Modern politics has ushered in the era of the professional adviser, the expert co-opted from the world of ideas and the world of actions. From Woodrow Wilson through the Carter Administration the increasing presence of intellectuals in the making of national and international policy has highlighted the interdependence between the practice of statecraft and the study of statecraft. What are the moral responsibilities, the social obligations, the philosophical motivations of members of the community of scholars brought into contact with the political destines of entire nations? What happens when expertise meets power? These are some of the thoughts presented here in the collection of essays by eight leading intellectuals.

"Image" and "reality" are polar terms within a conceptual continuum. The tension between the two polarities is a constant and permanent one, out of which the texture of human existence is generated. For states, as for men, the perception of self and of "other" is of paramount importance for taking any action. These perceptions must be constantly readjusted and restructured to achieve a view consistent with "reality" rather than "image". Such tests of reality in international politics, however, are infrequent and not particularly reliable; and despite all the advances in intelligence gathering and other objective means of assessing facts, the human mind still controls the ultimate decision making processes. Sixteen internationally recognized scholars, historians and political analysts examine perceptions and reality in the world of statecraft. The articles presented range from empirical analyses through philosophical discourses; they encompass the general, the regional and touch on the Middle East impasse.

Commentaries on war are what make much if not most of written human history. And yet, the avalanche of treatises on war produced by historians, moralists and social scientists in ever growing numbers in recent years have been unevenly divided. The primary motivation behind this volume has been the urge to undertake an incision of the war and peace cycle at the point of wars' endings rather than causes.

Commentaries on war are what make much if not most of written human history. And yet, the avalanche of treatises on war produced by historians, moralists and social scientists in ever growing numbers in recent years have been unevenly divided. The primary motivation behind this volume has been the urge to undertake an incision of the war and peace cycle at the point of wars' endings rather than causes.