'In this thoughtful and nuanced book, Christopher Hobson defends democracy as an international value, arguing that it provides a significant space for reflection and contestation. This is an important and distinctive contribution to the vast literature on democracy, celebrating its potential while candid about its limitations.' Hilary Charlesworth, Distinguished Professor of Human Rights and International Law, Australian National University Explores democracy's remarkable rise from obscurity to occupying a central role in contemporary international relations Little over two hundred years ago, a quarter of a century of warfare with an 'outlaw state' brought the great powers of Europe to their knees. That state was the revolutionary democracy of France. Today, 'rogue regimes' are defined by the fact that they are not democratic. In the intervening period there has been a remarkable transformation in the way democracy is understood and valued. These changes, and the impact they have had on the nature of international relations, are the focus of this study. The book is structured around the historical contrast between - on the one hand - the very high degree of acceptance and legitimacy of democracy in contemporary international politics and - on the other - the strongly negative perceptions that defined the idea in the late eighteenth century. To better understand the contemporary role of democracy in international relations, and what the future may hold, it is necessary first to have a much better grasp of its past. This is what the book provides: a historical account of the development of democracy, framed in terms of democracy's present positioning and future challenges. Christopher Hobson is Assistant Professor in the School of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University. Cover image: The democracy of France, 1794; S. W. Fores; Isaac Cruikshank courtesy of the British Museum Cover design: Andy McColm [EUP logo] www.euppublishing.com