Even given these shortcomings, the yeoman’s work that Thompson has put in to both summarize and engage with a wide swath of international relations theory is commendable. The readability of his work and depth of historical knowledge will make it a valuable addition to the existing literature on American foreign policy. Furthermore, while the theoretical flaws in Thompson’s work are limiting, they shouldn’t be seen as damning if his object is primarily historical rather than theoretical. His willingness to criticize other theories, however, makes his own theoretical insights more than a fair target. As a historian rather than a political scientist, Thompson is perhaps ideologically predisposed towards demonstrating the complexity of the world through the lens of individual events rather than concerned with objective, generalizable relationships between larger, transhistorical variables. Were this to be Thompson’s true, unstated goal, then the value of his historical explanation would only increase, even as the value of his theoretical edifice would recede even further.

Alexander Kirss is a Resident Junior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest.