Bandwagoning in International Relations: China, Russia, and Their Neighbors [Hardback] by Dylan Motin

Overall, the book presents the first full-fledged neorealist attempt to explain bandwagoning. The argument is logical, clearly stated, and consistent with prior neorealist scholarship. The demonstration is suitable, but the book will mostly preach to the realist choir. Nonetheless, non-realist readers will also find insightful information, as it will likely provide a yardstick to discuss bandwagoning for the coming years.

[Extract from book review appearing on 'E-International Relations' - Feb 29 2024. Reviewer: Alexandre Haym]

When and why do minor states ‘bandwagon’ with regional powers that might be a threat to them? This is the question that Bandwagoning in International Relations: China, Russia, and Their Neighbors addresses. The book is timely and much needed since there are relatively few in-depth analyses on the postures of minor states despite the term being commonly used in contemporary discussions of international security. Its extensive coverage on the alignment strategies of Armenia, Belarus, Cambodia, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, and Serbia makes it a worthy piece for readers

keen on understanding the security dynamics of minor states in Asia and Europe. [...]

[Extract from book review on 'Asian Affairs.' 15 Mar 2024. Reviewer: Anthony Toh Han Yang. https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2024.2326037]

[…] The book is timely and much needed since there are relatively few in-depth analyses on the postures of minor states despite the term being commonly used in contemporary discussions of international security. Its extensive coverage on the alignment strategies of Armenia, Belarus, Cambodia, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, and Serbia makes it a worthy piece for readers keen on understanding the security dynamics of minor states in Asia and Europe. […] “Bandwagoning in International Relations: China, Russia, and Their Neighbors” is an interesting book recommended for researchers and enthusiasts who are interested in minor states’ international behaviours. […]

[Extract from book review on ‘Asian Affairs’ (Royal Society for Asian Affairs’s quarterly journal), Volume 55, 2024 - Issue 1, pp. 92-94. 15 Mar 2024. Reviewer: Anthony Toh Han Yang. https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2024.2326037]