"A much more sophisticated contribution than most ... a valuablecontribution to the ever-growing literature on conflict andviolence."
Times Literary Supplement
"Complex emergencies aims to analyse the various abusivesystems of government that have created the world's recenthumanitarian disasters. It is an important and challenging bookand, being well edited and thoroughly researched, it achieves itsstated aim."
International Affairs
"A lucid and highly accessible volume and an essential text foranyone wishing to understand the multifaceted interaction betweenconflict and its benefactors."
Journal of Peace Research
"The great value of this book is that it enables understandingof the causes of
complex emergencies. It provides powerful,detailed analysis of many specific instances from across theglobe."
Third Way
"Combining critical theorizing and detailed knowledge ofconflict zones around the world, Keen challenges a mountain ofreceived wisdoms, urban myths, and simplified understandingsregarding collective violence, aid, reconstruction, andpeace-building."
Making Sense of Darfur
"Recommended for scholars of international relations anddevelopment studies. It provides an important contribution to theliterature by synthesizing existing research about the dilemmas oftrying to intervene in complex emergencies that initially may seemirrational to outside observers but ultimately make sense from theperspective of the different interests involved."
Journal of Refugee Studies
"Complex Emergencies is the indispensable text on thetopic of internal war and its humanitarian implications. Itanalyses how conflict functions systemically and the role ofpsychological factors in extreme violence. Moreover, despitedealing with such a difficult subject, this book is also a delightto read."
Alex de Waal, Global Equity Initiative, HarvardUniversity
"In providing a powerful corrective to the urge to dismissAfrican wars or terrorism as mindless violence, this bookrepresents David Keen at his incisive best. In this comprehensiveand challenging review of complex emergencies, Keen brilliantlyshows how factors often dismissed as irrational or unforeseenactually function to constitute the predicament in question. Foranyone seriously concerned with what is happening in theworld's disaster zones - whether student, policy-maker orgeneral public - you will not find a better or more illuminatingguide."
Mark Duffield, University of Bristol
