The SSL ‘Book of the Month’ feature highlights a book in our collection that has been chosen by one of our Subject Consultants. This may be a recent addition to our stock or an existing item that we would like to share with you.
March’s book of the month was selected by Jo Gardner, Bodleian Social Science Librarian and Subject Consultant for Politics and International Relations.
Billionaires in world politics
Peter Hägel
Oxford University Press, 2021
Available as an eBook via SOLO.
Why was it chosen?
It was chosen because it provides some timely insight into the political agency of billionaires.
Book Overview
This book shows how the privatisation of politics assumes a new dimension when billionaires wield power in world politics. Six case studies explore the power of billionaires in their pursuit of security, wealth, and esteem. The conclusion evaluates the findings in order to address three major questions: Is it more appropriate to see billionaires as ‘super-actors’, or as a global ‘super-class’? What is the relative power of billionaires within the international system? What does the power of billionaires mean for the liberal norms of legitimate political order?
Reviews
“In a summarising analysis the author concludes that these individuals have engaged in a form of “stealth politics” that lacks democratic legitimacy and renders the idea of class irrelevant. Their ability to “orchestrate” international policy positions is persuasively presented in this heavily documented study.”
R. Heineman, Alfred University
“A beautiful comparative survey built on the analysis of six of these “ultra-rich” who mobilized their wealth to weigh “from the outside” and “from abroad” on the political competition of a country, the course of a regime crisis, or the definition of the priorities of international organizations.”
Antoine Vauchez, CNRS, La Vie des Idees
How can I access it?
This title is available as an eBook via SOLO. Oxford University staff and students can access the title remotely using their SSO. A hard copy can be requested from the Closed Stacks for Library use only.
What would your SSL Book of the Month be? Do you have a favourite book in our collection? If so, we would love to know what it is. Add a comment below or email us.