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“Appeasing Bankers” seamlessly combines historical, economic, and political analysis and adds much to our understanding of the domestic foundations of national security policy. Kirshner’s logic is impeccable and his prose highly engaging. This book is a tremendous accomplishment.”–Louis W. Pauly, University of Toronto “Appeasing Bankers” makes a pathbreaking contribution to the study of conflict in international relations. With characteristic verve, Jonathan Kirshner argues that ‘bankers dread war’–a comforting thought in an era of financial globalization. Historical case studies, explored with a meticulous attention to detail, persuasively demonstrate that financial interests tend to be among the most resistant of all societal elements to appeals for war or policies that risk war. This book is a must read for specialists in international relations or international political economy.”–Benjamin J. Cohen, University of California, Santa Barbara “Appeasing Bankers” is beautifully written and a genuine pleasure to read. Kirshner artfully manages the difficult task of balancing rich and engaging historical detail with cogent analytic force. His arguments are original and important, and they are carefully supported by an array of primary and secondary sources. This book promises to become a classic of international political economy.”–Jacqueline Best, “University of Ottawa” “This insightful, well-written book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the role of interest groups in foreign policy and the relation between economics and security in international politics. Kirshner finds a strong generalization–namely, that financial interests are cautious aboutwar, more so than other interest groups, regardless of time period or country. It is rare in the study of politics to find an empirical regularity as deep-seated and significant as this one.”–Michael Mastanduno, Dartmouth College
