In this exciting new book, Tammen, Kugler, and colleagues provide a road map for international relations in the coming decades. They anchor their analyses in the latest research about power transition theory and apply that theory to a wide range of regional settings. This is the best book about the prospects for war and peace in the world’s regions and quite possibly the best book about power transition theory itself. The Rise of Regions is a must read for students of international conflict and cooperation, for scholars of international relations theory, and for scholars or practitioners interested in the prospects for regional conflict and cooperation. The authors employ many engaging graphics that make the work accessible to all readers, and consequently, it is appropriate for college courses at any level and will be of interest to non-academics interested in a rigorous and engaging appraisal of what to expect across the world’s regions in the years to come.

Douglas Lemke, Pennsylvania State University

This timely book is relevant for both scholars and students. At a time of rising and declining major and regional powers, and during a phase in international politics when regional politics have become at least as salient as global politics, this work focuses on the intersection between modern power transition theory and the comparative study of regions. Rigorous scientific comparative analysis of international regions has been in short supply; this effort moves such inquiry forward through both a compatible theoretical framework that makes regional hierarchy a central part of the analysis, and, through its regional case studies, the work provides a roadmap for substantial empirical analysis of conflict and cooperative processes across regions.

Thomas J. Volgy, University of Arizona

Ultimately, the book is a timely read as the world grapples with the NATO–Russia tensions in Ukraine—seen as the beginning of a global realignment—and the US–China rivalry in the South China Sea. It will be a useful read for scholars trying to understand regional power transitions and their global implications. The book will keep general readers engrossed and encourage them to reflect on whether the US is willing to go down without a confrontation now that ‘China has risen’ and on the implications of a Sino-Russian alliance to the world order (p. 27).

International Affairs