The Shadow of the Past

The Shadow of the Past examines military alliances before World War I to explore the relationship between a state's reputation and its ability to form and shape alliances.

Gregory D. Miller has taught courses in international relations and terrorism at the College of William & Mary and the University of Oklahoma and served as director of the Summer Workshop on Teaching about Terrorism. He currently teaches at Oklahoma State University.

A volume in the series "Cornell Studies in Security Affairs", The Shadow of the Past is an important read for anyone interested in the origins of the Great War or in the general problem of how wars begin.

Dale C. Copeland, University of Virginia:

The Shadow of the Past is one of the best books on reputations and alliance behavior to come out over the last ten to fifteen years. Gregory D. Miller convincingly shows that a state's reputation for reliability strongly affects its ability to build and sustain effective alliances. In an era when many doubt the need for continued U.S. commitments to overseas alliances, the implications of this book are clearly profound.

Brian H. Lai, University of Iowa:

Gregory D. Miller's book advances our understanding of how a state’s reputation influences interactions with other states by testing novel hypotheses with in-depth case studies. This work also greatly contributes to our understanding of how alliances are formed and change over time due to a state’s reputation.

Douglas M. Gibler, author of The Territorial Peace: Borders, State Development, and International Conflict:

The Shadow of the Past is a very original book that deals with a central concept in International Relations. Using excellent historical evidence from several past crises, Gregory D. Miller demonstrates that leader concerns with state reputations are justified. Reputations for reliability allow leaders greater discretion in signing and servicing their alliances, making it easier to build coalitions in times of need. This is an important book for anyone interested in international relations theory or international conflict.