Asserting that regional patterns of security are increasingly important in international politics, this study presents a detailed account of relations between global powers. It emphasizes their relationship with the regional security complexes which make up the contemporary international system. The book analyzes Africa, the Balkans, Eastern and Western Europe, East Asia, the Middle East, North America and South Asia, tracing the history of each region through the present.

Theories and histories about the structure of contemporary international security -- Levels : distinguishing the regional from the global -- Security complexes : a theory of regional security -- South Asia : inching towards internal and external transformation -- Northeast and Southeast Asian RSCs during the Cold War -- The 1990s and beyond : an emergent EastAsian complex -- The Middle East : a perennial conflict formation -- Sub-Saharan Africa : security dynamics in a setting of weak and failed states -- Conclusions -- North America : the sole superpower and its surroundings -- South America : an under-conflictual anomaly? -- EU-Europe : the European Union and its 'near abroad' -- The Balkans and Turkey -- The post-Soviet space : a regional security complex -- Conclusions : scenarios for the European supercomplex -- Regions and powers : summing up and looking ahead -- Reflections on conceptualising international security.