Download or read book The Paradox of Peace written by John Orme and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2004-06-19 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This wide-ranging text examines the foundations of peace by using diverse case studies to look at the calculations of political leaders and their reliance on optimism. Drawing on global examples from various historical periods, John D. Orme calls into question the longstanding assumption that optimism about the benefits of peace leads to conflict termination. Instead, he suggests that when leaders perceive little opportunity for gains through sustained conflict, the likelihood of peace through compromise may be most likely. Bringing together key issues of foreign policy, statesmanship, and diplomacy, this book offers a provocative and straightforward case against the use of optimism in international relations.