Killing Machines

‘Thomas Gift's book addresses a crucial question of our time: what makes it possible for leaders to breach and dismantle a set of well-ingrained and widely accepted international rules and norms? Through a compelling narrative and a convincing research design, Gift sheds light on the means and motives that have enabled Trump and its ‘impunity coalition’ to fundamentally challenge International Humanitarian Law norms. This book is a must-read with important implications for theory and practice.’ Chiara Ruffa, Professor of Political Science, Sciences Po Paris ‘The Trump administrations have unsettled the mainstream social-scientific consensus that institutions are robust and that they correct and discipline leaders who would defy their rules and practices. Thomas Gift’s Killing Machines helps us begin to understand how Trump is jeopardizing the law of war - and, by implication, many other longstanding rules and practices of democracies.’ John M. Owen, Ambassador Henry J. & Marion R. Taylor Professor of Politics, University of Virginia ‘Thomas Gift’s book could not be more timely. He persuasively explains how Donald Trump and his enablers have dismissed or flouted fundamental rules of international humanitarian law and warns of the dangerous precedent this sets. The book is a chilling reminder of the fragility of the international rules-based order.’ Alison Pert, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Sydney Law School