If you are interested in reviewing a book please contact the Features Editor, Say Jye Quah (sjq21@cam.ac.uk). Please note that we do not accept book reviews through the journal’s online portal.
Guidelines
We accept two types of book reviews. The first is a single-book review. These book reviews should assume that the reader has not read the book under review and offer a very brief summary. The review should position the book within the relevant field of literature, as well as give a few points of information on the author’s background. It is imperative that the book review contains substantive analysis and comments on issues raised by the book(s). The book review should not be an excuse for presenting the reviewer’s own views on a theme. Book reviews (for a single book) should not exceed 800 words.
Secondly, we encourage review essays analysing three to five books on the same subject. These books might take different approaches as the result of the respective authors coming from different schools of thought or even disciplines. It may also be the result of a theoretical problem being discussed using different case studies. We welcome creative suggestions for these multi-book review essays. These essays should be around 4000 to 8000 words.
All important bibliographic information, including number of pages and ISBN, must be provided in the format set out below. If the book has appeared both as paperback and hardback, include both points of information, for example:
Herfried Muenkler, The new wars, Cambridge, England, Polity Press, 2005, ISBN 0745633366 (hbk), 192 pp, ISBN 0745633374 (pbk), 224 pp
The Cambridge Review of International Affairs invites authors of reviewed books to respond. We typically only accept reviews of books published within a year before the issue in which the review is due to appear, but can waive this in certain circumstances. Reviews of books published in languages other than English are also considered.
Book review process
After contacting the Features Editor, the reviewer will be informed as to whether there is interest in publishing a review of the book that they have suggested. If the response is positive, the features editor will order a review copy of the book on behalf of the reviewer and will work with the reviewer to set a submission date. Once the reviewer submits the draft version of the review, and if it meets the journal’s editorial standards, it will undergo an editing process before being assigned to an issue of CRIA.
Please note that the Features Editor also regularly compiles a list of recently published books that are of interest to CRIA that they may be able to share with those interested in writing reviews for the journal.
