip Short

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    The best books on Cambodia - Cambodia Year Zero by Francois Ponchaud Price

    3

    Cambodia Year Zero
    by Francois Ponchaud Price

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    The best books on Cambodia - Sideshow by William Shawcross

    4

    Sideshow
    by William Shawcross

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    The best books on Cambodia - When The War Was Over by Elizabeth Becker

    5

    When The War Was Over
    by Elizabeth Becker

The best books on Cambodia, recommended by David Chandler

David Chandler, one of the foremost western scholars on Cambodian history—and author of the first study of S-21, the Khmer Rouge interrogation centre—recommends the best books on Cambodia.

    The best books on North Korea, recommended by Andrei Lankov

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    The best books on North Korea - Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader by Bradley K. Martin

    1

    Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader
    by Bradley K. Martin

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    The best books on North Korea - The End of North Korea by Nicholas Eberstadt

    2

    The End of North Korea
    by Nicholas Eberstadt

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    The best books on North Korea - The Guerilla Dynasty by Adrian Buzo

    3

    The Guerilla Dynasty
    by Adrian Buzo

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    The best books on North Korea - Aquariums of Pyongyang by Kang Chol-Hwan & Pierre Rigoulot

    4

    Aquariums of Pyongyang
    by Kang Chol-Hwan & Pierre Rigoulot

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    The best books on North Korea - Famine in North Korea by S Haggard

    5

    Famine in North Korea
    by S Haggard

The best books on North Korea, recommended by Andrei Lankov

North Korea expert, Andrei Lankov, says that although North Korea is a brutal dictatorship, many people nonetheless manage to lead relatively normal lives. He recommends the best books on North Korea. (NB You can buy all our expert recommendations on North Korea by clicking here.)

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